Think of your LinkedIn profile as your resume. As your profile will be reviewed by headhunters, recruiters, HR managers, etc., it needs to be flawless. Once you’ve triple-checked it for spelling and grammatical errors, consider these six tips:
1.
Brand yourself for the job you want, not the job you have.
Unless you change it, your headline (the line that’s displayed directly under you name on your profile page) will automatically show as the last job you’ve had. Revise your headline so instead of “Marketing Specialist for St. Mary Hospital,” it could be “Online
Marketing Expert for Nonprofit Healthcare Organizations.” This broadens your reach for potential jobs. Your current job will still display in the Experience section of your
LinkedIn profile.
2.
If you’re not currently employed, use a general position or title.
Rather than having the “Current Experience” field at the top blank, indicate a general position or area of expertise. For example, your title could be “Patient Safety Expert” and your company could be “Chicagoland Hospitals.” Leave the location broad, indicate a start date, and leave end date as “Current.”
3.
Include a detailed summary.
Your summary should include a brief paragraph summarizing your work experience, especially work experience that is relevant for the job you want. Include unique abilities and differentiators. In the second paragraph, you should define your career aspirations.
4.
Elaborate on your experience.
Unlike a paper resume, you’re not encouraged to stick within a certain page limit or number of jobs listed on your LinkedIn profile. But don’t see your LinkedIn Profile as a dumping ground for all experience. Make sure the positions you list are relevant to the job you’re seeking (or fill in time gaps). And remember—recruiters will scan your online profile just like they scan your resume.
5.
Flood your profile with keywords.
Recruiters and headhunters will likely use LinkedIn to search for candidates by typing in keywords related to the position. Include keywords pertaining to the job you want in your headline, summary, specialties and skills section, including geographic location; then, add them throughout your profile (in your description for each past position, for
(over)

example). You will rank higher for those terms when someone conducts a LinkedIn
“people search,” and also when someone does a search through Google or Yahoo.
6.
Take your recommendations seriously.
When a recruiter performs a profile search, they will view and identify profiles that have the “thumbs up” graphic next to them. If you don’t have a “thumbs up” graphic, that means that you haven’t been recommended; if you do, a number will indicate how many recommendations you have. Request recommendations from both previous bosses and also connections that you managed. Also, if a connection submits a recommendation with a typo or other errors, politely request a revised recommendation.
Another note of caution: Take the recommendations you give seriously, as these will also be displayed on your profile.
7.
Showcase your professional accomplishments.
LinkedIn has added a number of profile fields to help you do this. In the “Add Sections” area, you can add in credentials you’ve received, recent publications, volunteer experience (for example, if you hold a voluntary position for an association or organization). There is also a separate “Honors and Awards” section to list career and industry accomplishments and acknowledgements. All of these offer another way to set yourself apart from the crowd.