Whether you’re actively looking for a new role or simply keeping your options open, your LinkedIn profile is often the first place recruiters and hiring managers will look. It’s your digital first impression. A polished, complete profile can help you appear in recruiter searches, showcase your expertise, and make it easy for employers to understand what you bring to the table.
Learn how to set up your LinkedIn profile in seven easy steps so that you’re ready for your next career move.
Step 1: A Professional Profile Photo
Before recruiters read a single word of your profile, they’ll notice your photo.
You don’t need a professional headshot, but you should aim for an image that is:
- High quality (not pixelated)
- Recent and recognisable
- Professionally appropriate for your industry (e.g., wearing professional clothing)
- Cropped so your face is clearly visible
- Set against a tidy, uncluttered background
Profiles with professional-looking photos typically appear more credible and approachable, creating a better first-impression for potential employers.
When selecting your LinkedIn profile picture, there are a few things to avoid:
- Group photos – These make it hard to identify you.
- Casual holiday photos – Yes, even if that’s an amazing photo of you in Tenerife, the suntan and beach wear combo doesn’t leave the most professional impression.
- Formal non-business events – Formal and business events are two separate categories; avoid using photos from events such as weddings.
Step 2: Write a Strong Headline
A LinkedIn headline is a short blurb that appears at the top of your profile and tells people what you do. By default, many LinkedIn users list their current job title as their headline. While this isn’t wrong by any means, it’s a wasted opportunity to give potential employers more information.
Make yourself stand out by crafting a headline that tells recruiters everything they need to know at short glance. Here are some formats you can use for inspiration:
- [Job Title] with [YEARS] of experience in the [Industry] sector
- Example: Project manager with 10+ years of experience in medical devices
- Example: Health & Safety Manager with 16 years’ experience in Infrastructure
- [Job Title] | [Specialism/Certification] | [Certification/Certification]
- Example: Marketing Manager | Meta Blueprint Certified | Chartered Institute of Marketing
- Example: Quantity Surveyor | Cost Control | JCT Contracts | MRICS
- [Job Title] Helping [Audience] Achieve [Results]
- Example: Commercial Manager Driving Cost Savings Across Large-Scale Construction Projects
- Example: Social Media Manager Helping Startups Launch Brands and Reach Viral Status
Step 3: Update Your Experience Section
Ensure you list more than job titles and dates. A brief overview of your responsibilities gives recruiters a better chance of understanding your background and matching you to the right role.
Look at your CV to understand what kind of information to write here. Aim to include:
- A brief summary of your responsibilities
- Key achievements
- Measurable results (e.g., boosted sales by 20%)
Step 4: Add Your Education
You will also be able to add information about your education. This part is essential for recent graduates who might have limited work experience.
Include:
- University degrees (include any honours achieved)
- College qualifications
- (For recent grads only) Relevant coursework
If you have been in the workforce for several years, it’s also helpful to include any training or education you’ve pursued more recently, including:
- Technical or professional certifications
- Industry accreditations
- Relevant training courses
- Online courses
- Leadership programmes
As a general guideline, your Education section should highlight qualifications that support your current career goals. If a qualification doesn’t add value to your professional story, it may not need to be included.
Step 5: Use the Open to Work Feature Carefully
LinkedIn’s Open to Work feature can help recruiters identify candidates who are considering new opportunities.
It allows you to specify the types of jobs you’re interested in, your preferred locations, and whether you’re available for full-time, contract, hybrid, remote, or on-site opportunities. Recruiters can then use this information when searching for candidates.
To enable Open to Work:
- Click the “Open to” button located beneath your profile picture and headline
- Select “Finding a new job”
- Enter your preferences, including:
- Desired job titles
- Preferred locations
- Workplace type (remote, hybrid or on-site)
- Employment type (full-time, part-time, contract, etc.)
- Choose who can see your job-seeking status:
- Recruiters only: Visible to those using LinkedIn Recruiter
- All LinkedIn members: Adds a frame to your photo making your status visible to everyone
- Click “Add to profile” to save your settings
Recruiter only or public?
For most professionals, the “Recruiters only” option is the best choice. It signals your interest in new opportunities without advertising your job search to your current employer.
Step 6: Customise Your LinkedIn URL
If you’re including a link to your profile in your CV, take a moment to customise the URL into something clear and easy to remember.
For example, your default URL might include a series of random numbers such as: linkedin.com/in/john-smith-8238778923.
A custom URL could be: linkedin.com/in/john-smith-projectmanager
To change your LinkedIn profile URL:
- Go to your profile
- Click “Edit public profile & URL” on the right-hand side of the page
- In the top-right corner, select the pencil icon next to your current URL
- Enter your preferred custom URL
- Click “Save”
Step 7: Review Your Profile from an Employer’s Perspective
The final step before beginning your job search is reviewing your profile from a hiring manager’s point of view.
Is it immediately clear what you do? Is all information current and professional? Do you stand out from others in similar roles?
Think of your LinkedIn profile as your professional shop window. The more clearly it communicates your skills, experience, and value, the more likely you are to attract meaningful opportunities. Investing an hour or two in optimising your profile today could be the step that leads to your next career move tomorrow.
