6 Key Steps to Getting Your LinkedIn Profile Seen
LinkedIn is a powerful networking and recruitment tool when your profile is complete, optimized, and configured correctly.
In this post, we discuss the six things you should prioritize when creating or updating your LinkedIn profile.
Whether you are actively looking for a new role or casually seeing what's out there, make sure to pay attention to these essential components to set yourself up for success.
1. Upload a Professional Photo
By uploading a high-quality, professional photo, you'll look more credible and drive more visitors to your profile.
While LinkedIn is a social network, its primary focus is on the world of work:
- Choose a photo where you're wearing something you would typically wear to work
- Do not upload photos with other people in them
- Make sure the background is plain or otherwise not distracting
- Crop your photo to only show your face from the shoulders and up
We don't advise leaving your profile photo blank.
2. Craft an Accurate Headline
When you show up in a LinkedIn search, your first impression consists of your name, photo, and headline.
If you are currently working, it's standard practice to simply list your position title and company name.
Examples include:
- Investment Banking Analyst at Goldman Sachs
- Vice President, Talent and Learning at American Express
- Partner and Head of Hospitality & Leisure at EY
- Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Hilton Worldwide
- Head Of Global Marketing at Peloton Interactive
By keeping your headline simple, you'll give viewers the information they're looking for at first glance.
We generally don't recommend creative headlines.
If you are in the market for a new role, however, consider incorporating keywords relevant to your target position - especially if you are looking to switch sectors.
For example:
- Digital Marketing Manager at Hyatt | SEO, SEM, and CRM Expert
- Senior FP&A Analyst at Amazon | Certified Financial Analyst (CFA)
- Manager - Corporate Recruiting at United | SPHR
By adding areas of expertise or certifications, you will be more likely to show up in recruiter searches for positions related to those areas.
3. Input Your Career History
If you are in a rush, fill in the following information for each position you held:
- Company Name
- Dates
- Position Title
- Location
While it is beneficial to also include a description of your achievements in each role, your job titles often speak for themselves.
Your LinkedIn profile does not have to be as detailed as your resume, and you can always add more detail later.
4. Add Your Education
By adding your education, you will be more likely to appear in searches conducted by other alumni from your alma mater.
5. Let Recruiters Know You're Open
If you are open to new roles, consider adjusting your preferences to make sure recruiters know about it!
LinkedIn recognizes that privacy is a concern, as you likely don't want your current employer to know that you are in the market.
The "Open to Job Opportunities" feature is helpful because it:
- Allows you to demonstrate your interest to recruiters without having to verbally express that you are in the market on your profile
- Hides your preferences from your current employer and affiliated companies (you can read more about these privacy settings here)
To enable this setting, follow the steps below:
1) Click on "Me" next to your profile photo in the upper right-hand side of your screen and select "View Profile"
2) Click "Add profile section" and choose "Looking for job opportunities" under "Intro"
3) Add your preferred job locations and position titles
You can see more detailed instructions at this link.
6. Add New Connections
Once you have completed the key sections discussed above, start adding new connections!
In addition to reading their updates and being able to message your connections directly, you'll start appearing in the "People Also Viewed" section of related contacts, which will increase the odds of recruiters finding you.
To learn more about LinkedIn best practices, check out our LinkedIn Series here! You'll find links to a variety of brief, punchy articles that will help you get the most out of the platform.
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About the AuthorMatt Glodz
Matt Glodz is the Founder and Managing Partner of Resume Pilots and a Certified Professional Resume Writer.
After studying business communication at Cornell University, Matt worked within Fortune 500 companies, where he noted that qualified candidates were frequently denied interview opportunities due to poorly written documents.
At Resume Pilots, Matt combines his business and writing background - which includes prior work for a Chicago Tribune publication - to craft resumes that give his clients the best chance of landing interviews. He works with clients ranging from CEOs to recent graduates and has been writing resumes for over eight years.