How to Increase Your LinkedIn Presence

Step-by-Step Guide for Drawing Employers’ Attention

Published in

ILLUMINATION

5 min readAug 22, 2024

LinkedIn has become the key place for career advancement and connecting with others in the world of work that is becoming increasingly global. The first thing to do to secure a great LinkedIn profile is to make it a quality one that can catch the eye of recruiters. In this article, we’ll show you eight great tips to boost your LinkedIn profile and use the power of your professional connections maximally. But first things first.

#1: LinkedIn headline

Your LinkedIn headline is your digital “elevator pitch.” It should reflect your professional identity and use the right words to help you appear on the search results page of LinkedIn recruiters and hiring managers. A catchy and memorable headline that correctly conveys your professional identity can have a huge influence on the way people look at you.

So, make sure you include the words that recruiters search for in order to find your profile. Use phrases and keywords in your LinkedIn profile headline. In case, if required, your title can use the maximum of 220 characters.
Fill in the gaps and use straightforward words that are full of phrases to stress your specialties, field of expertise, and the distinct benefit that you provide. An interesting heading is the first thing that catches the eye, and it makes visitors want to know more about your profile.

#2: Enhance the relevance and visibility of your profile

Focus on critical areas such as your headline, summary, job titles, and skills section. Rather than manually analyzing job posts, use ChatGPT to promptly suggest relevant keywords based on your background and target roles. Doing so increases the chances of the right people discovering your profile.

Before uploading your profile picture, rename it to include the suitable keywords you identified. Remember, it’s more than just a photo. It’s a gateway to your online presence, as it might drive traffic right back to your LinkedIn Profile when people search for those terms on Google.

#3: Create a helpful profile summary

A helpful profile summary is a concise and compelling section of your LinkedIn profile that effectively communicates your professional background, skills, accomplishments, and career aspirations. It provides a snapshot of your professional identity and helps others understand your unique value proposition.

Clearly articulate your career focus or goals in your profile summary. Describe the type of roles or industries you are targeting, and convey your passion and enthusiasm for your chosen field. This helps recruiters and potential connections understand your professional aspirations.
Keep your profile summary concise and easy to scan. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, or subheadings to break up the text and make it visually appealing. Avoid lengthy paragraphs that may discourage readers from engaging with your content.

#4: Relevant and concise description of work experience

There’s no need to describe all your previous experiences in detail. Your experience over the last 3–4 years is most important for recruiters. Therefore, focus on this period.
Start with a description of the challenges you had and how you tackled them. If you haven’t succeeded, write what you learned from that experience. How did you help the company/department/team become better? If there are results, add them too.
Showcase projects or case studies: describe the project objectives, your role and responsibilities, and the outcomes or results achieved. Include any supporting materials such as project reports, presentations, or links to relevant articles or websites.
Make a list of the 10–15 most popular phrases to describe responsibilities in vacancies suitable for you, and distribute them among your job descriptions. Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself. But at the same time, reading the description of one workplace should not take more than 2 minutes.

#5: Skills

LinkedIn provides a dedicated skills section where you can showcase your expertise. However, the number of skills is limited, so start with those where you are the most experienced.

You can add not only technologies and tools to your skills but also soft skills, approaches, processes, etc.
Link skills to workplaces so that LinkedIn automatically displays which skills were most actively used in a specific workplace.
Include specific examples, accomplishments, or projects demonstrating how you have utilized your skills to achieve results. This not only validates your abilities but also provides valuable insights into your professional journey.
If applicable, include samples of your work to demonstrate your skills and expertise. This could be coding projects, articles, blog posts, research papers, design portfolios, or any other relevant work samples.

#6: Grow your LinkedIn network

Connect with people who share your interests, industry, or potential for collaboration. First, recruiters write to contacts from their network or 2d-degree connections. Therefore, add several recruiters that hire for companies you would like to work in. Find LinkedIn groups related to your industry or interests.

When you send a connection request, include a personalized message. You can mention why you want to connect and how it can be mutually beneficial.
Don’t be afraid of being active. Engage with posts and articles in your niche: like, comment, and share valuable content. This shows you’re part of the conversation. Engage in discussions, share your knowledge, and connect with group members.

#7: Pretty obvious but still essential things about your profile

Consistent data instills trust and professionalism, making you more attractive to potential employers and connections. Ensure your information is accurate, up-to-date, and consistent across all sections. Inconsistencies or outdated information can create a negative impression and diminish your credibility. Review your profile regularly to reflect changes in your work experience, education, certifications, or skills.
A well-chosen background image can convey a message or align with your personal brand. It’s like a canvas where you can showcase your interests and values or even glimpse your work environment. For example, a futuristic tech-themed background can reinforce your expertise and passion if you’re in the tech industry. Think of it as a backdrop that sets the stage for your professional image.
A custom URL is your personalized beacon, guiding like-minded individuals straight to your virtual doorstep. This simple act bestows you with an air of professionalism while facilitating easy discovery for potential connections and employers.
Let recruiters know you are open to new job opportunities: tap your profile picture > View Profile. Tap the Open to button on your introduction card (at the top of your profile). Provide the requested information in the screen that appears. You can choose whether all LinkedIn members or only recruiters can see that you’re open to job opportunities.

Your LinkedIn profile should be optimized in order to build an impeccable professional brand and for the expansion of your network. With the seven ideas presented in this article, you can massively optimize your LinkedIn profile for it to be seen by more people which will increase the possibility of getting job offers that are appropriate to your skills.