Optimize Your LinkedIn in 9 Steps
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You opened a LinkedIn account, cropped your roommate out of your graduation photo, and added “Recent Grad” to your header.
That’s it, right? Let the recruiters come flooding in!
Crickets.
Okay, maybe there are a few more steps. To create a LinkedIn presence that attracts attention, keep in mind your two main audiences: human recruiters and the algorithm.
How to Bewitch the LinkedIn Algorithm
LinkedIn’s algorithm ranks your profile on a scale from Beginner to All-Star. Getting to All-Star is crucial because, according to LinkedIn, those users are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities. To get there, you need to post content in nine key sections:
- Industry
- Location
- Headline
- About
- A Current Position (internships count!) and content under at least three experiences
- At Least 1 Educational Experience
- At Least 5 Skills
- Profile Photo
- At Least 50 Connections
Posting any content here positions you higher on recruiter lists. Now, let’s develop your material to appeal to human readers.
Attracting Recruiters: Your LinkedIn Profile Checklist
Industry: Select the industry that represents your desired placement.
Location: Always include your zip, city, and state—recruiters frequently search by geographical location and prefer local candidates.
Headline: Making your headline pop is about balancing searchability with pizzazz. Employers often search for job titles, so use aspirational titles that match your skills. Elevate your headline by including descriptors of the value you bring.
Example: Marketing Assistant | B.A. in Communications | Content Creation & Data Analytics | Telling compelling stories that drive engagement
About: This section is a great place to tell the story of your academic journey, highlight what you’re passionate about, and invite others to connect. Unlike on your resume, this is a great place to write in first person (“I”).
Catchy Opener: Some people dread spreadsheets. I adore them.
Value & Journey: As a recent Economics graduate with internship experience in market research, I love turning raw numbers into actionable insights.
Call to Action: Feel free to reach out if you want to chat about market trends or entry-level analyst opportunities.
Experience: Describe your professional experiences, internships, and shadow opportunities using the bullet points from your resume to make them highly scannable for busy employers.
Education: Highlight your degree, impressive GPA, extracurricular involvement, relevant coursework, and campus leadership experience (Phi Sigma Pi should DEFINITELY be noted here).
Skills: Max out your 100 skills to increase searchability. Use standard LinkedIn keywords—this is no place for creativity. If recruiters are searching for “Data Analysis” and you wrote “Number Crunching,” they won’t find you.
Profile Photo: LinkedIn users with a profile picture receive 21x more views. Since you are trying to appeal to employers, a great photo demonstrates your positivity, approachability, and professionalism. It’s not always necessary to take a professional photo–simply walk outside into great natural lighting, position yourself in front of a neutral background, and smile!
50 Connections: To forge new connections, you can begin with your friends, family, classmates, and coworkers, and then branch out to anyone who seems interesting to you.
Want More Tips?
Looking for personalized feedback on your LinkedIn or resume?
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Want to Power Up Your Job Search?
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Founder of Red Pen Wench, an industry-leading career services company specializing in resume writing, LinkedIn optimization, and interview coaching