Think of the summary as a shortened cover letter
The ideal LinkedIn summary shows your background in a way that's authentic and engaging. See this roundup of great LinkedIn profile summaries for help getting started. The best summaries might engage folks with an anecdote about how they got interested in their field, and follow up with what keeps them in their profession.
Don't be afraid to add some humor or some personal background, like where you volunteer or some fun facts about your interests. You can also keep it simple by explaining your passion for your profession and what's great about your company.
"It provides a holistic and rich digital representation of your story, and what makes you unique as a professional," Decembrele said. "It should empower you to attract opportunity in a way that addresses your professional goals and aspirations, so make it authentic."
Include keywords, not buzzwords
Decembrele said you should include plenty of search keywords in your summary. That way, recruiters will be able to easily find your profile.
"Potential employers search for summaries using keywords and the skills that they have listed in their job posting," Decembrele said. "Read though the descriptions of the jobs you want and include those keywords in your summary if you have those skills."
Go for specifics on what you bring to the company. Instead of writing that you have "an extensive writing background," go with "six years of technical writing and editing experience."
That way, recruiters know what exactly you bring to the table, and they'll be able to quickly find you via search.
Read more: A head recruiter at Amazon says the best résumés are data-based — and there's an easy formula you can follow
Write in the first person
This is you writing about you. So, Decembrele said to stick to "I."
"Write how you talk and infuse your personality and tone, but be sure to keep it professional," Decembrele said.
Make sure it's at least 40 words, but no more than a few paragraphs
Keep it short and sweet — a few sentences or a few paragraphs, at most.
But not too short. Decembrele said 40 words is the minimum to show up on LinkedIn's search.
Update your summary every six months
One of the biggest mistakes you can make with your LinkedIn summary is writing it and never looking at it again.
Decembrele said you should re-visit your summary every six months to a year to make sure it accurately reflects your career and path.
"Your LinkedIn summary and profile is a living, breathing entity that reflects the past, present and future of your career," Decembrele said.