Setting up your LinkedIn profile for a job search

When someone receives your resume, it’s common for them to look you up on LinkedIn. Recruiters also search for candidates directly on the platform, by job title, skill and location. A clear profile helps in both cases: it backs up what your resume says and makes you more likely to show up in a search.

Headline: say what you do

Your headline appears under your name almost everywhere. Use it to state your role and specialty, in the words someone would use to search for you:

• Vague: "Looking for new challenges."
• Clear: "Data analyst | SQL, Python and Power BI | Logistics and retail."

If you’re switching fields, you can mention both: what you’ve done and where you’re heading, as long as it’s true.

Photo and banner

A recent photo with your face clearly visible and a simple background helps build trust. The banner image is optional; if you use one, keep it understated or related to your field.

About: the story your resume has no room for

Write in the first person, in a few short paragraphs:

1. What you do today and for whom.
2. The kinds of problems you solve, with one or two concrete examples.
3. The tools and topics you’re strongest in.
4. What you’re looking for now, if you’re comfortable saying so publicly.

Skip the list of adjectives. "Communicative and proactive" says nothing; one example of a project says a lot.

Experience: consistent with your resume

Dates, titles and companies should match the resume you send out. Mismatches stand out to anyone comparing the two.

For each role, add two or three lines with your main results or responsibilities. You don’t need to copy your whole resume, but use the same terms for the same things.

Skills and recommendations

• Add the skills that appear in the jobs you want and that you genuinely have.
• Put the ones most relevant to your next step at the top.
• Recommendations from former colleagues and managers help when they’re specific. When you ask, suggest what they could mention, like a project you worked on together.

Letting people know you’re open to work

LinkedIn has a setting to show that you’re open to work. You can show it to everyone or only to recruiters, and choose job titles, locations and work types. If you’re currently employed, the recruiters-only option is the more discreet one, though there’s no guarantee nobody at your company will see it.

Activity: a little, done well

You don’t need to post every day. Leaving thoughtful comments on posts in your field, sharing something you learned or writing up a project now and then already shows that you’re active and engaged.

Put your profile to work

• Follow the companies you’d like to work for.
• When you apply, look up people on the team and get a sense of who works there.
• When you invite someone you don’t know, add a short note saying why you’d like to connect.

A LinkedIn profile doesn’t replace a good application, but it helps the person on the other side confirm you are who your resume describes. Keeping it current is a quick job worth doing before each new round of applications.