Chapter 2 of 7 · 5 checks · 3 min
About section, Featured and projects
The About section and Featured section are where a visitor decides whether to keep reading. Use them to show proof, not adjectives.
Make the first two lines of About say what you build and for whomMust
Why it matters and how to check
Only the opening of your About section shows before the "see more" link, so the first two lines carry most of the weight. Start with a plain sentence about what you build and the kind of problems you like, not with "I am a passionate and hardworking individual".
A good test is to read just those first lines aloud. If a recruiter heard only that, would they know your role, your level and your main stack? If not, rewrite the opening until they would.
Do
- Open with your role and the kind of work you do
- Write in first person, short sentences
Avoid
- Generic adjectives like passionate, motivated, hardworking
- Copying your headline word for word
Back up the About section with two or three concrete resultsShould
Why it matters and how to check
After the opening, give evidence. Mention two or three things you shipped and what happened: an app with real users, a final year project that solved a real problem, an open source pull request that got merged, a hackathon result. Then list the stack you are strongest in.
Numbers help only if they are true and you can explain them. "Built a booking app used by 40 students in my hostel" is better than a vague claim about scale. Check it by asking: could a stranger verify each claim from my Featured section, GitHub or a reference?
Do
- Name real projects and what they achieved
- End with the technologies you use most
Avoid
- Claims you could not explain in a conversation
- Walls of text with no line breaks
End the About section with what you want next and how to reach youShould
Why it matters and how to check
Close the About section with one or two lines on what you are looking for, such as "Open to junior backend roles, remote or in Islamabad", and how to contact you. This turns a reader into a message.
If you are not job hunting, say what kind of conversations you welcome instead: collaboration on open source, mentoring juniors, or talks. Check that the contact route you mention actually works, for example that the email in your contact info is one you read.
Do
- State the role type and location or remote preference
- Point to a working email or your contact info
Avoid
- Putting your phone number in the About text, which anyone can read
Add your best two or three work samples to the Featured sectionShould
Why it matters and how to check
LinkedIn's Featured section shows work samples near the top of your profile. You can feature your own posts, articles you published on LinkedIn, links to external sites and uploaded media such as documents, images and videos. Add it from your profile with Add profile section, then Recommended, then Add featured.
For developers, good picks are a live project link, a GitHub repository with a clear README, a portfolio site and one post where you explained something you built. Keep it to your strongest two or three so visitors do not skip past them.
Do
- Feature a live demo or repo with a README and screenshots
- Give each item a title that says what it is
Avoid
- Featuring certificates for short courses ahead of real work
- Dead links or private repositories
List real projects with the problem, your role and a linkShould
Why it matters and how to check
If you have little work experience, the Projects section (under Add profile section) is where you prove you can build. For each project, write one line on the problem, one on what you built and with what, and one on the result. Link the repo or live app and tag teammates if it was a group project.
Final year projects, freelance work and serious personal projects all belong here. Check each entry by opening its link in a private window: if the repo is private or the demo is down, fix it or remove the link.
Do
- Say which part you built in group projects
- Link a repo with setup steps in the README
Avoid
- Tutorial clones with no changes of your own presented as original work