​

From a reasonably low profile 10 years ago - LinkedIn is now used by almost a billion members, across 200 countries and territories worldwide. In April 2024, LinkedIn counted more than 42 million users from the UK. This makes LinkedIn the 5th largest social network in the country.

The network has grown rapidly over the past few years, and we are at the point now where there are three new registrations every second, and about 50 million people using LinkedIn to job hunt every week.

This represents a huge reach - but also throws up huge competition.

First port of call

Given its user base and sophistication, LinkedIn is the holy grail for employers and recruiters to find the perfect candidate; or to double-check the credentials of candidates on an existing shortlist. 

Employers consider your LinkedIn account as a direct reflection of your skills, experience, and personality, usually checking out your profile before making initial contact. And it’s now just as important for senior candidates to set out their stall when looking for their next role. 

Previously, many experienced mid-level and senior executives would find jobs organically through their existing network and without a LinkedIn resume in sight. Now, this isn’t necessarily the case. Even candidates with great experience and a hefty black book of contacts are having to rely heavily on the site, quickly learning how to use LinkedIn for job searches,  build their brand, and tweak their profile to satisfy new recruitment tools. 

So, let’s dive into optimising LinkedIn profiles for employers, how you can get recruiters’ eyes on your page, and how to make your LinkedIn account work better for your job search.

What are people using LinkedIn for?

For mid-level and senior employees, your LinkedIn account is the key to growing your existing professional network. Connecting with colleagues, employers, and contacts, or accessing influencers in your sphere, it’s a space to enhance your personal brand and position yourself as a thought leader. This includes commenting on current events, noting your contemporaries’ achievements, and sharing industry updates.

LinkedIn also offers endless opportunities for those looking for their next professional step - and for recruiters on the hunt for the right candidate. From job search to training programmes to AI-backed tools, it’s rare to find a role where LinkedIn isn’t involved somewhere in the recruitment process.

This is where optimising LinkedIn profiles is vital to put your best foot forward.

The impact of LinkedIn’s generative AI tools on recruiters

New tech such as AI-assisted search in LinkedIn Recruiter means that job seekers have to be even more vigilant when optimising LinkedIn profiles. These tools source and screen LinkedIn resumes from a quick prompt, with AI providing a targeted list of potential candidates for a position. This means that if you don't have the right keywords and skills listed in your LinkedIn profile, however relevant your experience, it’s unlikely that you’ll make the cut.

Another AI-assisted tool is Projects. This allows recruiters to quickly pick out their ideal candidate criteria and required skills, then filter the results by categories such as open to work, company connections, spoken languages, programme and software expertise, and years of experience. Recruiters can use this tool to get additional AI search suggestions based on typical candidate data and profiles. 

This means that recruiters will increasingly be relying on AI-assisted tools to save crucial time and effort, and your profile needs to be angled towards these methods for optimal engagement. So, how do you improve your chances and stand out from the crowd? From basics to keywords, consider re-styling your profile for this new style of recruitment.

6 tips for creating the perfect LinkedIn profile

1. Professional profile picture

First, make sure you have the basics covered. On LinkedIn, first impressions count, so make sure that your profile picture is straight-on, up-to-date, high-resolution, and professional. A smile can work wonders too! Also, don’t forget your background photo, as this helps to grab recruiters’ attention and give an insight into your career achievements and personality.

2. Create a compelling headline

Your headline is another way to make your LinkedIn account pop. Sitting at the top of your profile and next to your name in search results, this 120-character statement should give recruiters quick info: your role, what makes you tick, and highlight professional achievements. Make sure it’s reader- and search-friendly, then use your summary to tell your story and bring your skills to life. Use the rest of your LinkedIn resume to list relevant skills and experience, and to highlight your strengths.

“We look for a professional headshot, clear dates for start and finish of previous roles, clearly marked preference for contract or perm jobs, and a brief/concise bullet point explanation of their role and responsibilities under each role.”

Sarah Collier, Senior Consultant, Freshminds

To further push your personal brand, post and share content to position yourself as a thought leader in your field. LinkedIn states that posting once a week can lead to 4x more profile views, so follow influencers in your sector to find current talking points and shareable content. 

Aside from perfecting your profile, consider these tricks to stand out from the crowd on LinkedIn:

3. Open to new opportunities banner

First things first, make sure recruiters know that you want to talk! You’d be surprised at how many people expect to be messaged when they appear to be happy in their current role and off the job market. Use the ‘Open to New Opportunities’ feature to signal to recruiters that you’re ready to chat, and use the 300-character note to describe what you’re looking for, location requirements, and a snapshot of your experience.

And don’t worry about your employer getting wise to your plans. LinkedIn hides this from your current company - just make sure that you have them listed as your present employer on your profile.

4. Include relevant keywords

Next, think of LinkedIn as a super-charged search engine. Recruiters type in keywords to find candidates with specialised skill sets and then send them an InMail to reach out. Chances are if your inbox is empty, adding more keywords will be a key way to optimise your LinkedIn profile and get noticed. 

5. Start with the key information

You have 2,000 characters to use in your profile summary, so use them! Only the first three lines show up on your profile, so keep the key information at the top and relevant to recruiters, then dive into your achievements, mission, and experience. 

6. Pay attention to your experience

Another way to weave keywords into your profile is the experience section. Get specific when describing your role and impact at each company, peppering it with keywords that fit the role you want. It’s like dressing for the job you want. Pick out the skills that fit your perfect role and highlight them in your experience. For example, if you’re a marketing manager looking to specialise in data, including “analytics”, “data manager” and “research specialist” can improve your chances of being seen by the right recruiters and getting spotted in AI-assisted searches. 

Simply having an active LinkedIn account is not enough to catch the eye of recruiters. When we look at how to use LinkedIn for job search, your profile could be the biggest thing holding you back. Use these tips to optimise your LinkedIn profile and make sure that your page is full of the keywords and skills that apply to your dream job. And you never know, you might just get it.

Written by Caragh Cheesman