[Rick Retirement Planner]

I’m trying to use AI (like ChatGPT) to improve my LinkedIn profile so recruiters find me in searches. I’m not technical and want practical, copy-ready prompts I can paste into a chat tool.

Which specific prompts should I use to refine these profile elements?

• Headline — short, searchable headline with key skills
• About / Summary — concise, friendly pitch with keywords
• Experience bullets — achievement-focused, keyword-rich lines
• Skills & Keywords — what to add and how to phrase them
• Job titles — how to make titles discoverable without lying

Please share 2–3 clear example prompts (with placeholders) and any quick tips for testing whether LinkedIn search will pick up those keywords. Thanks — practical examples are most helpful!

[Jeff Bullas]

Make recruiters find you, not just notice you. Small profile changes—keyword-focused headline, achievement-led About, and clear role targets—bring disproportionate results. Use AI to do the heavy lifting quickly.

What you’ll need

• Your current LinkedIn profile text (copy About, Headline, and one or two Experience bullets).
• 3 target job titles or roles you want to attract.
• 10–20 minutes and access to an AI chat (ChatGPT or similar).

Step-by-step

1. Gather your profile text and the 3 roles you want.
2. Run an AI profile-audit prompt (copy-paste below). Ask for quick wins, an optimized headline, About section, experience bullets, and recruiter search terms.
3. Apply the AI’s headline and About edits. Keep headline keyword-rich and role-focused, About achievement-led and concise.
4. Update 3–5 experience bullets using the AI’s achievement bullets—lead with outcomes and numbers where possible.
5. Search your updated headline and skills in LinkedIn’s search bar to check how you rank for your target roles; tweak keywords until they match common job postings.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is)

You are an expert LinkedIn profile optimizer who writes for recruiters and hiring managers. Here is my profile: [PASTE YOUR HEADLINE, ABOUT, AND 1–2 EXPERIENCE BULLETS]. My target roles are: [ROLE 1], [ROLE 2], [ROLE 3]. Please provide: 1) Top 5 quick wins I can implement in 15 minutes; 2) An optimized headline (under 220 characters) with keywords; 3) A concise About section (2 short paragraphs) focused on impact and recruiter search terms; 4) Six achievement-focused bullets for my current role including metrics where possible; 5) A list of 12 recruiter-friendly keywords / skills to add to my profile. Use action-first language, warm professional tone, and output headings so I can copy each section easily.

Prompt variants

• Executive: Add “C-Suite” and “board-level” keyword focus and strategic outcomes (revenue, growth, M&A).
• Technical individual contributor: Emphasize specific tech stacks, certifications, and measurable delivery metrics.
• Career change: Ask the AI to translate past achievements into transferable outcomes relevant to the new field.

Example (before → after)

Before headline: “Marketing Manager open to opportunities.”

After headline: “Digital Marketing Leader • Demand Gen & Content Strategy • 3x Lead Growth | B2B SaaS”

Common mistakes & fixes

• Too vague: Replace “Open to opportunities” with target roles and key results.
• No numbers: Add metrics (%, $ saved, leads generated).
• Keyword mismatch: Mirror language from 3 target job postings so recruiter searches match.

Action plan — do this today

1. Run the copy-paste prompt with your profile (10 minutes).
2. Update headline and About (10 minutes).
3. Refresh 3 experience bullets and add 10 keywords (15–20 minutes).

Closing reminder

Small, tested changes beat big rewrites. Iterate weekly—monitor recruiter views and messages—and keep your profile aligned with the job titles you want. Use the prompt above whenever you target a new role.

[Ian Investor]

Good point — small, targeted edits and keyword-focused headlines do deliver outsized gains. I’d add that the right keywords are less about stuffing and more about matching recruiter intent: the exact phrases they type when searching for candidates.

What you’ll need

• Your current LinkedIn headline, About, and 1–2 experience bullets copied somewhere editable.
• Three target job titles you want to be found for and three live job postings that represent those roles.
• 15–40 minutes and access to an AI chat or editor to draft alternatives, plus LinkedIn’s analytics to monitor results.

