7 Steps to a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out

Whether you’re actively looking for a new job or open to considering a potential opportunity, a strong LinkedIn profile can help ensure you get noticed by recruiters. Here’s how to make yours stand out.

#1 – Include a Photo
According to LinkedIn’s own data, profiles with photos get more views and receive more messages from recruiters than those without a photo. You don’t have to have a formal headshot taken (shelve the selfie here), but the photo should be relatively recent and professional looking.

#2 – Basic Details Matter Include your current location and industry. Make sure to include your education, too. If you’re interested in relocating and in other industries for your next career move, indicate that through the Career Interests functionality.

#3 – Craft a Good Headline A catchy, but relevant and search-friendly, headline can help you stand out in search results both on LinkedIn and for recruiters who are using Google as their search tool.

#4 – Beef Up Your Network You don’t need to have thousands of contacts but having too few can work against you and possibly leave the impression that you’re not effective at building or maintaining relationships. Unless you’re in the early phases of your career, aim for a minimum of 250 to 300 quality connections.

#5 – Keep it Concise Your LinkedIn profile isn’t the place for lengthy descriptions of each position you’ve held. Focus instead on a general summary of your role and, most importantly, your key accomplishments as related to the position.

#6 – Rethink Recommendations Many recruiters are skeptical of recommendations on LinkedIn. You don’t need to remove all of them but if you have an excessive amount (more than five to seven) or recommendations that are pretty generic, cut them down to those that do the best job of highlighting your strengths and accomplishments.

#7 – Establish a Strong Presence You can accomplish this by writing in first person and by being active on the site. Share articles and perspectives that you find interesting, comment on and “like” knowledge being shared by others.

Finally, make sure that you have the Career Interests setting turned on so that recruiters know you’re open to new opportunities. This won’t show up on your profile, which means your current employer won’t see it, but it will be visible to the recruiters who just might have a great opportunity to share with you.

LinkedIn is one of the most commonly used tools among in-house and third-party recruiters. Getting noticed by them on this platform is a critical part of your overall job search strategy.