Congratulations on taking the first step to optimize your LinkedIn profile! And now that you have searched for the best LinkedIn profile tips for job seekers, you are definitely on the right track.
If you’re a job seeker, you know the importance of having a visually attractive and well-crafted LinkedIn profile.
After all, your peers and potential employers will be viewing it. And what do they say? First impressions are everything.
Your LinkedIn profile is up there with your resume, CV, and portfolio in terms of selling yourself as a qualified candidate.
Therefore, you must make sure it looks worthy of attention. Lucky for you, we’ve compiled a list of the 31 best LinkedIn profile tips for job seekers to help get you noticed.
From pictures to “skills & endorsements,” these professional tips will add the juice your profile needs to stand out and secure an interview. Let’s get started!
Linkedin Job Slots Vs. Job Posts
LinkedIn is a valuable tool for connecting with potential employers, But did you know two different postings are available on the platform?
Job slots are generally easier to find than job posts, typically either “passive” or “active.” A passive slot is a company’s way of letting recruiters know their open positions have already been filled.
On the other hand, active job slots indicate that a company is actively recruiting for a new position.
To find these job slots, use the search bar at the top of your profile page and enter critical terms related to your desired position.
Narrow down your search results using location and company-type filters. Once you’ve identified an active job slot that interests you, read through the description carefully before submitting your application!
The 31 Best LinkedIn Profile Tips for Job Seekers
Here are some of the best LinkedIn profile tips for job seekers:
1. Know Your field
Before you pick up your gadget to seek jobs on LinkedIn, know your niche and focus squarely on what you can offer.
This is where job hunting starts. Define yourself and spell out what you are coming to offer to your employer.
2. Project Your Story and Build Your Brand
Design your LinkedIn profile to project what sets you apart from the competition in your industry.
Once you know your brand, you can express it throughout your LinkedIn profile.
3. Make Your Profile Visually Appealing
An eye-catching profile will interest more people in your content, so boost your LinkedIn page visually.
Start with a powerful header image and choose colors and fonts that reflect your brand.
You can even add a background image that gives your page more of an edge. Then, make sure you include visuals in the body of the profile, too.
Choose pictures, videos, and memes to bring your profile to life and capture viewers’ attention.
Adding visuals can also help clarify ideas or topics written in text. To make it easier for recruiters to find visuals you’ve shared on LinkedIn, include hashtags wherever possible.
Finally, use easy-to-understand icons or gifs to showcase products or services you offer without using much text—this captures attention better and makes it easier for readers to quickly understand what you’re offering!
4. Only Professional Profile Picture
Choose a picture of you neatly and decently dressed. Remember the mantra that says that you get addressed the way you dress.
Tradition dies hard, so pay attention to formal etiquette. The good news is that it costs you little to nothing to get neat pictures nowadays.
Your Android or iPhone has a high-enough resolution camera to capture your picture clearly and crisply.
You can also use free image background remover to remove images with backgrounds you don’t like.
5. Showcase Your Key Accomplishments
Make sure your LinkedIn profile is a place to showcase your key accomplishments.
Whether it’s a successful product launch, a big project that was completed on time, or any other accomplishment—anything you’ve done to drive results is worth including in your profile.
List your top professional accomplishments, then pick the 3-5 you want to highlight on your profile.
Include awards or recognition you’ve received for these accomplishments, as well as measurable metrics so potential employers can see the impact of your work.
Highlighting these accomplishments through stories, videos, and images will also help make them stand out more in your profile.
For instance, if you successfully drove website traffic with a social media campaign, consider including campaign screenshots and data from an analytics dashboard so employers can get an idea of what you achieved.
Are there accomplishments that need to fit more neatly into your experience overview?
You can always add them as “Additional Projects” sections!
Use Keywords that Get Attention
As you craft your profile, be intentional about who your target audience is—likely other professionals and recruiters in your industry.
Ask yourself, What will those people specifically want to see in a job candidate? Are specific technical skills essential? Or certain qualities or experiences?
To get answers to these questions, follow the same process when tailoring or writing your resume.
Put up a few job descriptions for your desired job type. Look at what they keep discussing, common themes, and what seems to matter to these employers.
6. Never be caught jobless, Even When Unemployed
One of the best LinkedIn profile tips for job seekers is never to appear jobless.