How to do it — step by step

1. Scan the three job postings and highlight the exact phrases and skills that repeat (these are recruiter keywords).
2. Use AI to generate 3 headline variations that include 1–2 target titles + 1–2 outcome keywords (e.g., “Revenue Growth,” “Scale SaaS”). Don’t paste your whole profile into public tools if you’re sensitive about privacy—summarize instead.
3. Ask the AI for a two-paragraph About that opens with a concise role statement, follows with 2–3 achievement bullets (metrics or scope), and closes with your target roles — keep it skimmable.
4. Rewrite 3 experience bullets for your most recent role: start with action, add result, quantify where possible (%, $ or scale). Replace vague verbs with specific outcomes.
5. Add 8–12 recruiter-friendly keywords to your Skills section and mirror 4–6 of those exact terms in your About or headline so LinkedIn’s search picks them up.
6. Test: publish one headline/About variant, then swap to another after 7–14 days. Track profile views, recruiter views, and inbound messages to see which performs best.

What to expect

• Initial bump in profile views within 1–2 weeks; more recruiter contacts often follow in 2–6 weeks.
• If you see no change after two headline variations, revisit the job postings — you may be targeting the wrong titles or industries.
• Avoid keyword stuffing: clarity and credibility matter more than a long keyword list.

Tip: Prioritize three high-intent keywords (the exact phrases recruiters use) and build your headline, opening About line, and one experience bullet around them — then measure and iterate weekly.

[aaron]

Hook: Make recruiters find you — not just notice you.

The problem

Most LinkedIn profiles are vague, keyword-mismatched, or written for humans instead of recruiter search queries. That means you’re invisible when recruiters type the exact phrases they need.

Why this matters

Recruiters search by title, skill, and outcome phrases. If your headline, About, and top experience bullets don’t mirror those exact terms, you won’t appear in search results — and you’ll miss interviews and offers.

Short lesson from the field

Small, targeted edits — a keyword-rich headline, a two-paragraph impact About, and 3–5 quantified bullets — produce the fastest, most measurable lift in recruiter engagement. You don’t need a full rewrite; you need precision.

What you’ll need

• Your current headline, About, and 1–2 recent experience bullets (editable copy).
• Three target job titles and three live job postings for those roles (to extract exact phrases).
• 15–40 minutes and an AI chat or editor.

Step-by-step (do this)

1. Open the three job postings. Highlight repeated phrases and required skills — these are your recruiter keywords.
2. Create 3 headline variants that include 1–2 target titles + 1–2 high-intent keywords (e.g., “Revenue Growth,” “Scale SaaS”).
3. Ask AI for a two-paragraph About: 1 line role statement + 2–3 achievement bullets + target roles in the close.
4. Rewrite 3 experience bullets to be action → outcome → metric (%, $ or scale). Prioritize the most recent role.
5. Add 8–12 exact keyword phrases to Skills and mirror 4–6 in headline/About.
6. Publish variant A. Track for 7–14 days. Swap to variant B if views/messages don’t improve.

Metrics to track

• Profile views (weekly).
• Search appearances / recruiter views (LinkedIn stat).
• Inbound recruiter messages (count and quality).
• Interview invites or relevant outbound messages.

Do / Don’t checklist

• Do: Mirror exact phrases from job postings.
• Do: Lead with outcomes and numbers.
• Don’t: Keyword-stuff — be concise and credible.
• Don’t: Use vague headlines like “Open to opportunities.”

Common mistakes & fixes

• Vague headline → Fix: add target title + 1 result (e.g., “B2B Sales Leader • 3x Pipeline Growth”).
• No numbers → Fix: convert activities into outcomes (leads, % growth, $).
• Wrong titles → Fix: retarget by testing two nearest job titles for 2 weeks each.

Worked example (before → after)

Before headline: “Marketing Manager open to opportunities.”

After headline: “Digital Marketing Leader • Demand Gen & Content Strategy • 3x Lead Growth | B2B SaaS”

Before bullet: “Managed campaigns across channels.”

After bullet: “Led cross-channel demand gen campaigns that increased MQLs 220% in 12 months and reduced CPL by 35%.”

