Having a strong LinkedIn profile is important for establishing your professional brand and attracting opportunities on the platform. LinkedIn includes a profile strength meter that gives you an indication of how complete your profile is and how you can improve it.
What is the LinkedIn profile strength meter?
The LinkedIn profile strength meter is a graphical representation of how robust and complete your LinkedIn profile is. It is displayed on your profile page under your profile photo and headline. The meter shows a percentage value and fills in a bar graph style visual to quickly show you how strong your profile currently is.
A higher percentage and more filled in meter indicates you have a more complete profile. LinkedIn considers various profile elements when calculating your strength score, including:
- Profile photo
- Headline
- Summary section
- Work experience
- Education
- Skills
- Accomplishments/recommendations
- Connections
Having a more complete profile signals to visitors that you have invested time into crafting a thoughtful professional presence on LinkedIn. In turn, this helps establish credibility and trustworthiness.
Why is your LinkedIn profile strength important?
There are a few key reasons why having a strong LinkedIn profile is important:
- Increased discoverability – LinkedIn’s search algorithms factor profile strength into search ranking and suggestions. A more robust profile means you’re more likely to show up in searches.
- Opens up opportunities – Recruiters, hiring managers, and business connections rely heavily on LinkedIn profiles during the evaluation process. A weak profile can remove you from consideration.
- Demonstrates professionalism – An incomplete profile signals a lack of care for your professional brand. Take the time to craft a thoughtful presence.
- Provides credibility – The more information you provide, the more visitors can evaluate you and trust you are who you say you are.
Essentially, a strong LinkedIn profile serves as your professional resume and portfolio on the platform. You want it to accurately and thoroughly represent you.
How to find your LinkedIn profile strength meter
Your LinkedIn profile strength meter can be found by:
- Go to LinkedIn.com and login to your account
- Navigate to your own profile page
- Scroll down below your profile photo and headline
- The profile strength meter will be displayed under your name and headline
It appears as a horizontal bar graph with “Profile Strength” labeled next to it and a percentage value. Hover over the meter to see tips for improving your profile strength.
How to improve your LinkedIn profile strength score
Here are some tips to improve your LinkedIn profile strength meter percentage:
Have a professional photo
Add a high quality headshot photo of yourself in business or professional attire. Having a photo significantly boosts your profile strength over leaving it blank.
Craft an engaging headline
Your headline is prime real estate for showcasing your value. It appears right next to your name in search results. Write a headline that summarizes who you are professionally.
Fill out the About summary section
Provide a detailed overview of your professional experience, skills, accomplishments and goals in the About section. This gives visitors an introduction to who you are.
List your work experience
Flesh out your work history by adding all prior roles, descriptions of responsibilities, achievements, etc. It’s ideal to have at least 3 past positions included.
Include your education
If you attended college, university or any certification programs, be sure to add details of your education. Listing your education significantly contributes to your profile strength.
Add 5+ skills
One of the biggest factors in calculating profile strength is listing at least 5 skills that describe your areas of expertise. Mix hard and soft skills.
| Hard Skills | Soft Skills |
|---|---|
| Web Development | Communication |
| Java | Teamwork |
| Accounting | Creativity |
Request recommendations
Ask managers, colleagues, professors, etc. to write a recommendation highlighting your strengths. Receiving recommendations boosts your credibility.
Expand your connections
Grow your LinkedIn network by connecting with colleagues, peers, classmates, and professionals in your industry. A wider network improves your strength score.
Join groups
Become an active member in a few LinkedIn groups focused on your industry or professional interests. Group activity also factors into your overall profile strength.
What is the strongest LinkedIn profile percentage?
According to LinkedIn, here is what the different profile strength percentage ranges indicate:
| Profile Strength Percentage | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0-9% | Very weak |
| 10-39% | Weak |
| 40-59% | Average |
| 60-84% | Strong |
| 85-100% | All-Star |
You should aim for at least a 60% profile strength for a robust presence on LinkedIn. However, reaching 85-100% strength puts your profile in “all-star” territory, making you highly discoverable and attractive to opportunities.
Conclusion
Optimizing your LinkedIn profile with a high strength percentage takes time and effort, but pays dividends in establishing your professional brand and credibility on the world’s largest professional networking platform. Use LinkedIn’s profile strength meter to understand gaps in your profile and areas to improve.
Focus on adding a photo, writing a headline and summary, listing your work history and education, including skills, acquiring recommendations, growing your network and joining groups. With a complete, all-star LinkedIn profile, you will showcase the very best version of yourself to the world.
