Having a verified LinkedIn profile shows that you are a real person and increases your credibility and trustworthiness on the platform. Verification gives job seekers a competitive edge and helps businesses stand out. But what does it take to get the coveted blue checkmark? Here’s an overview of what a verified LinkedIn profile typically contains.
Complete Profile
A verified profile needs to have a professional headshot photo and a customized background photo that aligns with your brand. Include all relevant work and education history, a detailed summary section highlighting your skills and achievements, publications, certifications, volunteer work, courses, projects, languages, and recommendations from managers and colleagues.
The profile should be 100% complete, with no missing information sections. Recruiters want to see a robust profile that tells your professional story. Fill out your profile like it’s your resume – don’t leave any gaps. LinkedIn estimates that having a complete profile makes you 40x more likely to receive opportunities through the platform.
Large Network
Having an extensive network boosts your chances of getting verified. LinkedIn recommends connecting with at least 500+ connections to get verified. But the more, the better. Strive for quality over quantity – connect with those you have actually worked with and avoid sending random connection requests just to inflate your numbers.
Join related LinkedIn Groups in your industry and engage with thoughtful discussions. Endorse your connections for relevant skills and get endorsements back. Write recommendations for colleagues you’ve worked closely with. Ask clients, coworkers, managers, vendors to write recommendations for you. The more engagement you have, the more credibility you’ll build.
Complete Work History
Provide details of all your work experiences, even if they were early in your career or short-term. For each position, include:
- Company name
- Job title
- Employment dates
- Location
- Description of responsibilities and achievements
If you have gaps in your work history, briefly explain them, e.g. sabbatical, family leave, further studies, travel, etc. Showcasing a continuous progression of your career proves you are who you say you are.
Education
Just like with work history, provide full details of all your educational credentials, including:
- School/university name
- Degree name
- Field of study
- Dates attended
- Grade/scores
- Activities and societies
If you have multiple degrees or certifications, list them all. Highlight any honors, awards, or scholarships received. Mention student leadership positions held and notable projects completed. Demonstrating your educational background establishes credibility.
Professional Photo
A professional headshot is mandatory for verification. It immediately gives your profile a credible look. The photo must be high-quality, well-lit, cropped closely on your face and shoulders. Look friendly and approachable, with a natural smile. Dress professionally as you would for an interview. Avoid casual photos, selfies, group shots, or pictures cropped too far away.
Background Photo
Your background photo provides another visual representation of your brand. Choose an image that aligns with your industry or company. For example, an accountant could feature a background of spreadsheets and calculators. A sales rep could display their product. Keep it simple and professional.
Contact Info
Provide your contact details so connections can reach you directly. This includes:
- Email address
- Phone number
- Business address
- Website URL
This contact info enables reassurance that you are a real professional. However, only share what you are comfortable displaying publicly.
Detailed Summary
The summary section is your chance to showcase who you are and what you offer. Outline your career progression, knowledge, skills, accomplishments, goals, and what makes you unique. Focus on facts that are relevant to your target roles – tell your professional story.
Use keywords recruiters search for and highlight quantifiable results. Structure your summary clearly with bullet points or paragraphs. Aim for at least 3 meaty paragraphs or 5-10 concise bullet points.
This section requires customization to prove you wrote it yourself. Generic, boilerplate summaries won’t cut it. Provide enough detail to establish your credibility. But avoid simply listing responsibilities – demonstrate meaningful impact.
Multimedia
Incorporating relevant multimedia can enhance your profile’s credibility by demonstrating your work visually. Options include:
- Presentations
- Photos
- Videos
- Documents
- Infographics
For example, a designer could showcase their design portfolio, a programmer their GitHub contributions, or an event planner photos of their events. Ensure you have rights to share any content you include.
Skills & Endorsements
List at least 5 key skills that you want to be known for professionally. Get colleagues and connections to endorse you for skills they can vouch for. This social proof builds credibility.
Prioritize including skills that recruiters search for. Sprinkle in a few soft skills too like “leadership” or “teamwork”. On each skill, aim for at least 10-20 endorsements from connections.
Recommendations
Quality recommendations that detail why someone would recommend you provide powerful social proof for recruiters. Strive for 5-10 written recommendations from:
- Managers
- Direct reports (if you manage others)
- Colleagues
- Clients
- Vendors
- Professors
- Group members (for student projects)
Recommendations carry more weight when they include specific examples of your work and unique contributions. It proves you have strong professional relationships.
Keywords
Incorporate relevant keywords throughout your profile that recruiters would be searching for. Examples include:
- Job titles
- Certifications
- Technical skills
- Software & tools
- Industry terms
- Companies
- Capabilities
This helps your profile appear in more searches. But avoid awkwardly over-stuffing keywords – incorporate them naturally.
Links
Include links to any websites, portfolios, or online profiles that can corroborate your professional identity. For example:
- Personal website
- Company website
- Publications
- Online portfolios
- Professional social media
However, avoid linking to unrelated personal sites or anything that could contradict your brand. Keep it strictly professional.
Premium Badges
Premium account badges like “Open to Work” or “Career Services badging” can enhance your credibility by displaying your job search status clearly. However, these are not mandatory for verification.
Consistent Branding
Ensure your profile aligns with your professional branding on other platforms like a personal website or social media. Your persona should be recognizable and consistent across channels.
For example, use the same profile photo across multiple networks. Have matching headers, color schemes, and content themes. Consistent personal branding improves trust and credibility.
Engagement
Active engagement on the platform contributes to verification eligibility. Ways to engage include:
- Commenting on posts
- Liking and sharing updates
- Posting regular updates
- Joining Groups
- Following Companies
Being an active member of the community signals you are a real professional invested in networking, not just someone with a sparse, inactive account.
No violations
You must be in good standing without any policy violations that could cast doubt on your credibility. Issues to avoid:
- Fake or misleading information
- Inappropriate photos or content
- Spam or promotional posts
- Hate speech, bullying, or harassment
Maintain a professional presence to avoid any activity that could damage your reputation or get your account suspended.
Conclusion
Getting verified on LinkedIn requires building an outstanding professional profile brimming with credibility signals. Focus on completeness, depth of details, multimedia, recommendations, and active engagement with your network.
Invest time customizing each profile section to showcase your skills, achievements, education, work history, and unique value accurately. Developing an authentic, trustworthy persona takes effort but can significantly boost your professional brand and opportunities.