How to make your LinkedIn profile stand out in a job search

You should treat your LinkedIn profile the same as your CV. It is important for your profile to be visually appealing to any potential employers and future colleagues.

It can be easy to get stuck in a rut and neglect your LinkedIn page, but 95% of recruiters are on LinkedIn looking for the right job candidates so it is important to keep your profile up-to-date at all times - you never know what opportunities are around the corner.

We’ve put together our tips on how to improve your LinkedIn profile.

First, let’s focus on the visual aspects that will help make your profile standout, and look at what you can do to make sure your profile is easy to engage with:

Updating your LinkedIn profile: First steps

1. Upload a suitable photograph

This may seem like an obvious start, however, you would be surprised by how many people upload inappropriate profile photographs to LinkedIn. The photograph doesn’t need to be taken by a photographer, it simply needs to be a good quality, professional image of you.

Make sure you can clearly see your face, and look happy in the photo. Even though LinkedIn is a serious platform for professionals it’s good for potential employers to recognise you as friendly and approachable from the outset.

2. Create a personal URL

When you first create your LinkedIn profile, LinkedIn will assign a line of numbers to your URL that will personalise your account. This doesn’t look great when linking to your profile, but this can be easily rectified.

Go to your profile
Click ‘Edit public profile & URL’
Click ‘Edit’ under the ‘Edit URL’ section
Choose your desired URL
Save your changes

It's as simple as that to add a touch of personalisation to your URL. This will provide you with a link that is easy to share, and recognisable to other professionals who may be searching for you.

3. Update your profile

Updating your profile regularly is a great habit to get into. It may be just a small change, like adding in a new responsibility you’ve been given at work or uploading a new picture.

Keeping your profile as up-to-date as possible will highlight your organisational skills and professional enthusiasm to potential employers.

4. Stay active on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social media tool. Even though it is different from some other social platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, it is a useful tool to showcase your professionalism and interests to like-minded people.

Therefore, it is important to post your own updates on your profile, as well as engaging with forums and discussions that interest you. This will expand your network and provide further insight into your capabilities and personality to potential employers who may want to learn more about you than just your job history.

5. Share your organisation’s content

Even if you are considering roles elsewhere, it is a good idea to share your current company’s content to your profile. This shows that you are active on your profile and that you are proud of your current organisation's work that is being posted on their social media channels.

This will look good to future employers who will recognise your enthusiasm through your shares.

6. Write your own articles

LinkedIn is a great tool for professionals to share their own thoughts, feelings, and opinions on their sector and the current market. Writing an article each month is a great way to highlight to potential employers that you are invested in your industry and that you have your own mind when it comes to speaking on matters that are important to you.

These articles can also spark up conversations with your following and allow you to begin build relationships through the platform.

If you don’t consider yourself to be a strong writer, why not use tools like Grammarly? This can help you to refine your writing style and picks up on any writing mistakes before you publish.

7. Don’t be too descriptive

Yes, it is important to include all relevant experience on your LinkedIn profile, but having an overly descriptive job history or summary of yourself will put off potential employers. People want to read a succinct overview of your professional history and personal interests.

Try to limit each section to two or three paragraphs (apart from your summary which can be longer) this will ensure that you aren’t going overboard with your descriptions.

8. Request recommendations from colleagues

Endorsements from other professionals are a great tool to utilise on LinkedIn. It isn’t unusual for people to request recommendations from their colleagues, and it is a good idea to do so. Aim to request endorsements periodically throughout your career.

If you follow these simple steps, we believe you will get more out of your LinkedIn profile than before. Developing your profile is a great tool to open the door to new opportunities, build relationships, and get you thinking about your future in a totally different way.

Optimising your LinkedIn for your job search

Now you’ve got the basics down, here are a few more top tips on how to improve your LinkedIn profile and advice on how you can boost the effectiveness of the content on your profile.

Write a punchy headline. Your headline can simply be your current organisation and job title, but this isn’t very creative. Why not do something different and use this space to outline your most valued skill? Especially if you are in-between jobs, your headline can be a useful tool to set you apart from your competition.
Be approachable. It is important to sound approachable in the content that you publish on your LinkedIn profile. After your profile picture, this is the first insight that profile visitors will get into your professionalism, personality, and capabilities. So, it is key to make sure you come across well. Avoid arrogant statements, and although it’s important to sound confident in your ability, don’t be over-confident as this can deter people from wanting to work with you.
Write a comprehensive summary. Your LinkedIn profile summary should provide a comprehensive insight into your experience and professional interests. Although you shouldn’t waffle throughout your summary, it is important to cover everything that a potential employer would want or need to know about you.

Be sure to include the following in your LinkedIn summary.

What you enjoy doing at work
Your key skills and achievements
Your qualifications
Significant work experience, or a particular industry that you are invested in
Some information about your hobbies and interests outside of work

How you structure your summary is up to you, but it is important to consider what employers are looking for. Focus on what drives you professionally and how you work to improve the organisation that you are employed by.

Use keywords strategically. If you are in the process of looking for a new role, it is a good idea to identify your desired job title and scatter this throughout your summary. This will increase your chances of being found by an employer searching to fill the same position.
Include stats in your profile. You should treat your LinkedIn profile as a CV. Including stats in your summary to prove where you have implemented significant, positive change in a business can make you stand out to future employers.
Utilise photographs, videos, and presentations. Including different types of media on your LinkedIn profile is a great way to showcase your past experience in an alternative way. Attach a video that you have featured in or produced, or a presentation that you have created on an interesting topic to give your profile the edge it needs. This addition will allow employers to see you at work.

What’s next?

Now your LinkedIn is updated it’s time to put yourself out there! If you are interested in looking for a new role, browse through all our live jobs and start your job search today. Alternatively, if you are looking for advice on anything from updating your CV to interview tips then look no further – our library of comprehensive career advice is ready to help throughout your career journey.

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