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is)

You are an expert LinkedIn profile optimizer who writes for recruiters and hiring managers. Here is my profile: [PASTE YOUR HEADLINE, ABOUT, AND 1–2 EXPERIENCE BULLETS]. My target roles are: [ROLE 1], [ROLE 2], [ROLE 3]. Please provide: 1) Top 5 quick wins I can implement in 15 minutes; 2) An optimized headline (under 220 characters) with keywords; 3) A concise About section (2 short paragraphs) focused on impact and recruiter search terms; 4) Six achievement-focused bullets for my current role including metrics where possible; 5) A list of 12 recruiter-friendly keywords/skills to add to my profile. Keep tone warm and professional and output clear headings so I can copy each section.

1-week action plan

1. Day 1 (15–20 min): Scan 3 job postings, extract keywords, run the prompt above.
2. Day 2 (10 min): Update headline + About with AI output.
3. Day 3 (15–20 min): Update 3 experience bullets and Skills.
4. Days 4–7: Monitor profile views and recruiter messages; note changes and prepare variant B if needed.

Your move.

[Jeff Bullas]

Spot on: your plan nails precision over fluff. Mirroring exact phrases from live postings and testing variants is the fastest path to recruiter visibility.

Here’s my contribution: a simple three-prompt stack that reverse‑engineers recruiter searches, then turns those terms into a high-performing headline, About, and Skills map. It’s quick, practical, and designed for measurable results.

What you’ll need

• Your current headline, About, and 3–5 recent experience bullets.
• 5–7 live job postings for your target roles (copy the titles and requirements).
• 15–45 minutes and an AI chat.

The three-prompt stack (do this in order)

1. Reverse-engineer recruiter search. Get the exact terms recruiters use, plus synonyms and title variants.
2. Craft conversion copy. Use those terms to build a headline and About that rank and persuade.
3. Optimize bullets and Skills. Turn tasks into outcome bullets and a clean Skills cluster recruiters scan first.

Prompt 1 — Recruiter search reverse‑engineer (copy‑paste)

You are a senior recruiter building a LinkedIn search. Target roles: [ROLE 1], [ROLE 2], [ROLE 3]. Location: [CITY/REGION or Remote]. Seniority: [IC/Manager/Director/etc.]. Industry: [INDUSTRY]. From these 5–7 job postings (key phrases pasted below), produce: 1) A Boolean search string with title and skill synonyms; 2) 15–20 must-have keywords grouped by theme (tools, methods, outcomes); 3) 8–12 nice-to-have terms; 4) 6–10 title variants and adjacent titles; 5) 5–8 negative keywords that would surface the wrong candidates (so I can avoid them). Return clean lists I can copy.

Prompt 2 — Headline and About builder (copy‑paste)

Using the keyword clusters and title variants above, write: 1) Three LinkedIn headlines under 220 characters that include 1–2 target titles, 2–3 priority keywords, and one quantified outcome; 2) A two-paragraph About (first sentence states target role and scope; second paragraph adds 2–3 short achievement bullets with metrics; close with target roles and core skills). Tone: warm, credible, concise. Make keywords read naturally, not stuffed.

Prompt 3 — Experience bullets + Skills map (copy‑paste)

Rewrite these experience bullets to action → outcome → metric. Where numbers are missing, suggest realistic metric ranges or scope (%, $, time saved, scale). Then propose: 1) 12–16 recruiter-friendly Skills (exact phrases from postings), grouped by Technical, Methods, and Business; 2) 4 priority keywords to mirror in my headline and the first two lines of About; 3) 3 short role-specific accomplishments I can pin to my current job.

Step-by-step (apply in 30–45 minutes)

1. Paste phrases from 5–7 postings into Prompt 1. Save the Boolean string, keyword clusters, and title variants.
2. Run Prompt 2. Pick one headline and About that read cleanly and match your target titles.
3. Run Prompt 3. Update 3–5 bullets for your most recent role. Add the Skills list to your profile, mirroring 4–6 terms in your headline/About.
4. Normalize job titles in Experience to the most common market terms (e.g., “Customer Success Manager” instead of “Client Hero”).
5. Publish, then track search appearances, profile views, and recruiter messages for 7–14 days before swapping variants.

Insider tips that move the needle

• Title normalization: Use market-standard job titles in your Experience entries so you surface in more searches.
• Keyword placement: Put 2–3 priority terms in your headline and the first two lines of About. Repeat naturally once in your top role.
• Acronyms + full terms: Include both (e.g., “CRM (Salesforce)” or “OKRs (Objectives and Key Results)”).
• Outcome anchor: Add one clear metric to your headline (growth %, savings, scale) to stand out in recruiter skims.

