LinkedIn allows users to showcase their professional backgrounds by selecting industries they have experience in. Users can select multiple industries to highlight the breadth of their careers. However, there is often confusion around how many industries you can and should select on a LinkedIn profile.
How Many Industries Can You Select?
LinkedIn allows users to select up to 50 industries to add to their profiles. You can find the industry section in the background section of your profile on desktop or in the details section of your profile on mobile.
When you click to add industries, you will see a list of hundreds of options ranging from accounting to transportation and everything in between. You can start typing to search for a specific industry or scroll through the list to browse industries.
As you begin selecting industries, you will notice a counter keeps track of how many you have added. Once you hit 50 selected industries, you will not be able to add any more.
So in summary:
The maximum number of industries you can select on a LinkedIn profile is 50.
Should You Max Out at 50 Industries?
Just because you can add up to 50 industries doesn’t necessarily mean you should max out your profile. The number of industries you should include depends on your specific career path and goals for your LinkedIn presence.
Here are a few factors to consider when deciding how many industries to select:
Your career history – If you have worked across a diverse range of industries, it makes sense to showcase this breadth. But if you have deep experience in just one or two core industries, you may not need 50.
Your current goals – Are you open to opportunities across industries or focused on one field? Selecting too many industries when your goals are focused can be confusing.
Readability – The industry section is prominently featured. An exhaustive list of 50 industries can look cluttered and make your background hard to parse.
Relevance – Only select industries you have legitimate experience in. Selecting industries you don’t have experience in just to max out at 50 could raise questions.
Here are some examples of how many industries may be appropriate depending on your background:
- Recent grad with internship experience across 5-7 industries – 5-7 industries
- Mid-career professional focused in 1 core industry – 1-3 industries
- Executive with decades of diverse leadership experience – 15-20 industries
As a rule of thumb, carefully curate your industry selections to showcase your most relevant experience rather than defaulting to the maximum 50. Quality over quantity is key when it comes to your LinkedIn profile.
Tips for Choosing Industries
When selecting which industries to showcase, keep these tips in mind:
Select your core industry first. Lead with the industry most aligned to your current role or professional focus. This gives viewers context for the other industries you list.
Leverage your job history. Look back at your past roles and the various industries you have worked within. But only select those that are still relevant.
Think transferable skills. Consider industries you may not have direct experience in but where your skills and expertise could be valuable.
Ask yourself “would I work here?” If you can’t imagine taking on a role in an industry, it likely doesn’t belong on your profile.
Use keywords. Industries that contain keywords from your expertise, skills, job titles, or companies can help come up search results.
Keep it current. As your career progresses, reevaluate your industry selections to ensure they accurately reflect your latest experience. You can always swap out industries that are no longer as relevant.
Taking the time to carefully curate your industry selections will help make your profile more discoverable and tailored to your goals.
Formatting Industries on Your Profile
How you format the industries on your profile can also impact the readability and effectiveness of this section. Here are some formatting best practices:
- Organize industries from most to least relevant
- Separate each industry onto its own line
- Use bullet points to break up long lists of industries
- Group related industries together
- Add 2-3 keyword rich industries that reflect current goals
- Keep your core/focus industry first
Proper formatting complements selecting the right industries for your goals and career level.
Here is an example of how you could format a shorter list of key industries:
- Computer Software
- Information Technology
- – IT Project Management
- – Enterprise Software
- Management Consulting
- – Digital Transformation
- – Strategic Planning
This formats the industries in a readable, organized, and keyword-rich manner.
Customizing Your LinkedIn URL
Another factor when selecting industries is LinkedIn’s option to customize your profile URL with your industry.
For example, your profile could be:
www.linkedin.com/in/yourname
Or
www.linkedin.com/in/yourname-in-yourindustry
Adding an industry provides a more professional and descriptive URL. However, you can only select one industry for your URL.
So make sure the industry you pick for your URL is accurate and aligned with your overall professional brand. Don’t just default to using one of your 50 allowed industries in your URL. The one you select should represent your core focus area.
Keyword Optimization
In addition to customizing your URL, carefully choosing industries provides an opportunity to add keywords that are relevant to you.
Having strategic keywords in your profile can help increase your visibility in LinkedIn search results. This helps you get discovered by more relevant contacts and opportunities.
Some tips for optimizing keywords with your industry selections:
- Incorporate keywords from your resume and job descriptions
- Include synonyms and related terms for your roles/skills
- Use keywords that are specific rather than just broad industries
- Repeat keywords that are particularly relevant
- Include abbreviations and acronyms in industries where common
Getting the right mix of keywords in your industries shows you have put thought into your profile and are maximizing it for exposure.
