Before you begin your “Easy Apply” spree on LinkedIn, it’s essential for your profile to be updated and list all your strengths and experience.
The Ultimate LinkedIn Checklist!
The list below walks you through 17 features your LinkedIn profile needs to shine the brightest among other candidates.
Add your name pronunciation.
Do people usually mispronounce your name? Available only on mobile, you can now add a ten-second recording of your name’s pronunciation. After recording and saving your changes, your profile now displays a new icon right next to your name!
Edit your profile’s URL
By editing your URL, your profile looks cleaner, and it differentiates you from other LinkedIn users (especially if you have a common name).
⭐ Pro tip: After editing your URL, add it to your resume under the contact information section!
Add your headline.
LinkedIn profile headlines are usually used in two ways: to list your current job title or to promote an area of expertise. There’s no official rule on which one you should use on your profile, so feel free to experiment and get feedback from your connections. Link to tutorial
Update your location
There has been an 87% increase in remote jobs since the beginning of the pandemic; employers are still interested in where you are.
Make sure to list your city, state, and country!
Upload a professional profile picture and header.
LinkedIn profiles have evolved since the platform first launched back in 2003. Selfies are not usually considered professional, but there is no need to pay for an expensive professional headshot.
To get a LinkedIn-worthy profile picture, you only need 3 things: natural light (outside during an overcast day or by a window), a cell phone stand, and a simple background.
Set your profile as Open to Finding a new job
This feature was launched in 2020, and since then, many LinkedIn users have embraced it! By setting your profile as #OpenToWork, recruiters will be able to find your profile much faster than before. Just remember to add as much relevant information while setting it up, and you’re good to go!
Add any career breaks you had by using LinkedIn’s new feature
This brand new feature allows you to add career breaks and select a reason for the break. While gaps in your resume might have been considered a red flag to recruiters and hiring managers, this new feature breaks the stigma against taking a step back from employment.
The feature allows you to choose from many reasons, like professional development, layoff, caregiving, health and well-being, and travel.
Create your Bio to add to the “About” Section
Remember writing your “Professional Summary” for your resume? Your “About” section on LinkedIn serves the same function. The text’s tone in your profile’s “About” section should match your personality and profession. For example, users who work in marketing usually add a bit of humor and share their personal hobbies, while the engineers’ about section is very formal and short.
Set a calendar reminder a couple of times a week to spend 10-15 minutes posting content or interacting with other people’s content.
Having a steady level of activity on your LinkedIn lets the algorithm know that your profile is active, so routinely interact with people on your feed.
PS: Be mindful of what types of posts you interact with and how you interact with people. All your interactions are recorded and available through your profile. Make your interactions online positive and light!
Add your Job Experience
Make sure to add as much information about your job history as possible! This part of your LinkedIn is the bread and butter of your profile.
⭐ Pro-tip: Consider this section a resume. Add what your responsibilities were in your past and current positions, and record your employment dates correctly!
Add all your Degrees and Licenses & Certifications
If you have any degrees, licenses, or certifications, make sure to add them to this section.
Listing the institution from which you received the degree is mandatory, and adding a short description of your degree is optional.
Plus, add the URL to an electronic version of your diploma!
Add your volunteer experience
Adding your volunteer experience can be a great way of sharing what causes you are passionate about! If you have done volunteering in the past 5 years, add it to your profile and link the organization’s LinkedIn URL to give them extra visibility.
Add Any skills you have and connect with your team to get endorsements!
LinkedIn lets you add up to 50 skills to your profile. The platform has an extensive list of skills to choose from, and having your co-workers endorse you is just as important as listing skills! Having people endorse you for a skill validates them, so ask for endorsements whenever appropriate!
Write a recommendation for somebody on your team and/or ask for a recommendation from a team member
This is by far the least utilized and most incredible feature LinkedIn has. Everyone has had amazing co-workers and supervisors. LinkedIn’s recommendations are one way to show appreciation to people who have positively impacted your career.
Before submitting a recommendation for someone, though, reach out to them and get their consent! Maybe you will even receive a recommendation back.
Add any projects where you can share original files or the final product.
If you are a content creator, consider this your portfolio. In LinkedIn’s “Projects” sections, you can showcase projects you’ve worked on by naming them, setting a start and end date, uploading media, and even tagging people who worked with you on those projects!
As always, let your collaborators know before you tag them publicly!
Add any languages you speak.
Being bilingual or multilingual is always a pro. Add any languages you speak and what your proficiency in the language is. Many companies look for candidates who speak more than one language in today’s world.