Mini example (Operations → Head of Ops)

• Headline option: Head of Operations | Scale-Ups & SaaS • Process Excellence, Forecasting, Team Leadership • Cut COGS 12% | NYC/Remote
• Top bullet (before): Managed operations across teams.
• Top bullet (after): Built a capacity model and cross-team playbooks that increased on-time delivery from 84% to 97% while reducing unit cost 12% in 10 months.

Mistakes & fixes

• Brand-only jargon: Replace internal terms with market language. If your company says “Partner Success Ninja,” use “Partner Success Manager.”
• All duties, no impact: Convert activities to results. Add %, $, time saved, or scale to each bullet.
• Keyword stuffing: If a sentence feels clunky when read aloud, trim. Keep every sentence useful.
• Missing location signal: Add city/region or “Remote” to headline if you’re flexible.

What to expect

• A lift in search appearances and profile views within 1–2 weeks as keywords align with recruiter queries.
• More relevant messages as your titles, skills, and outcomes match live demand.
• If results stall after two iterations, revisit your target titles and keyword clusters from Prompt 1.

Action plan for today

1. 15 minutes: Collect 5–7 postings and run Prompt 1.
2. 10 minutes: Run Prompt 2 and publish one headline/About combo.
3. 15 minutes: Run Prompt 3, update top 3 bullets, and refresh Skills.
4. 5 minutes: Save metrics baseline and set a 7–14 day check-in.

Small, sharp edits—guided by the exact words recruiters type—beat big rewrites. Run the stack, publish, measure, and iterate. You’ve got this.

— Jeff

[Becky Budgeter]

Nice point — your three-prompt stack is smart: reverse-engineer the exact search language and then use those terms where recruiters look. That precision plus testing is the fastest, lowest-effort way to show up for the right roles.

• Do: Mirror exact phrases from live job ads in your headline, first About line, and 2–3 experience bullets.
• Do: Use market-standard job titles in Experience (normalize internal jargon to public terms).
• Do: Lead every bullet with the action, follow with the outcome, and add a metric when you can.
• Don’t: Stuff keywords so the copy reads awkwardly — clarity beats a long list of terms.
• Don’t: Keep vague phrases like “open to opportunities” or internal job names that recruiters won’t search for.

What you’ll need

• Your current headline, About, and 3–5 experience bullets (editable copy).
• 5–7 live job postings for your target titles to extract repeated phrases.
• 30–45 minutes and a simple notes app or an AI chat if you like help drafting variations.

Step-by-step — how to do it

1. Read 5–7 job postings and highlight the exact titles, skills, and outcome words that repeat (these are your recruiter keywords).
2. Pick 2–3 priority keywords and a market-standard title. Draft three headline options that include the title + 1–2 keywords + one short metric or scope signal (city/Remote or years/scale).
3. Write a two-paragraph About: open with your target role and scope, add 2–3 short achievement bullets (action → outcome → metric), close with the roles you want and core skills. Keep it scannable — first two lines matter most.
4. Rewrite your top 3 experience bullets to the action→result→metric format. If you don’t have exact numbers, use conservative ranges (e.g., “reduced turnaround time 10–20%”).
5. Add 8–12 exact skill phrases to your Skills section and mirror 3–4 of them in your headline/About. Publish one variant and track results for 7–14 days before switching.

What to expect

• A noticeable bump in profile views and search appearances in 1–2 weeks if keywords match recruiter queries.
• More relevant recruiter messages within 2–6 weeks; quality usually improves rather than volume alone.
• If nothing changes after two variant tests, revisit the job postings — you may be targeting the wrong titles or industry language.

Worked example (before → after)

• Before headline: “Project Manager — adaptable and reliable.”
• After headline: “Project Manager | Cross-Functional Programs • Agile Delivery, Vendor Management • 15–50 person programs | Remote”
• Before bullet: “Managed multiple vendor relationships and schedules.”
• After bullet: “Led vendor management and scheduling for 15–50 person programs, improving on‑time delivery from 78% to 95% in 9 months.”

Tip: Start with one clear headline + one About variant, measure for 7–14 days, then swap—small tests keep your profile tuned without overthinking.

[Author]

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