Examples of LinkedIn Profiles with Well-Formatted Industries
To see examples of LinkedIn profiles with well-formatted industry sections, check out these profiles:
Heather Whaley – www.linkedin.com/in/heather-whaley-she-her-b7477211/
Heather leads off with her core industry of Public Relations followed by a list of 6-7 other related industries relevant to her experience. Her industries are keyword-rich and the list is formatted with bullets and line breaks for readability.
Rasmus Ankersen – www.linkedin.com/in/rasmusankersen/
Rasmus keeps his industry selections focused around just a few core areas relevant to his professional background as an author/speaker/advisor. He uses bullet points and ordering to prioritize 3-4 primary industries.
Ekta Singh – www.linkedin.com/in/ektasingh28/
As a professional with experience across many functions, Ekta strategically selects 36 industries to showcase her diverse background. She groups related industries together under indented bullets for better organization.
Should You Include Volunteer Experiences?
In addition to paid work experience, you may also have volunteer experiences that exposed you to additional industries. Should you include these on your LinkedIn profile?
Here are some pros and cons to consider:
Pros:
- Shows well-roundedness and commitment to causes/community
- Highlights soft skills developed through volunteering
- Can fill work history gaps if light on paid experience
- Volunteer management roles demonstrate leadership abilities
Cons:
- Profile can become lengthy if volunteer experience excessive
- Industries less directly relevant to paid experience
- Some volunteer experience less valued by hiring managers
- Can dilute profile emphasis if volunteer experience isn’t aligned
Given these considerations, here are some best practices around including volunteer industry selections:
- Only include volunteer industries directly relevant to career goals
- Select just 1-2 volunteer industries as you would paid industries
- Focus on substantive volunteer roles rather than one-off events
- Emphasize transferable skills gained through volunteering
Volunteer experience can serve as a value-add to round out your profile experience. But be judicious in selecting volunteer industries to keep the emphasis on your paid work history.
Customizing Industry Selections for Different Career Stages
The industries that make the most sense to showcase will likely vary depending on where you are in your career journey.
Here are some recommendations for how to approach industry selections at different career stages:
Early Career
- Highlight industries for internships and entry-level roles
- Emphasize transferable skills from roles in different industries
- Keep list focused around 3-5 core industries of interest
- Include selections that position you for targeted roles
Mid-Career
- Reflect promotions and advancing experience within industries
- Balance core industry depth with some complementary breadth
- Up to 10 industries including project work and temporary assignments
- Show progression over time within an industry
Later Career
- Highlight executive-level industries aligned with leadership experience
- Leverage industries from board participation
- Include consulting and advisory industries as relevant
- Limit to 5-7 industries in leadership roles
The key is matching your industry selections to your career narrative and professional brand for each stage.
Mistakes to Avoid When Selecting LinkedIn Industries
While industries can enhance your LinkedIn profile, there are also some pitfalls to avoid:
Padding your profile with irrelevant industries just to reach 50 – As discussed, restraint is recommended to keep your profile focused. Obscure, irrelevant industries can undermine your credibility.
Neglecting to update industries over time – Failing to update your industries means missing out on optimized keywords and presenting an inaccurate picture.
Overlapping industries that convey the same experience – For example, including both “Management Consulting” and “Business Consulting” when one will suffice.
Industries completely unrelated to your professional credentials – Like listing “Law Enforcement” without any actual law enforcement experience. This lacks integrity.
Using too much industry jargon – Niche industry terms unfamiliar to those outside your field can confuse readers. Balance targeted keywords with clear industries.
Being thoughtful and strategic with your industry selections will yield the best results.
Tips for Switching Industries on LinkedIn
At some point in your career, you may make a switch into a new industry. How can you effectively reflect this transition on LinkedIn?
Here are some tips:
- Add the new industry but keep your previous industry as second
- Use your summary section to explain the reasons for the change
- Update your headline to showcase the new industry focus
- Craft a review about gaining experience in the new industry
- Join relevant industry groups and follow influential voices
- Enhance skills with certificates and courses in the new industry
- Network intentionally to build connections in the new space
Signaling an industry change requires updating several sections of your profile. But done right, it can open up new connections and opportunities.
Conclusion
Selecting LinkedIn industries is an opportunity to showcase the breadth of your professional experience to your network. But restraint and strategy are needed to maximize this section.
Focus on choosing a handful of relevant industries aligned to your career narrative rather than defaulting to the maximum number of 50. Follow best practices for formatting industries to enhance readability. Update selections over time as your career evolves.
With thoughtful industry curation, you can provide viewers a clearer picture of your professional background. This will ultimately help your profile stand out and achieve your career goals through expanded visibility and connections.
