Having an impressive CV is important for job seekers, but equally important is how you describe your CV on your LinkedIn profile. With over 740 million members, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network and an indispensable tool for finding jobs and promoting yourself. Describing your CV well on your LinkedIn profile is essential to getting noticed by recruiters and landing job interviews.
Why is your LinkedIn profile important?
LinkedIn has become the go-to platform for recruiters looking to fill open positions. Over 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn to search for and vet potential candidates. This means your LinkedIn profile will likely be the first impression recruiters have of you. A compelling, professional profile on LinkedIn can catch the eye of recruiters and help you stand out from the competition. Here are some key reasons your LinkedIn profile matters:
- Recruiters use LinkedIn to search for candidates based on skills, experience, location and other criteria
- A complete, detailed profile makes you more discoverable in LinkedIn search
- Recruiters view LinkedIn profiles to evaluate and screen candidates before contacting them
- A polished, professional profile builds your personal brand and credibility
- Recommendations and endorsements on your profile convey trust and social proof
- Active engagement on LinkedIn demonstrates up-to-date industry knowledge and connections
In short, your LinkedIn presence can make or break your chances of getting noticed and contacted by recruiters. Investing time in your profile is worth the significant payoff it can provide for your job search.
How to feature your CV highlights on LinkedIn
When customizing your LinkedIn profile, your goal is to translate the most important details from your CV into sections that showcase your qualifications. Here are some tips for featuring CV highlights:
Headline
Your headline appears right below your name at the top of your LinkedIn profile. Use it to concisely summarize your professional identity, areas of expertise and the types of roles you are seeking. For example: “Digital Marketing Specialist | Passionate About Data Analytics and Social Media Strategy”.
About section
The About section is a place for a brief professional summary similar to what you would put at the top of your CV. Focus on your specialties, skills, achievements and career goals here. Use concise, descriptive statements that will capture interest.
Experience section
This is where you can provide details on your work history and accomplishments at each position. Mirror the experience section from your CV, listing companies, positions, dates and descriptions of your responsibilities and achievements. Use bullet points to break up text and highlight key points you want to get across.
Skills and endorsements
LinkedIn allows you to list key skills on your profile and also have connections endorse you for skills. This provides a quick visual summary of capabilities that recruiters look for. Make sure to populate your skills section with keywords recruiters search for. Endorsements from connections add credibility.
Education section
List details on your academic credentials identical to how they appear on your CV – university names, degree titles, majors/minors, graduation dates, etc. Also include highlights like awards, study abroad programs, thesis projects and scholarships.
Recommendations
Ask managers, professors, colleagues and clients to write LinkedIn recommendations validating your skills, work quality, achievements and professionalism. Recommendations carry a lot of weight in showcasing the value you brought to roles.
Certifications, honors, volunteer work and courses
Have additional relevant items from your CV you want to feature? Add sections for certifications, academic honors, volunteer work or courses completed. Anything that provides evidence of your qualifications can strengthen your LinkedIn profile.
Formatting tips for an attractive profile
Follow these best practices in formatting your profile to make it as appealing as possible to recruiters:
- Write short, scannable paragraphs – avoid large blocks of text
- Use bullet points to highlight key facts and figures from your background
- Break up content with relevant subheadings for easy skimming
- Make prominent use of bolding, italics and underlining for visual emphasis
- Include links to websites, online portfolios and published articles where relevant
- Feature visuals like charts, graphics and images when useful for storytelling
Keywords to include from your CV
Incorporating relevant keywords from your CV throughout your LinkedIn profile boosts your visibility in recruiter searches. Here are some keyword areas to focus on:
- Job titles and professional certifications
- Hard skills – technical abilities, software, coding languages, tools, methodologies
- Soft skills – communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving
- Software, platforms and databases you have experience with
- Areas of expertise and specialization
- Tools and programs you are proficient in
- Terminology specific to your industry
- Names of companies and organizations you have worked with
- Degrees obtained, fields of study, academic honors and awards
Keywords should appear naturally in sentences as you describe your background and capabilities. But also aim to incorporate sufficient relevant keywords to pass screenings by applicant tracking systems.
