Preparing Your LinkedIn Profile: Tips 11-15

After 30 years in recruitment, I’ve learned that a well-optimized LinkedIn profile can be the key to landing new opportunities. If you’re serious about your job search—or just making sure you’re ready when the right opportunity comes along—these tips will help you stand out from the crowd and ensure you’re easily found by recruiters.

Tip 11: Have You Customized Your LinkedIn Banner?

If your LinkedIn profile still has the default grey banner, it’s time to change it. Your banner is one of the first things people see when they visit your profile, and leaving it blank can give the wrong impression. This is valuable real estate to showcase something that reflects your profession, interests, or location.

Ideas for customization:

• Industry-relevant images: Reflect your field of work.

• Local imagery: Highlight where you live or work.

• Personal touch: Choose a landscape or cityscape that adds personality.

Avoid:

• Negative imagery

• Generic stock photos

• Inconsistent visuals, such as using a picture of a city where you don’t live

• Overly aggressive or salesy images, particularly for recruitment or sales professionals

A well-chosen banner can make a lasting impression and encourage people to spend more time on your profile.

Tip 12: Are Your Contact Details Up-to-Date?

Contact information is crucial when you’re actively searching for a job. Make sure your email is correct, professional, and easily accessible to recruiters. It’s a good idea to set up a dedicated email for job searching to keep things organized and avoid missing important messages in your personal inbox.

Visibility settings: Ensure your email is visible to at least your connections or network. While recruiters can send InMails, if they can’t easily contact you, they might move on to the next candidate.

Phone number: Including your phone number is optional, but it can be useful for direct communication when emails or InMails go unnoticed.

Connection requests: Double-check your privacy settings. If your settings make it too hard for someone to connect with you, recruiters might not bother trying to reach out.

While there are valid reasons to limit contact, too many restrictions could mean missed opportunities.

Tip 13: Should You Turn On the "Open to Work" Banner?

If your profile is polished, it’s time to decide whether to turn on LinkedIn’s Open to Work feature. If you’re employed and want to keep your job search discreet, the Recruiters Only option is your best bet. This setting allows recruiters using LinkedIn Recruiter to see that you’re open to opportunities without broadcasting it to everyone.

Here’s what LinkedIn says about the Open to Work settings:

• All LinkedIn Members: Includes everyone, even people at your current company, and adds the #OpenToWork banner to your profile picture.

• Recruiters Only: Recruiters using LinkedIn Recruiter will see that you’re open. LinkedIn tries to block your current employer from seeing this, but they can’t guarantee complete privacy.

According to a 2023 survey by Teal, 91% of hiring professionals don’t view the Open to Work banner negatively, and 72% have hired candidates who used it. LinkedIn also states that profiles with the banner are twice as likely to be contacted by recruiters.

Using the Open to Work banner is no longer seen as a sign of desperation. In today’s job market, where layoffs are common, it’s simply a tool that can boost your visibility to recruiters.

Tip 14: Be Careful with Buzzwords

Words like "creative," "hard-working," "motivated," and "passionate" are so overused that they’ve lost their meaning. If your profile is full of these buzzwords, recruiters like me will likely skip over them—they’ve become meaningless in a sea of profiles.

Instead, focus on specific achievements and skills that demonstrate your value. Buzzwords won’t help you stand out, and they certainly won’t help recruiters find you. Replace them with concrete examples of your work and measurable results. This is how you make a real impact.

Tip 15: How Searchable Is Your Job Title?

Job titles play a huge role in how easily you can be found by recruiters on LinkedIn. If your title is too unique or non-standard, you might not show up in searches.

For example, my job titles are:

• Global Recruitment Lead at Launch Global

• Customer Success Manager at the Leadership Collective

Neither of these titles is likely to be searched by recruiters looking for a recruitment consultant. If I were job hunting, I’d consider changing these titles to something more generic, like Recruitment Consultant or Executive Search Consultant, to match what recruiters are likely searching for in my industry.

It’s worth reviewing both your current and past job titles. What would a recruiter be searching for in your field? Can you tweak any titles to ensure you’re appearing in relevant searches?

Making this small adjustment can also help LinkedIn’s algorithm flag more relevant job opportunities for you. I’ve seen the opposite effect with my own profile, as I often get customer success roles sent to me due to my current title.

Conclusion

Your LinkedIn profile is more than just an online resume—it’s your professional billboard. From updating your banner to reviewing your job titles, each small tweak can make a big difference in how recruiters find and view you. By applying these tips, you’ll ensure your profile stands out and gets noticed by the right people. Stay tuned for more #JobSearchTips to optimize your LinkedIn presence even further!

Photo by Mina Rad on Unsplash