UK LinkedIn Tips · 2026
How to Write Your LinkedIn About Section (UK 2026)
Why this matters
UK recruiters scan LinkedIn About sections with the same 8-second rhythm as CVs. Long About sections — the ones that look impressive at first glance — actually get skipped because recruiters don't have time. The candidates who get contacted have About sections that are scanned and absorbed in 30 seconds, then read more deeply if relevant.
Exact steps
- 1 Paragraph 1 (40 words): who you are professionally — title, years, specialism
- 2 Paragraph 2 (50 words): what you do specifically — your unique angle within the role
- 3 Paragraph 3 (50 words): recent shipped work or current focus
- 4 Paragraph 4 (30 words): what you're open to — types of roles, geography, conversations
- 5 Use line breaks between paragraphs — readability matters
- 6 Avoid jargon and buzzwords (passionate, results-driven, dynamic)
- 7 Update quarterly — stale About sections flag inactive profile
What good looks like
Senior backend engineer with 8 years building payment and identity systems for UK fintechs. I specialise in TypeScript and Go services on AWS. The work I'm most engaged by is taking legacy monoliths apart without breaking customer trust. Most recently led the payment service rebuild at a Series C lender, cutting checkout failure rate from 4.1% to 0.6% on £40m monthly volume. Open to senior or staff IC roles at growth-stage UK fintechs. London/hybrid preferred.
What bad looks like
Hello! 👋 I'm a passionate, results-driven, dynamic software engineer with extensive experience across the entire technology stack. I thrive in fast-paced environments and have a proven track record of delivering high-quality code that exceeds expectations. I'm a problem-solver, a team player, and a lifelong learner. I love nothing more than tackling complex challenges and turning them into elegant solutions. [continues for 600 more words]
Common mistakes
- ✗Long About sections (300+ words) — get skipped by recruiters
- ✗Generic 'passionate, results-driven, dynamic' — every candidate uses these
- ✗First-person philosophical ramble without specifics
- ✗Listing every skill ever — better placed in Skills section
- ✗No call to action — what should the reader do next
Recruiter pro tip
Treat the About section like the personal statement on a CV — but written for a recruiter scanning LinkedIn at 11pm with 30 candidates to review. Specific beats poetic. Recent achievements beat life philosophy. The candidates who get contacted are the ones whose About sections answer 'what do you do, what have you shipped, what are you open to' in 30 seconds.
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