LinkedIn Headline Generator from Your Resume — Free Tool + Tips

Your LinkedIn headline is the most important line of text on your profile. It appears in recruiter search results, connection requests, and everywhere your name shows up on LinkedIn. Most professionals waste it with their current job title. This guide shows you how to use your resume to write a headline that ranks in recruiter searches and drives profile views.

Why Your LinkedIn Headline Matters

LinkedIn's search algorithm weights your headline more heavily than any other profile field. When a recruiter searches for "Senior Product Manager fintech," LinkedIn checks your headline first.

Your headline also appears in:

• Recruiter search results (often the only text visible)
• LinkedIn feed posts and comments
• InMail preview windows
• LinkedIn Recruiter candidate lists
• "People you may know" suggestions

A weak headline means fewer profile views, fewer InMails, and fewer opportunities — regardless of how strong your actual experience is.

The 5 LinkedIn Headline Formulas That Work

Formula 1: Title + Specialization

Format: [Job Title] | [Specialization] Example: "Product Manager | B2B SaaS & Payments" Best for: Professionals with a clear niche

Formula 2: Title + Tools/Skills

Format: [Job Title] | [Tool] · [Tool] · [Tool] Example: "Data Scientist | Python · SQL · Spark · Databricks" Best for: Technical roles where specific tools matter

Formula 3: Title + Achievement

Format: [Job Title] | [Quantified Achievement] Example: "Growth Manager | Scaled ARR from $1M to $15M in 18 months" Best for: Professionals with strong, quotable metrics

Formula 4: Title + Value Proposition

Format: [Job Title] helping [audience] [achieve outcome] Example: "UX Designer helping Series A startups ship products faster" Best for: Consultants, freelancers, and customer-facing roles

Formula 5: Open to Work

Format: [Title] | [Skill] | Open to [Target Role] Example: "Software Engineer | Go + Kubernetes | Open to Staff IC Roles" Best for: Active job seekers

How to Use Your Resume to Write Your Headline

Your resume already contains everything you need for a strong LinkedIn headline.

Step 1: Pull your job title from your resume Use your most recent (or target) job title as the foundation. Use the version that recruiters search for — "Software Engineer" ranks higher than "Code Wizard."

Step 2: Identify your top 3 skills from your skills section Look at your resume's skills section and pick the 3 that are most relevant to your target roles. Use exact terms recruiters search for.

Step 3: Find your best achievement Scan your resume bullets for a metric that makes people stop and read. "$5M ARR," "2M users," "team of 12" — something specific and credible.

Step 4: Combine using a formula Pick the formula that fits your situation and combine your title, skills, and achievement into under 220 characters.

LinkedIn Headline Examples by Industry

Software Engineering

• "Senior Software Engineer | Go · Kubernetes · AWS | 6 years"
• "Staff Engineer | Distributed Systems | Built for 10M+ users"
• "Backend Engineer | Python + ML | Open to Senior Roles"

Product Management

• "Product Manager | B2B SaaS · Payments · Mobile"
• "Senior PM | 0→1 Products | FinTech & InsurTech"
• "Product Lead | Shipped 4 products from idea to $10M ARR"

Marketing

• "Performance Marketing Manager | Paid Social · SEO · Email"
• "Director of Growth | Scaled SaaS from $0 to $50M ARR"
• "Content Strategist | B2B SaaS | 200K+ organic monthly visits"

Data & Analytics

• "Data Scientist | Python · SQL · TensorFlow | ML & Fraud Detection"
• "Analytics Engineer | dbt · Snowflake · Looker | FinTech"
• "Senior Data Analyst | Open to Data Science Roles"

Design

• "Product Designer | Figma · Design Systems · Mobile-First"
• "UX Lead | Fintech & Healthcare | 0→1 Products"
• "Senior UI/UX Designer | SaaS · E-commerce | Redesigned 3 core products"

LinkedIn Headline Mistakes to Avoid

1. Just using your job title "Product Manager at Acme Corp" wastes 220 characters on information already visible in your experience section.

2. Using buzzwords "Passionate, results-driven, dynamic professional" signals nothing to a recruiter. Use specific, searchable terms instead.

3. Being too vague "Tech professional" and "marketing expert" are too broad to rank for any specific recruiter search.

4. Exceeding 220 characters LinkedIn displays your headline in different lengths depending on context. Keep it under 220 characters to ensure nothing gets cut off.

5. Not including keywords If your headline does not contain the exact terms recruiters search for, you will not appear in their searches regardless of your actual experience.