One thing recruiters look out for on LinkedIn is active human resources.
Your current job lends the pieces of information the platform uses to return results, and not having it reduces your visibility in the job market.
If you don’t have a job, add the positions you’re looking for (brand marketer or manager, for example).
Also, add a line in the spot usually reserved for the company name that clarifies you’re not claiming you’re employed, like “Seeking new opportunity” or similar.
7. Optimize Your Headline and Summary
Your headline and summary are vital to making your profile stand out, so start by optimizing these sections.
Use your headline to introduce yourself and state why you’re a great candidate for the job.
Make sure your headline is no more than 120 characters—you want to be brief and make an impact!
In your summary, use detailed descriptions and vivid language that will capture the attention of recruiters and align with keywords related to the position you’re applying for.
Here are a few more tips for your headline and summary:
- Incorporate industry buzzwords, such as “innovative” or “market-leading,” to get LinkedIn’s algorithm working in your favor.
- Avoid generic terms like “hard-working” or “team player”—be specific about what sets you apart from other candidates.
- Focus on accomplishments rather than responsibilities—what have you achieved in different roles?
- Aim for 10-20 sentences to describe yourself in manageable detail.
Optimizing these two sections of your LinkedIn profile will increase the content’s relevance while positioning yourself as the ideal candidate for recruiters looking through a sea of profiles.
Show off all that hard work you’ve done throughout your career using powerful words and phrases—you’ll be sure to make an impression!
8. Your keywords are your Passcode
Remember your keywords; weave them into your headline, experience, skills, summary, and anywhere else they make sense on your profile; however, do just what is necessary.
Ensure your keywords flow with the rest of your writing and aren’t just forced in. And don’t just put the word “Keywords:” in your “About” section.
9. Connect With Relevant People and Companies
When building a strong LinkedIn profile, you should also focus on making the right connections.
After all, building a solid network of contacts helps you get noticed by recruiters and employers.
To get started, here are a few simple tips:
Follow Companies You’d Like to Work For
Start by following the companies that you’d love to work for. IT will help you stay updated on job openings, company culture, and news.
Plus, if they see that you’re following them on LinkedIn, they might consider you for their open roles.
Join Groups That Match Your Interests
Joining relevant groups can also be helpful when it comes to making connections and finding job opportunities.
Participating in discussions can be a great way to display your skills and knowledge.
Reach Out To Everyone You Know
Another great way to boost your LinkedIn presence is to connect with everyone you already know — from former colleagues and college buddies to family members and friends from high school.
By doing this, you’ll be able to build a strong network of contacts and increase your chances of getting noticed by employers.
10. Build and Leverage Professional Relationships
Building and leveraging professional relationships is integral to any job search strategy.
The same applies to LinkedIn; this is one of the best profile tips for job seekers as old as time.
Creating and cultivating your network through connecting with people on LinkedIn is essential.
You never know when that person can provide you with a lead, information, advice, or a mentor.
Your network should include current and former colleagues, supervisors, professors, classmates, and other professional contacts.
As you grow your network, you must maintain relationships with those in your network by sending messages to reconnect or thank them for their support.
LinkedIn also offers the opportunity to join Groups – allowing you to join conversations about industry news and ask fellow professionals questions about job searching.
Remember, LinkedIn also has a ‘Greetings’ tab, which allows you to send a greeting message to someone on their special day, such as their birthday or anniversary of working at a company.
These are just some tips on building and leveraging professional relationships, but remember; networking requires effort, so ensure it’s done regularly!
11. Treat Your Profile Like a Resume
It’s common to overlook the importance of your LinkedIn profile, but it’s essential to treat it like a mini-resume.
After all, that’s what potential employers or recruiters look at when they come across your profile.
That doesn’t mean you need to write a long and tedious resume—but there are some critical tips for creating a compelling profile on LinkedIn.
First and foremost, you must ensure that all the information on your profile is up-to-date and accurate, including ensuring that everything from your contact information to your job experience is current and relevant.
Consider adding any recent accomplishments or awards and any certifications or training you have completed.
You should also ensure your profile contains an up-to-date headshot, ideally taken by a professional photographer.
It will help give potential employers an idea of who they’re dealing with and create a more professional look for your profile.
