In this guide
LinkedIn is the largest recruiter database there is. Whether you are actively searching or merely open, an optimised profile gets you found. Every section can be improved in under an hour.
Your headline is your billboard
The default headline is your job title, which wastes 220 characters. Use the formula [Role] helping [audience] achieve [outcome] | [key skills]. "Senior frontend engineer helping fintech teams ship faster | React, TypeScript, design systems".
About is for a story, not a job description
Open with a hook — a result, a story, a contrarian opinion. Then what you do, who you do it for, and why someone should get in touch. Under 300 words, in the first person.
Add featured work
The Featured section sits right under About. Pin three to five things: a portfolio piece, a published article, a case study, a talk. This is your proof.
Endorsements still matter
List up to fifty skills, pin the top three (they show under your name), and ask five to ten colleagues to endorse them. Recruiters filter by skills constantly.
Post once a week
You do not need to become a creator. One post a week — a lesson, an opinion, a project update — keeps you in your network's feed and signals you are active.
Set Open to Work privately
The public green banner can hurt you with your current employer. The private setting signals only to recruiters using LinkedIn Recruiter.
- Personal brand