Do’s and don’ts for an impressive LinkedIn profile
Here are some key best practices to follow – and pitfalls to avoid – as you are shaping your LinkedIn presence:
| Do’s | Don’ts |
|---|---|
| Complete 100% of your profile | Leave sections empty or say “details upon request” |
| Showcase achievements, not just job duties | Have vague, generic or cliched descriptions |
| Use a professional profile photo | Use casual, unprofessional or cropped photos |
| Customize your public profile URL | Leave your generic numerical profile URL |
| Have a customized background photo | Let your profile use the default background |
| Write in first person voice | Use third person or resume-style writing |
| Show passion and personality | Be overly formal or stilted |
| Highlight industry keywords | Stuff keywords randomly |
Getting these profile elements right ensures your LinkedIn presence aligns with recruiter best practices and puts your qualifications in the best light.
How to be discovered through LinkedIn search
Optimizing your discoverability through LinkedIn search is vital to getting on recruiters’ radars. Here are tips to improve your searchability:
- Include target keywords throughout your profile, especially in titles and headers
- Craft a distinct, memorable professional headline
- Show connections to target companies through experience or shared networks
- Join relevant industry and professional groups related to your field
- Follow target company pages to create a connection on their radar
- Connect to recruiters, hiring managers, alumni and other contacts at target companies
- Actively like, share, comment and post content to stay visible in the feed
- Publish your own relevant articles and content to establish thought leadership
Proactively managing your profile, connections and engagement will ensure you come up in recruiter searches for ideal candidates.
How to customize your profile URL
Your public profile URL appears in search results and is what recruiters will use to view your profile. Make it easy to remember and relevant to you with these steps:
- Click “Edit public profile & URL” under your profile photo
- Click the pencil icon to edit your URL
- Erase the numerical URL and replace it with your name or a customized URL relevant to you
- Click “Save” to apply your new custom URL
A customized URL like LinkedIn.com/yourname is much more professional than the default long number URL. Choose something short, simple and personalized.
Tips for an impactful background photo
Your background photo is valuable visual real estate to complete your professional look. Use these tips for an effective background:
- Choose a high quality, high resolution image for crisp appearance
- Select a photo aligned with your industry – e.g. technology for IT roles
- Pick an image reflecting causes or values important to you
- Include text overlays to inspire or inform if relevant
- Use Canva, PicMonkey, BannerBear or apps to create free background designs
- Change your photo seasonally to keep your profile looking fresh
Remember, the background appears behind your profile photo and information. Use it to reinforce your professional brand.
Should you include everything from your CV?
It’s not necessary to cram every bit of information from your lengthy CV onto your LinkedIn profile. Follow these guidelines on what to include:
- Feature your most relevant and recent work experiences – no need to go back more than 15 years
- Showcase brief company descriptions, key achievements, skills built
- Only include degrees, certifications and credentials relevant to your target field
- Don’t list every seminar, tutorial or short course you’ve ever taken
- Pick 3-5 top skills and endorsements to highlight
- Summarize volunteer work and interests in 1-2 lines each
Your goal is to distill your CV down to the highlights that best position you for your desired roles. Quality over quantity. Recruiters prefer scannable, digestible profiles.
Should you customize your profile for each application?
Here are pros and cons of customizing your LinkedIn profile for each application:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Light customization can be beneficial, like adding keywords from the job description. But don’t over-edit your profile solely for one application. Find a good balance between a consistent profile and light changes to match opportunities.
Should you include measurable results and metrics?
Yes, including measurable achievements, numbers and results can strengthen your LinkedIn profile. For example:
- “Increased site traffic by 30% through SEO optimization tactics”
- “Sold $2M in new business through outbound sales strategies”
- “Reduced product defects by 15% by implementing new QC processes”
- “Ranked #1 salesperson in 2017 and 2018 by exceeding annual quota”
Backing up your capabilities with real metrics not only adds credibility but also gives recruiters a quantifiable sense of the value you offer. Wherever relevant, incorporate statistics and specifics.
How to write good LinkedIn recommendations
Giving thoughtful LinkedIn recommendations can help your connections. Here are tips for writing recommendations that will be well-received:
- Make it personal – Share your direct experience working with the person
- Highlight key strengths and talents you observed
- Mention specific projects or accomplishments
- Use descriptive language and varied word choice
- Focus on traits that would make someone successful in their next role
- Close with a strong statement on why you would recommend them
- Suggest connections endorse their top skills
Sincere recommendations mentioning specific examples carry significant weight. Your words could help your connections land their next opportunity.
Conclusion
Optimizing your LinkedIn presence is invaluable for advancing your career. By featuring highlights from your CV on LinkedIn strategically, you can greatly boost your chances of being discovered by recruiting professionals seeking your skills and experience. Follow best practices in showcasing your background, qualifications and passions authentically and effectively. The time invested will pay dividends by expanding your professional opportunities.