12. Endeavour to Complete Your Profile
LinkedIn’s algorithm is designed to reward users with complete profiles. Having a complete profile gives you a level of trust and authenticity.
Also, the platform assigns different strengths to profiles based on their completeness, and there’s a “great advantage” to being at the highest strength.
Recruiters and hiring managers will discover your profile regardless you apply for their jobs on LinkedIn or anywhere else.
A low profile could make a better impression, and each section is an opportunity to add more keywords and tell a compelling story.
13. Attach Links and Media to Your Work Experience
Adding links, images, videos, and files to the entries in your “Experience” section and your “Featured” section reeks of confidence and accountability.
So use this to your advantage: put out Links to your company websites, projects you have been on, reports you’ve published, or anything that can afford recruiters to see the records of work with their own eyes.
This is one of the best profile tips for job seekers using LinkedIn to find their future employers.
14. Attach Certifications, Projects, Volunteer Experiences, or Languages versatility
Right below your work experience and education are convenient spaces to show off your background and qualifications.
Are you multi-lingual? Did you win a well-known award in your industry or past endeavors? Do you have the license to work in multiple states?
Adding this information to your profile will showcase what makes you unique and helps you get in some additional keywords.
15. Come Out Strong with Relevant and Recent Recommendations
Recommendations enhance the credibility of who you are as a professional. Ask people of good reputations and badges you’ve worked closely with for recommendations.
However, always give that person hints that help shape your profile’s story. Your recommender should know your goals for your next career steps and what skills and experiences you’d like them to highlight.
Also, keep your recommendations current if you can set a calendar reminder to secure new recommendations at least twice a year.
16. Decide which recommendations you want to display without fear.
Let’s face it, not every LinkedIn recommendation you get is well-written or even pertinent to your performance in the workplace.
Fortunately, the platform now notifies you of recommendations before they are made public, and you may choose to accept them, reject them, or leave them in their pending condition.
By selecting the “Edit” icon next to that area and selecting “Show” or “Hide” for each recommendation, you can also control recommendations that have already been added to your profile.
You can also ask the author to make changes if it’s nearly perfect but still needs work.
17. Use LinkedIn regularly
Once your profile is finished, you should not just abandon LinkedIn until the next time you apply for a job:
You need to be an active user. That is one way to start seeing more success on LinkedIn.
Using LinkedIn will assist you in growing your network and being more visible, and learning more about your role, industry, and potential opportunities.
18. Connect and network regularly
LinkedIn is the number one place to network. You can build your professional network online by connecting with people you know.
Importantly, request connections from people you don’t know who can help you grow your employability.
LinkedIn’s alumni line under the “Alumni” tab on your school’s profile is there to assist you in finding other top people who went to your college.
Or even look for people by searching the keywords within the search bar like “p marketer” or even “introvert.”
19. While you network, Use LinkedIn to Learn and Grow
LinkedIn Learning is another great feature that can help you develop new skills and add completed courses directly to your profile.
Going through the profiles of people with the sort of job or work in the industry you’re interested in helps you identify which courses you might want to take—or give you clues based on their skills and experiences.
20. Post Regularly on Your LinkedIn
Remember that LinkedIn is a social app with proper conditioning. Be free to project your life often decently and adequately.
It increases your visibility on the platform and chances of being seen by recruiters and employers.
21. Do not allow the hunt for a job blind your sight to other opportunities
People looking for something other than a new job can still benefit from LinkedIn in various ways, such as networking with others in your industry and picking up new skills that will be useful in their present position.
Additionally, “remaining active on LinkedIn after you’ve accepted that new position and aren’t job searching helps make that next job hunt much easier.
22. Have a Custom URL
Instead of the awkward string of digits that LinkedIn assigns you when you sign up, it’s much simpler to promote your profile with a personalized URL (preferably linkedin.com/yourname).
Where can I obtain one? You can find a Public Profile URL near the bottom of the gray pane on the Edit Profile screen, where it displays your basic information.
Choose your desired address by clicking “Edit” next to the URL. After finishing, click Set Custom URL.
23. Be hospitable and welcoming.
With your target audience in mind, the summary section is your best opportunity to highlight your best qualities.
Give them a little time to get to know you. What do you believe the initial impression will be if you write your summary like a big, pretentious speech? Or, even worse, write it in the third person?
