Quick answer
A good LinkedIn headline for recruiters leads with the exact job title you want to be found for, adds two or three specific skills or specialties, and stays under 220 characters. Recruiters search by job title, so 'Senior Product Manager | B2B SaaS, Growth, Roadmapping' beats a vague tagline like 'Turning ideas into impact.'
The formula: role + specialties + (optional) proof
The most findable headlines follow a simple pattern: the exact job title you want, a separator, then two or three specific specialties or skills. For example: 'Registered Nurse | ICU, Critical Care, BLS/ACLS Certified' or 'Data Analyst | SQL, Python, Dashboards & A/B Testing.' The title makes you match recruiter searches; the specialties help you match the more specific ones.
Avoid headlines built only from personality ('Turning coffee into code', 'Passionate problem-solver'). They read fine to a human but contain none of the keywords a recruiter types, so you never appear in the search in the first place.
Before and after
Before: 'Helping teams do their best work ✨' — After: 'Engineering Manager | Backend, Distributed Systems, Team Leadership (12 engineers).'
Before: 'Sales professional | Always closing' — After: 'Enterprise Account Executive | B2B SaaS, $2M+ Quota, MEDDIC.' The after versions carry the exact titles and skills recruiters filter on, so they surface — and still read as confident.
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Get my free score →Frequently asked questions
How long should a LinkedIn headline be?
LinkedIn allows up to 220 characters in the headline, and you should use most of it. More characters means more room for the job titles and skill keywords recruiters search — just keep every word relevant to the roles you want.
Should I put 'Open to Work' in my headline?
You can, but it's optional and uses characters better spent on keywords. LinkedIn's built-in 'Open to Work' setting already signals availability to recruiters. Prioritize your job title and skills in the headline itself; use the Open to Work feature for the status.
Can I use my current job title if I want a different role?
Lead with the role you want to be found for, as long as it's honest given your experience. If you're a Marketing Coordinator targeting Marketing Manager roles, a headline like 'Marketing Manager Candidate | Demand Gen, SEO, HubSpot' is reasonable — never claim a seniority or title you can't back up.
How do I get a good headline written for me?
Standout's free tool gives you an instant recruiter-optimized rewrite of your real headline after you paste your profile. The one-time $1 LinkedIn Review then delivers a paste-ready headline plus a rewritten About section and your top 3 experience bullets.