Most LinkedIn profiles describe what someone has done. The profiles that actually attract opportunities do something harder: they make clear what the person can do, what they are good at, and where they want to go. That difference — between a history and a story — is what separates a profile that generates interesting conversations from one that quietly exists.

Start With the Headline — It Is Doing More Work Than You Think

Your LinkedIn headline appears everywhere your name appears. It is the first thing most people read after your name, and it sets the entire frame for how your profile is interpreted.

The default LinkedIn headline is your current job title. That is the floor, not the ceiling. A better headline answers the question: what can you do for the right person who might be looking at this?

Examples of headlines that do more work:

• “Product Manager → turning ambiguous problems into clear product decisions | B2B SaaS”

• “Data Engineer building reliable pipelines for growth-stage companies”

• “Career coach helping mid-career professionals move faster without burning out”

Your headline should reflect what you want to be found for, not just what your current role is called.

Write an About Section That Reads Like a Human Being Wrote It

The About section is where most people either write in corporate jargon or leave it completely blank. Both are missed opportunities.

A good About section:

• Opens with something specific and memorable, not “I am a passionate professional with X years of experience”

• Is written in first person and sounds like you

• Names what you are genuinely good at, not just what you have done

• Indicates where you want to go next, either directly or through the pattern of what you choose to emphasize

• Is short enough to read in under a minute

Use Blomma to draft and iterate on this. Write a version, read it back as if you were a stranger, and ask: would this make me want to have a conversation with this person?

Make Your Experience Section About Impact, Not Just Responsibilities

“Responsible for managing a team of five” tells a reader almost nothing. “Grew team from two to five while maintaining output per person and reducing average delivery time by 30%” tells them what kind of manager you are.

For each role in your experience section:

• Lead with the most significant thing you contributed, not the scope of your responsibilities

• Quantify outcomes where you can — numbers are more memorable than claims

• Use language that reflects the problems you solved, not just the work you did

Optimize for the Search Terms That Matter for Your Goals

LinkedIn’s search algorithm surfaces profiles that include the terms people are actually searching for. If you want to be found for certain roles, make sure those terms appear naturally in your headline, About section, and experience descriptions.

This is not about keyword stuffing — it is about making sure the language in your profile matches how hiring managers and recruiters describe the kind of person they are looking for.

Recommendations and Skills Are More Useful Than Most People Think

A recommendation from someone whose name appears on their own credible profile is a meaningful signal of trust. Ask two or three specific people — people who can genuinely speak to your work in specific contexts — for recommendations, and offer to write one for them in return.

Endorsements for skills matter less, but having the right skills listed in the right order does affect where your profile surfaces in search.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I update my LinkedIn profile?

At minimum, after any significant role change, achievement, or shift in where you are heading. Treating it as a living document — updating it when something meaningful changes — keeps it more accurate than an annual overhaul.

Should I put my LinkedIn profile as public or private?

For most people, a public profile makes sense. You want people to be able to find you. The exception would be if you are conducting a highly confidential job search in a small industry.

Is it worth paying for LinkedIn Premium?

Depends on how you are using it. If you are actively job searching, the InMail credits and more detailed search filtering can be useful. If you are just maintaining visibility, the free tier is usually sufficient.

How should I handle being open to new opportunities on LinkedIn?

Turn on the “Open to Work” setting for recruiters only (rather than publicly visible) if you are in a sensitive situation. If you are not worried about your current employer seeing it, the public banner is fine — it simply increases the number of relevant conversations that come to you.

What if I do not know what I want professionally right now?

That is actually the most important time to invest in your profile rather than the least. A profile that clearly describes what you have been good at, even if the direction is still forming, stays useful across a range of opportunities. You do not need to know exactly where you are going to present your current best self clearly.