How to optimize your LinkedIn profile for a job search
Recruiters find people by searching, then decide in seconds whether to read on. Your profile has two jobs: show up for the right searches, and make the person who lands on it want to talk to you. Below are 18 checks, in four groups, each with the reason for it. Do them in any order and tick them off as you go.
By Justin KullaLast updated
The checklist at a glance
- Get foundRecruiters search by keyword. Say what they type.5 checks · 45 min
- Be believedProof beats adjectives.7 checks · 100 min
- Stay visibleA few minutes a day beats one big post.3 checks · 55 min
- Be easy to reachMake the next step obvious.3 checks · 18 min
Headline: the line people read first
LinkedIn fills the headline with your latest job title. Replace it. It sits beside your name in search results, in comments and in connection requests, so it is read far more often than anything else you write. You get 220 characters. Say what you do, who for, one piece of proof, and two or three of the terms recruiters type.
- 1. What you doFinance director
- 2. For whommid-size manufacturers
- 3. Proofcut close from 12 days to 5
- 4. KeywordsFP&A · forecasting · M&A integration
Finance director | mid-size manufacturers | cut close from 12 days to 5 | FP&A · forecasting · M&A integration
110 of 220 characters used. Separators (“|” or “·”) keep it readable.
Leave out:
- More than one or two emoji in the headline
- Strings of buzzwords with no proof behind them
- Abbreviations a recruiter would not type
- Running the headline together with no separators (use “|” or “·”)
- Third person. It reads as someone else wrote your profile
About: write the first three lines for a stranger
Visitors see only the first few lines before “see more”, so the opening has to earn the click. Start with a result, the problem you solve, or a moment that made you choose this work. Write in the first person and in plain words: it is a note from you, not a press release. Below the fold, say who you help, how, and back it with numbers. You have 2,600 characters; use fewer if the point is made.
End with how to reach you, written into the text. People who are not yet connected to you may not see your contact details otherwise.
Three quarters running, the plants I supported closed the books in five days instead of twelve. Here is how.
- Hook. A result or the problem you solve.
- Body. Who you help, how, and proof with numbers.
- Close. How to reach you, in the text, up to 2,600 characters.
Keywords: how recruiters find you
Open five postings for the job you want and look for the phrases they share. Those are the words a recruiter types into search. Use them where they are true: in the headline, the About, what you wrote under each job, and your skills. Repeating a real phrase a handful of times across the profile helps you get found. Repeating it until the page reads like a list hurts you with the person who is reading it.
Skills deserve their own pass. LinkedIn allows up to 50. List at least five, lead with the ones your target jobs ask for, and tie each to a role so it is backed by something you did.
- Headline1 or 2 phrases
- Aboutin a sentence, not a list
- Experiencein what you did
- Skillsthe exact term
Write for the person first. A phrase forced in until it reads badly costs more than it earns.
Your checklist
Tick each one as you do it. Your ticks stay in this browser; nothing is sent to us.
0 of 18 done
About 3.6 hours left of 3.6 hours in all. Start with any one.
Get found
Recruiters search by keyword. Say what they type.
Be believed
Proof beats adjectives.
Stay visible
A few minutes a day beats one big post.
Be easy to reach
Make the next step obvious.
After the profile: fifteen minutes a day
A finished profile that nobody sees helps little. Reach comes from a small daily habit: comment before you message, follow the people who hire for the work you want, and post about real work once a week. A thoughtful comment on someone’s post makes your name familiar, so when you do write to them, it is not cold.
- MonFollow three people in your field5 min
- TueComment on two posts10 min
- WedMessage one person you commented with10 min
- ThuComment on one post by a company you want10 min
- FriPost one short note about your work20 min
- SatRest
- SunPick next week’s three people5 min
Searching after a layoff? Say so plainly in one line, then say what you are focused on next. See job search while unemployed and check how a system reads your résumé, so the two documents tell the same story.
Questions people ask
- How long can a LinkedIn headline be?
- 220 characters. The first part is what shows in search results and beside your comments, so put the role and the proof first and the keywords after.
- How long can the About section be?
- 2,600 characters, but only the first few lines show before “see more”. Put the hook there and the detail below.
- Should I write my LinkedIn profile in first person?
- Yes, for most people. It reads as you talking to a reader, which is what the page is for. Keep it plain and specific.
- How many skills should I list?
- LinkedIn allows up to 50. List at least five, put the ones your target jobs ask for first, and tie each to a role in Experience so it is backed by something.
- Is it better to comment or to message a recruiter?
- Do both, in that order. A thoughtful comment on something they posted makes your name familiar, so the message that follows is not cold.
- How do I explain a layoff or a gap on LinkedIn?
- In one plain line in your About or in the role itself: what happened, in neutral words, and what you are focused on now. Do not apologize or explain at length.
- How often should I post?
- Consistency matters more than volume. One short post a week and a few comments is a rhythm most people can keep while they search.
Character limits are LinkedIn’s own and can change; check the edit box on your profile. The rest is our advice, and each check says why.
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