Having a strong LinkedIn profile is crucial for anyone looking to advance their career or find a new job. With over 740 million members, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform and one of the top places recruiters look for talent. But what exactly makes for an appealing LinkedIn profile that will catch the eye of potential employers? Here are some key elements to include that can help your profile stand out.
A professional headshot
Having a nice headshot is one of the first things you should do to improve your LinkedIn presence. A photo makes your profile look more complete, plus it puts a face to your name which can help you make a stronger connection during your job search. Your headshot doesn’t need to be professionally taken, but make sure it’s a clear, high-quality photo with good lighting. Dress professionally as you would for an interview. And remember to smile! You want to look friendly and approachable.
A customized public profile URL
LinkedIn automatically assigns your public profile a URL with a bunch of random numbers and letters. To make it easier to share and remember, set a customized URL using your name. This looks much more professional than just a URL. On your profile, click “Edit public profile & URL” then type in the username you want and click “Save”.
A compelling summary
Your LinkedIn summary is a short elevator pitch where you can succinctly describe your professional experience and goals. This section should be written in first person and convey what makes you unique and valuable. Include your current role, your biggest achievements and skills, past experiences that shaped you, and what you’re looking for next in your career. This is some of the first information people will see on your profile, so make sure it’s engaging and persuasive.
Relevant skills and endorsements
Sprinkle key skills throughout your profile and summary so they are easy for recruiters to find. You can also add a distinct skills section. Make sure the skills are relevant to the types of roles you are targeting. The more your connections endorse you for certain skills, the more you will stand out for having those competencies. Don’t be afraid to endorse your connections for their skills in return – it shows you want to help boost their profile too.
Experience descriptions that highlight achievements
Don’t just list your duties and responsibilities under your work experiences. Recruiters want to see tangible results and impact. Quantify your accomplishments as much as possible with numbers. For example, say how you increased sales by 30% or cut costs by 15%. Use bullet points to break up blocks of text for easy skimming. Emphasize how you solved major problems and added value in each role.
Examples of your work
Consider showcasing samples of your best work, whether it’s a presentation, spreadsheet, graphic design, blog post, etc. This gives people insight into what you can produce. Just make sure you have permission to share any content that is behind a company firewall. Only share documents that position you positively.
Education background
List all of your relevant higher education details including the degree earned, university name, field of study, and graduation year. You can even include awards, study abroad programs, courses, and theses that demonstrate additional expertise. Recruiters often search for candidates from target schools, so showcasing your education makes your profile more discoverable.
Volunteer work and causes
Volunteering shows you care about more than just making money and advancing your career. Causes that light you up reveal what you are passionate about. Being active in certain nonprofits and professional associations also helps build your network. Recruiters often value candidates who give back to their community or industry.
Recommendations and endorsements
Quality recommendations from former managers, professors, or collaborators you’ve worked with carry a lot of weight. These personalized references help back up all the claims you make about yourself on your profile. Try to collect several recommendations that detail why you are a valuable team member, your top strengths, and your professional achievements.
| Type | Who to Ask | What Makes Them Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Recommendations | Former managers, professors, or collaborators | Specific examples and anecdotes that highlight your strengths and accomplishments |
| Skills Endorsements | Colleagues and connections | Validation of your relevant skills by many connections |
The more personalized recommendations you can get, the better. Ask contacts to write them instead of just blindly endorsing your pre-written recommendations.
Up-to-date job status
If you are actively searching for a new job, list that you are open and interested in new opportunities. Be specific about roles you are looking for. Proactively signaling that you are available will make recruiters who view your profile more likely to reach out. Once you start engaging with a company, you can change your status to “interviewing” or “in discussions”. If you land a new position, update your profile right away.
Expanded network
The larger your network, the more opportunities that can surface through your 2nd and 3rd degree connections. Look to connect with former colleagues, classmates, professors, group members, event attendees, industry peers, etc. Also join relevant LinkedIn Groups which expand your reach. But focus on quality over quantity – make sure you know each connection well enough to interact with them.
Up-to-date certifications
If you have earned any professional certifications or accreditations, add them to your LinkedIn profile to highlight your specialized expertise. Recruiters often search on certifications when filling highly technical roles. Listing your latest credentials shows you are staying current in your profession and committed to ongoing learning.
Portfolio with case studies
For creative fields like design, writing, programming, and consulting, a portfolio displaying your best work is expected. Curate examples that represent the range of projects you have worked on and skills you bring to the table. Discuss key details like the client, objective, process, and results. This provides tangible proof of what you can deliver for employers.
Volunteer events and causes
Attending professional events, seminars, and conferences shows your commitment to developing your skills and expanding your network. Volunteering also demonstrates you care about making a positive impact. List any relevant events you have recently attended or helped organize on your profile. This highlights your industry involvement beyond just your job.
