Step 1: Lead with the job title you're targeting, not your current or last title. Recruiters search by role.

Step 2: Add your strongest differentiator: a measurable achievement, a key skill, or a domain specialty.

Step 3: End with a signal like 'Open to opportunities', 'Actively seeking [role]', or 'Available [month]' to surface in recruiter searches.

Actively Seeking Headlines

"Senior Product Manager | B2B SaaS | 3x product launches from 0 to $1M ARR | Open to new roles"
Specific title, niche (B2B SaaS), concrete achievement, and clear availability signal.

"Frontend Engineer | React + TypeScript | Seeking remote-first roles in fintech or climate tech"
Stack + domain preferences help recruiters self-select, saves everyone's time.

Recent Graduate Headlines

"Marketing graduate | Data-driven content strategy | HubSpot certified | Seeking entry-level roles in SaaS"
Combines credentials, skills, and a targeted niche to stand out against other new grads.

"CS graduate @ MIT | Full-Stack Dev | Next.js + Python | Open to SWE internships and full-time roles"
The university name adds credibility; specifying internship vs full-time helps recruiters act fast.

Career Changer Headlines

"Former teacher → Instructional Designer | 6 years building curriculum | Breaking into L&D and EdTech"
The arrow format signals transition transparently. Transferable experience is highlighted.

"Ex-journalist pivoting to UX Research | User interviews, synthesis, storytelling | Open to junior roles"
Transferable skills from journalism (interviewing, storytelling) reframed for UX.

Senior / Executive Job Seekers

"CMO available | Helped 4 SaaS companies scale from $5M to $50M ARR | B2B growth & brand strategy"
'Available' is powerful at senior level, adds urgency without desperation.

"VP Engineering | Scaled eng teams from 5 to 80+ | Distributed systems | Actively interviewing"
Team-scaling metric is exactly what CTO/CEO buyers look for.

Passive / Open to Opportunities

"Head of Growth @ [Company] | SEO + PLG | Open to conversations about VP/Director roles"
Employed but open, signals ambition without burning bridges.

Should I put "Open to Work" in my LinkedIn headline?

You can use both the LinkedIn green banner AND mention it in your headline. Adding 'Open to opportunities' or 'Actively seeking [role]' directly in your headline text also helps with recruiter keyword searches.

Should I use my current job title or my target job title in my LinkedIn headline?

Your target role, always. Recruiters search by the role they're hiring for, not the role you currently hold. You can include both: 'Marketing Manager → Growth Lead | Seeking senior growth roles'.

How do I write a LinkedIn headline if I'm unemployed?

Lead with your target role and skills, not your employment status. 'Software Engineer | React & Node.js | 5 years in fintech | Available immediately' is far stronger than 'Currently seeking employment'.