They’ll view you as arrogant. And it will be difficult for the reviewer to understand your personality and sense of style.
Be yourself here. Although LinkedIn is a site built for engagement, keep the brand messaging consistent with your other professional marketing materials.
24. Enhance Your Summary Using Multimedia
A picture indeed speaks a thousand words, especially when it comes to promoting your work.
Your profile summary on LinkedIn can include images, videos, and slide shows. These are foolproof profile tips for job seekers using LinkedIn.
Consequently, you can provide instances rather than merely talking about your work.
Alternatively, demonstrate your worth by doing. or presenting a slide show. Click “Edit profile,” scroll down to “add file,” click the box icon, and then “add the file.”
Your summary should consist of three to five brief paragraphs, preferably with a part bulleted in the center.
Your professional interests, essential competencies, distinctive qualifications, and a list of the numerous sectors you’ve encountered throughout the years should all be explained to the reader.
25. Organize Your Endorsements
As long as your profile is manageable with endorsements to convey your capabilities effectively, they can be a terrific approach to showcase your abilities. Keeping your talents current is the key to getting them to work for you.
Drop old abilities from your profile and replace them with those you want to be recognized for if you switch careers, pick up new skills, or take on new responsibilities.
Now, connections will only see the most pertinent abilities when they land on your page.
26. Publish a book
Every user can create and publish content on the site. Share your viewpoint on current events in your sector.
You can also offer your opinion on recent advancements in the field or demonstrate your writing prowess. It’s a fantastic method to draw attention.
27. Join a Group
On LinkedIn, The power of groups cannot be overstated when assisting in job searches.
You can demonstrate your interest in your field by joining organizations related to your career or industry.
However, the most significant benefit is joining pertinent conversations and connecting to others immediately, like a continuous online networking event.
28. Keep it in Check
Don’t go overboard in adding too many details to your profile. It can be tempting to go wild, especially to prove yourself to your peers.
There is such a thing as too many details, even though the details are good.
View your profile objectively by taking a step back and observing it. Then ask yourself, is it alluring or intimidating?
29. Discreetly conduct your job search
LinkedIn has privacy options, but many individuals are unaware of them. ‘Being discreet is a good idea while you’re actively seeking employment while working your existing position.
Your profile makeover, connections with recruiters, and an infusion of new contacts are all warning signs to an employer that you’re leaving.
You can adjust your settings so your boss won’t know you’re hunting for work. The privacy settings are easy to locate: Sign in, then choose “settings” from the drop-down menu where your name is in the upper right-hand corner.
30. Make Sure You Can Be Found
Remember to include your email address in the contact information part of your resume and the addresses for your blog, Twitter account, and other online presence.
How many individuals forget to do this will surprise you! So, display your excitement and a reachable contact in your LinkedIn profile. Join organizations relating to your area of expertise and take part in them.
Use your status line to share activities you are engaging in within your industry. Submit intriguing news or articles. Contact the top people in your sector. Display the cheerleader flag.
31. Include Some Hobbies
Yes, there is an interests section on LinkedIn.And no, this won’t get you a job at your next company. However, it WILL assist you in adding some personality to your profile.
Consider a scenario where you are a senior hardware engineer interested in working for a space transportation company.
Your interests could span NASA, SpaceX, Blue Ocean, and other aerospace firms.
Therefore, a recruiter from such a company will be more likely to contact you if they see your profile.
Look up any company, group, or school you’re interested in, visit their LinkedIn page, and click the blue “Follow” button next to their name to add them as an interest.
Conclusion
Your LinkedIn profile is an important asset that helps you stand out from the population and make your job search process more accessible and successful.
Remember to include keywords throughout your profile so that people can find you more easily in searches related to your industry or area of expertise.
It is imperative if you’re actively searching for work—you want employers to be able to find you easily when they’re looking for new talent!
By following the best LinkedIn profile tips for job seekers, you can ensure that your profile pops and that potential employers and recruiters can find the information they need about you quickly and easily.
Regularly review your profile, ideally once a month, to ensure that your profile is up-to-date and optimized for success.
Ensuring your profile reflects your professional experience and unique personality is vital to standing out and finding your dream job. So get out there and put your best foot forward!
