Turn your LinkedIn profile into a recruiter magnet. Covers professional photos, headline formulas, summary writing, skills selection, recommendations, and activity strategies.
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Profile Photo and Banner
Upload a professional headshot with your face filling 60% of the frame
Profiles with photos get 21x more views and 9x more connection requests. Use a plain or blurred background, face the camera, and smile. Your photo should be at least 400x400 pixels.
Add a custom banner image that reflects your industry or role
The banner is 1584x396 pixels. Use a simple design with your specialty or a relevant visual — not the default blue gradient. This is free billboard space that 70% of users waste by leaving blank.
Headline and Contact Info
Write a headline under 120 characters with your role and value
The formula 'Title at Company | What I do for whom' works well. 'Senior Product Manager | Turning user research into features that grow retention' outperforms just 'Senior Product Manager.' The headline appears in search results and messages.
Include 2-3 searchable keywords in your headline
Recruiters search LinkedIn using job titles and skills. If you want to be found for 'data engineering,' put it in your headline — not just your skills section. The headline carries the most search weight on the platform.
Update your contact info with email and portfolio link
Go to your profile, click Contact info, and add your professional email and any relevant links. Only connections can see this info by default. 35% of recruiters check contact info before sending an InMail.
About Section (Summary)
Write a summary of 1,500-2,000 characters (the max is 2,600)
The first 3 lines show before the 'See more' fold, so front-load your strongest statement. Write in first person — 'I build...' not 'John builds...' Third person sounds stiff. Use short paragraphs with line breaks between them.
Open with what you do and who you do it for
Start with a clear statement of your professional identity and the audience you serve. 'I help mid-stage startups build product teams that ship weekly' tells the reader everything in one sentence. Avoid starting with your childhood story.
Include 2-3 specific accomplishments with numbers
Weave in metrics naturally: 'Last year, my team reduced churn by 18% and grew ARR from $2M to $3.4M.' Numbers stop the scroll. Position accomplishments in the middle section where they support your opening claim.
End with a call to action and what you are open to
Close with 'Reach out if you need help with X' or 'Open to opportunities in Y.' This tells recruiters and collaborators exactly how to engage with you. Add your email again at the bottom for easy access.
Experience Section
Add all relevant positions with descriptions and media
Each role should have 3-5 bullet points with measurable results, just like your resume. Add links, PDFs, or images to showcase work. Roles without descriptions look incomplete and reduce your profile's search ranking.
Link each position to the correct company page
When you type the company name, select the matching company page so their logo appears next to your role. Unlinked companies show a generic gray icon, which makes your profile look unfinished. Verify each one.
Use keywords from target job postings in your role descriptions
If you want to be found for 'product strategy,' include that exact phrase in at least one role description. LinkedIn's search algorithm indexes experience descriptions heavily. Update quarterly as your target roles evolve.
Skills and Recommendations
Add up to 50 skills, prioritizing the top 3 that appear first
Your top 3 skills are visible without clicking 'Show all' and receive the most endorsements. Pin your most important skills to those 3 slots. Profiles with 5+ skills get 17x more profile views than those with fewer.
Request endorsements from colleagues for your top skills
Send a short message asking 5-10 people to endorse your 3 pinned skills. Offer to endorse theirs in return. Skills with 10+ endorsements appear more credible to recruiters scanning your profile.
Request 3-5 written recommendations from managers or clients
Send a specific request: 'Would you write 2-3 sentences about the project we did on X?' Vague requests produce vague recommendations. Aim for at least one recommendation per major role you have held.
Activity and Engagement Strategy
Post or comment at least 2-3 times per week
Consistent activity keeps you visible in your network's feed. Comments on others' posts count as activity and take less time than writing your own. Aim for 3 comments and 1 original post per week as a starting cadence.
Turn on 'Open to Work' privately or set hiring preferences
The private setting signals to recruiters you are open without showing the green banner to your network. Go to your profile, click 'Open to,' and select job titles, locations, and work types. This increases recruiter InMails by up to 40%.
Join 3-5 groups relevant to your industry
Group membership expands your network reach and gives you access to group-only job postings. Choose active groups with 10,000+ members. Posting in groups puts you in front of people outside your direct connections.
Review your profile in private mode to see what others see
Click your photo, select 'View profile,' then click the eye icon to see it as a stranger would. Check that your headline, photo, and top experience sections tell a clear story in under 10 seconds. Fix anything that looks incomplete.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I update my LinkedIn profile?
Update your profile every 3-4 months or whenever you complete a significant project, earn a certification, or change roles. LinkedIn's algorithm boosts profiles that are recently edited, increasing your visibility in recruiter searches by up to 40% in the two weeks following an update.
Does LinkedIn Premium actually help with job searching?
LinkedIn Premium Career ($29.99/month) provides InMail credits, salary insights, and visibility into who viewed your profile. Data from LinkedIn shows Premium members receive interview invitations 2.6x more often than free users, though this partly reflects the self-selection of more active job seekers. The free one-month trial is worth testing before committing.
What LinkedIn headline format gets the most recruiter views?
Headlines combining your role, specialty, and a measurable result outperform title-only headlines by 3x in search appearances. For example, 'Senior Product Manager | B2B SaaS | Grew ARR from $2M to $12M' gives recruiters three searchable keywords and a proof point. Avoid buzzwords like 'guru' or 'ninja' — recruiters filter these out.
How many LinkedIn connections do I need to be effective?
Reaching 500+ connections unlocks the '500+' badge and significantly expands your second-degree network, which is where most recruiter searches happen. Quality matters more than quantity — 500 connections in your industry outperform 2,000 random connections. Aim to add 5-10 targeted connections per week when actively job searching.
Should I turn on LinkedIn's Open to Work feature?
The private 'Open to Work' setting (visible only to recruiters) increases InMail from recruiters by about 40% with no risk to your current employer. The public green banner is polarizing — some hiring managers perceive it negatively, while others appreciate the transparency. Use the private setting if currently employed and the public banner only if openly between roles.