A LinkedIn Profile Checklist for Getting Found by Recruiters

Recruiters often search for candidates on LinkedIn before a role is ever posted, using job titles, skills and locations. A complete profile helps you show up in those searches, and it also gives people who find you a reason to get in touch. You can work through this checklist in one sitting.

Before you edit

If you are currently employed, check your settings first. In your privacy settings, you can usually control whether your network is notified of profile changes. Turn notifications off while you make several edits, particularly if you would rather your employer did not notice.

Photo and banner

• Use a recent, clear photo where your face fills most of the frame.
• Choose a plain, uncluttered background and normal work clothing for your industry.
• Consider a simple banner relating to your field. A plain color is better than a busy stock image.

You do not need a professional shoot. A phone camera near a window will do fine.

Headline

Your headline appears next to your name in search results, so it does the most work of any field. By default, it shows your current job title, which is often not the most helpful description of you.

Include your target role and a couple of key skills or a specialty:

Weak: Seeking new opportunities

Stronger: Data Analyst | SQL, Power BI, Python | Helping retail teams understand their sales data

• Use the job title you want to be found for, if it honestly describes your work.
• Add one or two skills recruiters are likely to search for.
• Skip buzzwords like "guru" or "ninja".

About section

The About section is your chance to speak in your own voice. Write it in the first person, and keep it to a few short paragraphs:

1. Who you are and what you do, in one or two sentences
2. What you have achieved or what you specialize in, with specific examples
3. What you are looking for, and how to reach you

The first few lines show before the "see more" link, so get your main point in early.

• Include important keywords naturally, in full sentences.
• Give at least one concrete example of your work.
• End with a clear next step, such as your email address or "open to product marketing roles in Lahore or remote".

Experience

• List your current role and past roles with accurate titles and dates that match your resume.
• Write a line or two on what each company does if it is not well known.
• Add two to five bullet points showing results for each recent role.
• Attach work samples, such as links to projects, articles or presentations, where allowed.

Don't simply paste your resume. LinkedIn is public, so leave out confidential details, and keep the tone a bit more conversational. If you are stuck on wording, see writing strong bullets without numbers.

Skills

• Add skills that truly reflect your abilities, and that appear in job postings you are targeting.
• Put your most important skills at the top.
• Connect skills with the jobs where you used them, if the option is offered.

Search for five postings you want, and compare the skills they mention against your list. Add those you actually have. It's the same approach described in our resume tailoring guide.

Recommendations

• Ask two or three former managers or colleagues for short recommendations.
• Make it easy by suggesting a specific project for them to mention.

Hi Tom, I am updating my profile as I look for my next role. Would you be willing to write a short recommendation about the migration project we worked on? I am happy to write one for you too.

Open to Work

LinkedIn lets you tell recruiters you are looking, either privately or with a public green photo frame. The private setting is designed to show the signal only to recruiters, but no system of this kind can guarantee complete privacy, so keep that in mind if your employer does not know you are looking.

• Fill in target job titles, locations and work types.
• Decide whether you want recruiters only, or all LinkedIn members, to see it.

Custom URL and contact information

• Edit your public profile URL so it uses your name instead of a string of random characters.
• Add that URL to your resume.
• Make sure your contact details are up to date, and use an email address you actually check.

Be active, even a little

You do not have to become an influencer. Modest activity makes your profile more visible, and it gives people a better idea of how you think. Once or twice per week, try one of the following:

• Leave a useful comment on a post in your field.
• Share something you learned or a project that you worked on.
• Send a connection request with a personal note to someone you have met or admire.

Test your profile

Ask a friend in your field to view your profile for one minute, then tell you what they think you do and what job you want. If their answer is not what you expected, your headline and About section need another pass.

Finally, a word of caution. Recruiter messages may be fake, even on LinkedIn. Learn how to recognize recruitment scams before you share personal documents with anyone.