LinkedIn Profile Writer for Executives: What It Costs and What You Should Get
Your LinkedIn profile is often the first thing a search consultant sees.
Before they read your resume, before they call you, before they put your name on a list, they look you up. In a few seconds, they decide whether you look like the person they are searching for.
Many senior profiles do not help. The headline is just a job title. The About section is empty, or a block of adjectives. The experience section repeats the resume, or says almost nothing. Some profiles have not been touched in five years.
So you start looking for a LinkedIn profile writer. Then you find a wide range of offers, from quick rewrites to large programs, with little explanation of what the difference is.
This article covers what a profile writer does, what you should get, how pricing usually works, DIY versus paid, the questions to ask and how I work.
What a LinkedIn profile writer does
A good LinkedIn writer does more than rewrite your words. At a senior level, the job has four parts.
1. Positioning. Working out what you want to be found for. CFO in private equity-backed businesses? Group Financial Controller ready to step up? Non-executive director in health? The whole profile is built on this decision.
2. Search visibility. Making sure the words recruiters and search consultants type into LinkedIn appear in the right places. Titles, skills, sectors and locations all matter.
3. Persuasion. Writing a headline and About section that make the right reader want to contact you. This is a sales page, not a biography.
4. Consistency. Making sure your profile and resume tell the same story, without being copies of each other.
What you should get
Whoever you hire, a senior LinkedIn profile should include:
A headline that says what you do and for whom, not just your current title.
An About section that opens with the problem you solve, shows how you think and ends with a clear reason to contact you.
Experience entries for recent roles that show scope and results in a few short lines each.
Skills chosen to match how recruiters search for your type of role.
Advice on settings such as your photo, banner, location, open-to-work options and privacy if you are still employed.
Guidance on next steps, such as recommendations, the Featured section and light activity.
You should also get a conversation, not just a form. A good writer needs to understand your career, your goals and the roles you want next.
For a quick way to judge what you get, compare it with this LinkedIn profile checklist for executives.
What a good process looks like
The process tells you a lot about the result.
A real conversation first. Your writer should ask about your roles, results, goals and the kind of role you want next.
Agreed positioning. Before any writing, you should agree what you want to be found for.
A draft you can react to. Headline, About and experience, written for the reader you want to attract.
Changes together. You should be able to question wording and ask why it was chosen.
Help to go live. Advice on settings, timing and whether to switch off network updates while you edit.
Example: before and after
Before (headline): “Chief Financial Officer at ABC Group”
After (headline): “CFO | Growth and capital raising in private equity-backed businesses | Australia and NZ”
Before (About opening): “I am a highly motivated and results-focused finance professional with extensive experience across a range of industries.”
After (About opening): “Private equity owners need a CFO who can deliver the numbers and the story at the same time. That is the work I have done for the last ten years.”
The second versions tell a search consultant exactly what you do and where you fit. For finance-specific examples, see writing a LinkedIn About section for finance leaders.
How pricing usually works
I will not quote other providers’ fees, but the common structures are easy to explain.
Standalone profile. A writer rewrites your LinkedIn profile only. This suits people whose resume is already strong.
Bundled with a resume. The profile is written alongside a new resume. This usually gives a better result, because both documents come from the same positioning work.
Part of a wider program. LinkedIn is one piece of a larger career transition package, along with strategy, interview preparation and search support.
Prices vary a lot depending on who does the writing, how much time they spend understanding you and what is included. A cheaper option may use a template or a junior writer. A more expensive one should include real positioning work and direct access to the person writing.
DIY vs paid
You do not always need a writer. Here is an honest view.
Do it yourself if:
You are clear on what you want to be found for.
You write well and can be concise.
Your resume is already strong and current.
You have time to research how search consultants search.
Consider paying if:
You are changing direction, such as moving from executive to board roles or into a new sector.
You have tried to write it and it still sounds like everyone else.
You are not getting approached for the roles you want.
You are in a confidential search and need to be visible without signalling to your employer. See staying visible on LinkedIn while employed.
How search consultants see it
When I was in executive search, LinkedIn was one of my main research tools. I would search by title, sector, location and skills, then scan the results quickly.
Profiles that stood out did three things. The headline told me what the person did. The About section showed how they thought. The experience section gave me enough scope and results to know whether they fitted my brief.
Profiles that were blank or vague often got skipped, even when the person behind them was excellent. I did not have time to guess. If I could not see the fit in a few seconds, I moved on.
Questions to ask before you hire
Will you write it yourself, or will someone else?
Do you work with people at my level and in my field?
Will we talk before you write, and for how long?
How do you decide which keywords and skills to include?
How many rounds of changes are included?
Will my profile match my resume, and who writes both?
How do you protect confidentiality if I am still employed?
Red flags
A promise of a set number of recruiter messages or job offers
Profiles that all look the same on the writer’s website
No conversation, just a questionnaire
Heavy use of buzzwords and long, vague sentences
No advice on settings or privacy
How I work
I am a former executive recruiter with more than 20 years in recruitment and working with senior professionals. I founded Belinda Paris Coaching in 2015 and work with clients across Australia and New Zealand, with particular depth in senior finance.
You work directly with me from start to finish. I write your profile myself.
LinkedIn sits within my Executive Market Ready package, which builds your foundation: resume, LinkedIn and positioning for someone running their own search, with a debrief call. Writing the profile and resume together means both come from the same thinking.
Packages start from $2,987 + GST. For senior packages, investment is confirmed after the Clarity Session, once we are both clear on what you need.
A quick self-check
Does your headline say what you do and who for?
Would a search consultant understand your value in the first two lines of your About section?
Does your profile tell the same story as your resume?
Have you updated it in the last six months?
Your next step
Read your headline and the first two lines of your About section as if you were a search consultant. If they do not tell you exactly what you do, rewrite them today.
If you want help with your profile, my executive LinkedIn profile service helps senior leaders get found by the right search consultants and look like the obvious fit when they are.
If you are not sure whether you need a writer or just a clearer plan, book a complimentary Clarity Session.