Awards and honors
Tastefully listing any professional awards or honors you have received, like “Employee of the Month” or “Top Salesperson”, provides social proof of your achievements. Just make sure these are recent and relevant. If you were voted “Most School Spirt” 10 years ago, that likely doesn’t need to be on your LinkedIn.
International profile settings
If you are interested in working abroad or available for relocation, be sure to update your location preferences and languages in your LinkedIn settings. This allows your profile to surface in searches outside your current city. List any foreign languages you speak fluently as well.
Eye-catching background photo
A professional background photo adds some visual interest to your profile instead of just the default white background. It doesn’t need to be you – it can showcase an office setting, industry, passion or cause you care about. Just don’t choose anything too gimmicky or generic. Go for an image aligned with your personal brand.
Articles and content sharing
Posting regular updates with professional content, whether articles, videos, slides, or images, shows you are actively keeping up with your industry. It encourages connections to engage with your updates. You can also re-share content from colleagues or companies you want to learn from or recommend.
Keywords optimized for SEO
Optimizing your profile for keywords relevant to your target roles or industry makes it easier for recruiters to find you in LinkedIn searches. Work keywords into your headline, summary, skills, job descriptions, and anywhere else that makes sense. But use them organically – don’t just stuff them in.
Here are some examples of good SEO keywords to include:
- Industry terms like “supply chain management”
- Job titles like “Sales Manager”
- Skills like “Business Development”
- Tools/Software like “Tableau”, “Slack”
- Certifications like “PMP Certified”
- Names of companies or organizations
Pay attention to the keywords that frequently come up in job postings for roles you want and integrate those terms into your profile. Using relevant keywords strategically makes you more discoverable.
Links to external websites
You can list URLs on your profile to link to any external sites or online portfolios that showcase more of your work and experience. Common links include your company website, blog, Github, Dribbble, Behance, personal websites, published articles, speaking videos, etc. However, make sure they are professional sites that put you in a positive light.
Media links
In addition to written content, you can add rich media like Slideshare presentations, YouTube videos, podcasts, images, infographics, etc right on your LinkedIn profile. This engages people in a more visual way. For example, if you speak at conferences, link to a video of one of your talks. You can also link to downloadable files or media hosted on other sites.
Clean and consistent profile
Do a thorough sweep of your profile to fix any typos, formatting issues, repetitive points, or outdated information. Keep the language consistent in terms of verb tense and point of view. Everything you include should reinforce your personal brand. If you have older positions that are no longer relevant, you can archive those to streamline your profile.
No first-person pronouns
Write all of your profile content in third person rather than first person. So instead of saying “I exceeded sales quotas”, rephrase it to “John exceeded sales quotas.” Referring to yourself by name sounds more professional on LinkedIn.
Reasonable length for sections
While your summary and work experiences are the meatiest sections, avoid excessively long blocks of text. Break it up with bullet points, numbers, spacing, headers, and visuals when possible. Most people will quickly skim your profile, so make it easy for relevant details to jump out.
No jargon or acronyms
Write your profile summary and work descriptions in clear, everyday language that is understandable to readers both inside and outside your industry. Limit technical jargon and define any acronyms on first use. You want to communicate your value clearly to a wide range of audiences.
Customized connection requests
When sending connection invites, take the time to write a short, personalized note to each person instead of just using LinkedIn’s generic messaging. Remind them where you met or worked together. Point out something you admire about their career. This makes accepting your invite much more enticing.
Up-to-date job information
If you are actively looking for work, indicate your desired roles, relocation availability, and other important details recruiters want to know right on your profile. Proactively signaling what you’re looking for makes you more attractive to recruiters searching LinkedIn for candidates. Once you start interviewing or accept a new position, update your profile status accordingly.
Contact info available to recruiters
Enabling the Open Profile setting makes your basic contact info visible on your profile to recruiters who have signed LinkedIn’s Recruiter Agreement. This makes it easier for them to reach out to you about job opportunities. Toggle this setting on through your Account Privacy & Settings.
QR code available
LinkedIn gives you the option to add a scannable QR code to your profile which makes it easy for connections to quickly view your profile on mobile. Network at events equipped with your QR code so people can easily link up with you after meeting in person. It eliminates manually typing in your name to find your profile.
Conclusion
Optimizing your LinkedIn presence with the tips above will help ensure your profile stands out in a sea of candidates. Devote time to building your network, showcasing your professional brand, and highlighting the skills, experiences, and passion that make you uniquely qualified. With a complete, compelling profile, you will be on the radar of far more recruiters and open new career opportunities.
