Ready to Get Started?
Join our community of job seekers and get benefits from our Resume Builder today.
Sign Up NowYour current role no longer feels motivating, and now you’re thinking about a change? Or maybe you feel worn out by the entire field and want to move into a different line of work?
We understand that sorting through everything you need to consider can feel overwhelming at first.
You need to decide what direction you want to take. Then put together a new resume. Then begin preparing for interviews…
While all of that takes focus and a fair amount of time, there is one more step you should not overlook, and it won’t take as long as you might expect.
Updating your LinkedIn headline! Of course, there are a few things you should think through before changing your LinkedIn headline. But when you weigh the effort against the potential outcome, it’s time well spent.
In this article, you’ll learn:
· What your LinkedIn headline is meant to do
· How a strong LinkedIn headline can support your job search
· Why transferable skills are important and how to spot them
· How keywords in your LinkedIn headline can support your job search
… and more. Let’s begin.
So, what is a LinkedIn headline exactly?
Simply put, it’s the line that appears directly under your name on the platform.
Just like your name, it can be searched easily.
This means recruiters can search for terms like ‘project manager’, and profiles with those words in the headline will appear.
It also means that the right headline can make a real difference in your job search. Many recruiters now reach out directly to LinkedIn users who look like a good match.
If you enjoy networking, keeping your headline current matters even more. It helps people you meet think of you when relevant roles come up.
All of this shows that if you are a former teacher aiming to move into marketing and you meet an HR manager who could help, your first impression matters.
That’s where an updated LinkedIn headline plays a key role.
But hold on. There’s no need to start writing headline ideas just yet.
First, you need to identify your transferable skills.
Keeping those in mind while writing your LinkedIn headline will lead to a stronger result.
In general, LinkedIn headlines fall into three main types:
· The confident version, often used as a short personal pitch
· The skills-focused version, where you list your role and your top three skills
· The standard version, where you only mention your job title and employer
Since you are planning a career change, it’s best to use one of the first two options.
Listing your past role and company alone won’t help much if they don’t relate to your new direction.
Before you start writing your new LinkedIn headline, let’s look at how to identify your transferable skills.
So, what exactly are transferable skills?
These are skills you can carry from one role to another and still apply in a new setting.
Most of the time, these are soft skills. However, if you’re changing jobs within the same field, you may also have transferable hard skills.
For example, if you are a teacher aiming to become a career coach, your transferable skills may include communication, time management, empathy, and active listening.
If you are a teacher looking to move into an administrative assistant role, your transferable skills could include Microsoft Office, basic accounting, and written communication.
It really depends on the role you’re targeting.
If relying on intuition alone doesn’t help you spot your transferable skills, another useful approach is to review 10 to 15 job listings instead.
Look through them carefully and note the skills employers expect from candidates.
Then compare those requirements with your own skill set and see where they overlap.
This may take a bit of time, but the effort pays off in the end.
Once you have a full list of transferable skills, narrow it down to the top three priorities. The simplest way to do this is to see which skills appear most often across different job ads.
Keep in mind that job requirements change over time, so make sure to revisit and refresh your list regularly.
After selecting your key transferable skills, the next step is to add them to your LinkedIn headline.
As mentioned earlier, career changers usually benefit most from either a one-sentence pitch or a future role plus three skills format. Let’s review both options.
Even though it may sound tricky at first, the one-sentence pitch is actually very easy to use. Take a look at this simple structure:
[Position] skilled in [skill #1] and [skill #2] with a strong interest in [your passion].
All you need to do is insert your target role, your two strongest skills, and what motivates you to move into a new field.
Make sure that the skills you include are transferable and relevant to your career change.
This approach is more widely used than the one-sentence pitch.
Once again, you’ll need your list of transferable skills. Choose the top three and you already have the core of your headline.
You can follow this format:
[Future role] | [Skill #1] | [Skill #2] | [Skill #3]
You can separate sections using symbols or even emojis if you like. Just be sure they fit the expectations of hiring managers in the field you want to enter.
As discussed earlier, keywords play a major role for people searching for new roles.
Adding the right keywords to your LinkedIn headline helps recruiters and employers find your profile more easily.
Your transferable skills are often the strongest keywords you can include.
Along with that, it’s a good idea to mention the role you are aiming for.
Remember how adding a title like project manager to your headline allows your profile to appear in searches for that role?
While results depend on location and search filters, this still gives your profile a better chance of being seen.
If you want your headline to stand out from others using the same keywords, a thoughtful approach is important.
Spend some time researching. Look at the keywords people in your desired role are using. Decide whether they fit your background and goals.
For example, if you plan to move into software engineering, review the headlines of professionals already working in that role.
You should avoid overstating your experience, as that can create unrealistic expectations.
However, learning from others and adapting ideas in an honest way can work strongly in your favor.
Are you ready to take the next step in your career move?
Let’s recap the most important actions:
1. Create a list of your main transferable skills
2. Select one of the common LinkedIn headline formats
3. Research and choose role-specific keywords that match your goals
Keep in mind that updating your LinkedIn headline is one of the quickest tasks in a career change.
Once that’s done, you can move on to updating your resume. Use a simple resume builder if you want to create a strong resume quickly.
And if you need expert advice, professional career counselors can help you prepare for even the most challenging interview questions career changers face.
Join our community of job seekers and get benefits from our Resume Builder today.
Sign Up Now
