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Your LinkedIn headline has 220 characters to communicate who you are, what you do, and why someone should care. The best headlines combine your role, key skills, and value proposition—making recruiters and prospects want to learn more. Here are 50+ examples and formulas to inspire yours.

Key Takeaways

Character limit: 220 characters maximum
Visible characters: First 60 characters appear in search results and connection requests
Formula that works: [Role] | [Key Skill/Specialty] | [Value Proposition or Achievement]
Include keywords: LinkedIn uses headlines for search matching
Avoid: Generic titles only, buzzwords without substance, "looking for opportunities" as the main message

LinkedIn Headline Formula

According to Jobscan's research, effective headlines follow a clear structure:

The 3-Part Formula

[What You Do] + [Who You Help/Your Specialty] + [Your Differentiator]

Example:

Sales Director | Helping SaaS Companies Scale to $10M ARR | Built 3 Sales Teams from Scratch

Why This Works

Role clarity: Recruiters immediately know your level
Targeting: Indicates who benefits from your expertise
Proof: Specific achievement demonstrates capability

LinkedIn Headline Examples by Profession

For Sales Professionals

Entry-Level Sales:

"Sales Development Rep | Booking 20+ Qualified Meetings/Month | HubSpot Certified"
"BDR at [Company] | Helping B2B Tech Companies Start Conversations That Convert"
"Inside Sales | 115% of Quota | Passionate About Solving Complex Business Problems"

Mid-Level Sales:

"Account Executive | Enterprise SaaS | $2.5M ARR Closed Last Year"
"Sales Manager | Building High-Performing Teams | 150% Club Member 3x"
"Strategic Account Executive | Healthcare IT | Consultative Selling That Creates Partners, Not Transactions"

Sales Leadership:

"VP of Sales | Scaled Teams from 5 to 50 | $0 to $25M ARR Builder"
"Chief Revenue Officer | B2B Growth Expert | 3 Successful Exits"
"Sales Director | Transforming Underperforming Teams into Revenue Machines"

For Marketing Professionals

Digital Marketing:

"Digital Marketing Manager | SEO & Paid Media | Grew Organic Traffic 340% YoY"
"Performance Marketing Lead | $5M+ Ad Spend Managed | Data-Driven Creative Strategy"
"Growth Marketer | B2B SaaS | From 0 to 50K MRR Through Content-Led Growth"

Content Marketing:

"Content Marketing Manager | Creating Content That Ranks #1 & Converts | B2B SaaS Focus"
"Head of Content | Built Editorial Teams at 3 Startups | Thought Leadership That Generates Pipeline"
"Content Strategist | SEO + Brand Storytelling | 2M+ Organic Visitors Generated"

Marketing Leadership:

"CMO | Demand Generation Expert | Built Marketing Functions at 4 Series A-C Companies"
"VP Marketing | Brand + Growth | Former [Notable Company] | Startup Advisor"
"Marketing Director | Full-Funnel Strategy | Bridge Between Brand and Revenue"

For Job Seekers

Active but Professional:

"Product Manager | Fintech & Payments | Open to Senior PM Opportunities"
"Software Engineer | Full Stack | Ruby, Python, React | Exploring My Next Challenge"
"Operations Leader | Manufacturing & Supply Chain | Seeking VP Ops Roles"

Career Changers:

"Former Teacher → Instructional Designer | Creating Learning Experiences That Stick"
"Ex-Consultant Now Data Analyst | Bringing Business Context to Analytics"
"Sales Pro Transitioning to Customer Success | Client Relationship Expert"

Recent Graduates:

"Recent Finance Graduate | FP&A Focus | Excel + SQL | Seeking Analyst Opportunities"
"Marketing Graduate | Digital & Analytics | Intern at [Company] | Ready to Contribute"
"Computer Science '25 | Software Engineering | Previous Internships at [Company], [Company]"

For Executives

C-Suite:

"CEO | Building Category-Creating Companies | 2 Exits, 1 IPO | Angel Investor"
"CFO | High-Growth Tech Finance | Took 2 Companies Public | Board Director"
"COO | Operational Excellence | Scaling Startups from Chaos to Systems"

VP Level:

"VP Engineering | Building & Leading Remote Engineering Teams | 50+ Engineers Managed"
"VP Product | Product-Led Growth | Grew MAU from 10K to 2M"
"VP Customer Success | Net Revenue Retention Expert | From Churn to Champions"

For Entrepreneurs

Founders:

"Founder & CEO at [Company] | Helping B2B Teams [Solve Problem] | Forbes 30 Under 30"
"Serial Entrepreneur | 3x Founder | Currently Building the Future of [Industry]"
"Founder | [Company] | Making [Complex Thing] Simple for [Audience]"

Consultants & Coaches:

"Executive Coach | Helping Tech Leaders Scale Without Burning Out | Ex-Google"
"Fractional CMO | B2B Growth Strategy | Clients Include [Notable Names]"
"Leadership Consultant | Transforming Good Managers into Great Leaders"

For Technical Roles

Software Engineering:

"Senior Software Engineer | Backend Systems | Python, Go, Kubernetes | 10 Years Experience"
"Full Stack Developer | React + Node | Building Products Users Love"
"Staff Engineer | Distributed Systems | Previously at [Tech Company], [Tech Company]"

Data & Analytics:

"Data Scientist | ML & NLP | Building Models That Drive $10M+ Business Decisions"
"Analytics Engineer | dbt + SQL + Python | Making Data Teams More Productive"
"Data Engineer | Building Scalable Pipelines | Spark, Airflow, Snowflake"

LinkedIn Headline Templates

Copy and customize these templates:

Template 1: Role + Specialty + Achievement

[Job Title] | [Specialty/Niche] | [Quantified Achievement]

Example: "Product Manager | B2B SaaS | Launched Features Used by 1M+ Users"

Template 2: Role + Who You Help + How

[Job Title] | Helping [Audience] [Achieve Result]

Example: "Sales Trainer | Helping SDRs Double Their Booking Rate in 90 Days"

Template 3: Role + Key Skills + Company

[Job Title] at [Company] | [Skill 1] + [Skill 2] + [Skill 3]

Example: "Marketing Manager at [Company] | SEO + Content + Analytics"

Template 4: Role + Industry + Differentiator

[Job Title] | [Industry] | [What Makes You Different]

Example: "Sales Director | Healthcare IT | Former Buyer Turned Seller"

Template 5: I Help Statement

I help [Audience] [Achieve Outcome] through [Method]

Example: "I help B2B startups generate qualified leads through LinkedIn authority"

What to Avoid in Your LinkedIn Headline

Don't Do This

Job title only: ❌ "Marketing Manager at XYZ Company" ✅ "Marketing Manager | B2B SaaS | Demand Gen & Content | 200% Pipeline Growth"

Buzzwords without substance: ❌ "Passionate, Results-Driven, Self-Starter Seeking Opportunities" ✅ "Account Executive | 135% of Quota | Enterprise Software"

Leading with unemployment: ❌ "Unemployed Marketing Professional Looking for Work" ✅ "Marketing Leader | Brand + Demand | Open to New Opportunities"

Generic descriptions: ❌ "Hard worker, team player, motivated professional" ✅ "Operations Manager | Process Optimization | Saved $2M Through Lean Implementation"

Character Optimization

Since only 60 characters appear in most views, front-load importance:

Characters 1-60: Most critical—role and key differentiator Characters 61-140: Supporting details, specialties Characters 141-220: Additional keywords, secondary info

How to Test Your LinkedIn Headline

Using ConnectSafely's Free Tools

Try our LinkedIn Headline Generator to:

Generate headline variations based on your role
Test different formulas
Optimize for keywords

Manual Testing

Search perspective: Would you click on your profile if you saw this headline?
Clarity test: Does someone know what you do in 5 seconds?
Differentiation: Does it stand out from similar titles?
Keyword check: Does it include terms your audience searches?

Industry-Specific Headline Tips

For Tech

Include tech stack and tools
Mention scale (users, data volume, team size)
Reference notable companies

For Finance

Add credentials (CPA, CFA, MBA)
Include deal sizes or AUM
Mention specialties (M&A, Private Equity, FP&A)

For Healthcare

List certifications and licenses
Specify specialty areas
Include patient population focus

For Creative Roles

Mention signature style or approach
Include notable clients or publications
Reference awards or recognition

Updating Your LinkedIn Headline

How to Edit

Go to your LinkedIn profile
Click the pencil icon next to your current headline
Type your new headline (220 character max)
Save changes

When to Update

New job or promotion
New achievement worth highlighting
Career pivot or new focus
When current headline isn't generating results

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best LinkedIn headline format?

The best format combines your role, specialty, and a differentiator or achievement: "[Job Title] | [Specialty/Who You Help] | [Achievement or Value Proposition]". This structure communicates what you do, for whom, and why you're worth connecting with.

How many characters can a LinkedIn headline be?

LinkedIn headlines can be up to 220 characters. However, only about 60 characters display in search results and connection requests, so front-load the most important information.

Should I include keywords in my LinkedIn headline?

Yes. LinkedIn uses your headline for search matching, so include keywords relevant to your role and industry. Balance keyword optimization with natural readability—stuffing keywords makes headlines less compelling.

Is it okay to say "Open to Work" in my headline?

It depends. "Open to [Specific Role] Opportunities" at the end of a strong headline can work. However, leading with unemployment or making "looking for work" the primary message weakens your positioning. Lead with value, then mention openness.

How often should I update my LinkedIn headline?

Update when you have new achievements, change roles, or when your current headline isn't generating profile views and connection requests. A headline that worked a year ago may not reflect your current positioning.

What should I NOT put in my LinkedIn headline?

Avoid: buzzwords without substance ("results-driven"), job titles only without context, leading with unemployment status, generic descriptions that could apply to anyone, and excessive punctuation or emojis.

Want to optimize your entire LinkedIn presence for inbound leads? Try ConnectSafely.ai free and turn profile visits into qualified opportunities.