LinkedIn is an important platform for designers to showcase their work, connect with other creatives, and find job opportunities. However, setting up a compelling LinkedIn profile can be tricky for visual artists and creators. This guide will provide tips on optimizing your LinkedIn profile to attract potential clients, collaborators, and employers as a designer.
Craft an informative headline
Your LinkedIn headline appears right below your name in search results and profiles. It’s valuable real estate to communicate who you are as a professional in just a few words. For designers, include your specialty (e.g. graphic designer, UI/UX designer, etc), years of experience, and a keyword like “freelance” if you take on independent projects. You want your headline to establish credibility and intrigue readers to click through to your full profile.
Showcase a portfolio of your best work
One major advantage of LinkedIn for designers compared to other social networks is the ability to display your visual portfolio. In your profile, you can upload examples of your best work in a showcase section. Whether you’re a graphic designer, illustrator, or art director, pick 5-10 pieces that really exemplify your skills and style. Include a mix of personal projects and professional work if possible. Remember that images and visuals will make the biggest impression on LinkedIn, so put extra effort into featuring your strongest portfolio pieces.
Customize your LinkedIn URL
LinkedIn automatically assigns a unique URL to your profile using a combination of your name and random numbers. To make your profile web address more memorable and search engine friendly, customize it to become yourname.linkedin.com. Especially as a creative professional, it’s smart to claim your name so you’re easier to find online. Under your profile photo, click “View profile” and navigate to the “Edit public profile & URL” section to create a customized URL.
Write an informative summary
Your LinkedIn summary is a short overview on your profile where you can provide more details about your design background and expertise. DISTINCTLY highlight your specialty, skills, career achievements, and credentials here. Share a little personality as well to humanize your brand. You can also call out the types of projects you’re particularly passionate about within your design discipline. This summary should ultimately convince readers to hire you or collaborate with you.
Include relevant skills
LinkedIn allows you to list up to 50 key skills on your profile. This section is a great opportunity to showcase the software, tools, and programs you have experience with. As a designer, you might include skills like:
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Figma
- Sketch
- InDesign
- Photoshop
- Illustrator
- Digital painting
The skills on your profile will make you more discoverable in LinkedIn search results.
Display your education
If you studied design, art, or a related field in school, featuring your education can lend you more credibility. Like with positions, you can describe your education history on your profile, noting your degree, field of study, and graduation date. This gives readers insight into your academic training in design. Showcasing education is highly recommended for those who recently graduated or have limited professional experience so far.
List relevant volunteer work and organizations
Volunteer gigs, internships, clubs, and professional associations you’ve participated in can all be great additions to a LinkedIn profile for designers. These experiences highlight your commitment to creativity, collaboration, and community. Even if unpaid, any design work you did for a volunteer organization can be included in your profile like a standard job. And if you held a leadership role in a design club or collective, feature that too.
Showcase awards, honors, and publications
If your work has been recognized through competitions, grants, or features in any publications (online or print), don’t be shy about listing these accomplishments on your LinkedIn profile. Awards and honors in particular can really catch the eye of those viewing your profile. You can even upload images of certificates or trophies you’ve received. Articles featuring your work also serve as social proof.
Get recommendations from past managers and collaborators
LinkedIn recommendations function essentially as written references or testimonials about your skills and work ethic. As a designer, ask past managers, clients, employers, professors, or classmates who’ve worked with you closely to write recommendations. The more customized and genuine the recommendation, the better.
Aim for at least 3 recommendations if possible. This third-party praise gives you greater credibility.
Join relevant LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn Groups function like mini communities within the platform around shared interests and industries. As a designer, look for active Groups focusing on your specific discipline like graphic design, UI/UX, illustration, etc. Join Group conversations to establish yourself as an expert. You can also post your work and job availability.
Follow compelling companies and thought leaders
Be selective about who you follow on LinkedIn to cultivate an industry tailored feed. Great options to follow for designers include:
- Design publications like Design Milk and Dezeen
- Top creative agencies
- Influential designers at the forefront of the industry
- Major companies with strong brand identities like Apple, Nike, and Coca Cola
Following these thought leaders provides daily inspiration in your feed and surfaces new career opportunities.
Engage with content from influencers
As you follow compelling LinkedIn accounts, be sure to actively like, comment on, and share their content. This helps put you on influencers’ radars, especially if you provide thoughtful commentary. Engaging with content also keeps your profile active and surfaces it more on LinkedIn. Comment on articles, case studies, portfolio pieces, and other updates from those you follow. Share especially valuable posts with your own network.
Curate a relevant feed
Beyond engaging with influencer content, you can further tailor your LinkedIn feed as a designer by liking and following selected hashtags. Some good options include #GraphicDesign, #DigitalArt, #UXDesign, #Creative, and more related to your niche. The more niche the hashtag, the less competition there will be. Curating your feed with relevant hashtags makes LinkedIn into a daily resource to discover new ideas and opportunities.
Give back to the LinkedIn community
While LinkedIn is useful for career advancement, you also have opportunities to give back to the community through your knowledge and experience. Designers can offer advice, portfolio reviews, career guidance, and more to aspiring creatives getting started. You can also create posts sharing lessons learned, trend predictions, and industry analysis. Position yourself as an expert resource within the LinkedIn community.
Use LinkedIn’s job board to find new opportunities
With LinkedIn Jobs, you can look for and apply to open positions that align with your skills and interests as a designer. Turn on job seeking notifications to be alerted when new relevant openings are listed on LinkedIn. The job board allows you to be proactive with your career path. Many design roles are exclusively advertised on LinkedIn, so it should be part of your job search toolkit.
Connect with recruiters and hiring managers
Beyond applying to posted jobs, scope out recruiter and hiring manager profiles related to your design specialty. Initiate direct connections with them to get on their radar. Having these connections established makes it easier to inquire about potential openings. Recruiters may also be more likely to think of you for roles. Maintain periodic touchpoints after connecting to build relationships.
Use LinkedIn’s alumni tool
If you’re early in your design career, LinkedIn’s alumni search tool can help you connect with fellow graduates from your college or university now working at companies of interest. Alumni are more receptive to outreach and can provide insider advice about their employer from a fellow graduate’s perspective. Use the alumni finder to unlock warm introductions at target companies.
Research clients’ LinkedIn profiles
Before pitching a potential new client or interviewing with a company, review their team’s LinkedIn profiles for key insights. This can reveal challenges they’re facing, initiatives they have underway, company culture, and work styles. Use these insights to better tailor your proposals and interview answers to resonate with their needs and preferences. Checking LinkedIn profiles enables you to craft more strategic, personalized outreach.
Conclusion
Optimizing your LinkedIn presence is invaluable for designers to amplify their personal brand, connect with opportunities, and showcase their visual portfolio. By following the tips in this guide, you can establish a compelling, informative LinkedIn profile as a creative professional. Consistently interacting with your network and engaging with multimedia content will lead to fruitful partnerships and collaborations.