Recruiters and hiring managers regularly use LinkedIn to find and check out candidates. The good news is that you do not need to rebuild your profile from scratch to make it work harder. Each of these seven changes can be made in an afternoon or less.
1. Use a clear, friendly profile photo
A good photo makes your profile feel more trustworthy and approachable. Choose a recent, well-lit head-and-shoulders shot with a plain background. It does not need to be taken by a professional. It just needs to look like you on a good day at work.
2. Write a headline that says what you do
Your headline appears next to your name almost everywhere on LinkedIn, so make it count. Rather than just your job title, show your area of focus and the value you bring. “Finance Manager | Forecasting, Budgeting and Business Partnering | Retail and Manufacturing” tells a recruiter far more than “Finance Manager”.
3. Rewrite your About section in your own voice
The About section is your chance to tell your story. Write in the first person, keep paragraphs short and open with a line that makes people want to read on. Cover what you do, what you are known for, a couple of achievements and the kind of opportunity you are looking for.
4. Add the keywords recruiters search for
Recruiters search LinkedIn using keywords, much as you would use a search engine. Look at several job adverts for your target role, note the skills and terms that keep coming up, and work the relevant ones naturally into your headline, About section, experience and skills. Avoid keyword stuffing, because your profile should still read well to a person.
5. Turn duties into achievements
Your experience section should not be a copy of your job description. Under each role, add two to four short points that show results: money saved, processes improved, teams led, targets met or problems solved. Numbers help where you have them, but clear, specific examples work too.
6. Let recruiters know you are open to work
LinkedIn lets you signal that you are open to new opportunities, with the option to share this with recruiters only rather than your whole network. Add the job titles, locations and working arrangements you are interested in so you show up in the right searches. If you are job hunting discreetly, remember that no privacy setting is completely foolproof.
7. Tidy up your profile URL
Default LinkedIn profile addresses often end in a string of letters and numbers. You can edit yours in your profile settings to something cleaner, such as your name, which looks much neater on your CV and email signature.
Bonus: keep it active
A profile that has not been touched in years can give the impression that you are not engaged. Sharing the occasional article, commenting thoughtfully on posts in your field or asking a former colleague for a recommendation all help keep your profile fresh and visible.
Ready for a fuller refresh?
Quick check: do your headline, About section and most recent role all point clearly towards the job you want next? If not, start there.
Quick wins go a long way, but a profile written around your target roles can do even more. Find out how our LinkedIn optimisation service works, or get started and tell us where you want your career to go next.