What’s the best way to emphasize two things: that you aren’t something great and also feel bad about it? Say you’re “aspiring.” You’re aspiring to be a director, you’re aspiring to be in pharma, you’re an aspiring Ph.D.
Recruiters and contacts look for a few things when they’re deciding whether to DM or connect with you, it’s whether they want to be associated with you and whether they could use you. This may not be in a mean, judgmental way – just whether you belong together on LinkedIn. Everyone you connect with becomes part of your “brand.”
For people to figure this out, you have to communicate what you do and what you’re good at. Someone “aspiring” to anything doesn’t show either of those things. If I aspire to be a concert pianist, does it say I’m good at the piano? Am I even playing piano seriously now?
LinkedIn (and people in general) value simplicity, so simply say what you do and also your goal position, without the word “aspire.” People have to feel 100% confidence that, even though it’s currently not in your experience section, that you absolutely are… just not yet.