LinkedIn Basics for Job Seekers + Checklist

LinkedIn is the most popular social media channel focused on professional life. It is a great tool for job search and networking. LinkedIn is popular among recruiters and HR professionals, which offers excellent opportunities for job search.

Among young people LinkedIn is perceived as a channel that is difficult to approach. If you haven’t had much work history, your professional skills may seem deficient. You don’t have to be a top expert in your field to bring out your expertise on LinkedIn. Get started with the LinkedIn basics and learn how to take advantage of the service step by step. A good LinkedIn profile is up to date, informative and interesting.

Quick instructions for creating a LinkedIn profile

If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, then it all naturally starts with creating a profile. I’m sure you’ve made a profile for social media channel before, but on LinkedIn the basics are more important than normal. Through the profile, you will be discovered and arouse interest in the recruiter.

Intro: In the intro section, you create a first impression. It needs to be engaging, clear, and informative in order for the viewer to want to continue reading beyond the title.

Profile and cover image: Choose a clear photo of your face that does not include other people, animals or funny hats. A good profile picture inspires confidence and shows professionalism. On LinkedIn, like Facebook, you can also add a cover image to your profile page. Choose an image that depicts you, an image that engages the viewer.

Basics: Fill out basics and skills using words in basic format. This improves discoverability. Repeating words about core competencies increases the likelihood that a recruiter will find your profile. If you are looking for a job, bring it up right in the title.

Make sure your contact information is clearly displayed. You should write the contact information in the summary section first so that it is as easy to find as possible. A good summary section tells not only about your skills but also about your personality.

Experience & Education: Please note that the words you enter in the Education and Work History section are descriptive of your skills and are used in searches. If you are not sure what wording you should use, you can look at the profile of the profiles of other people working in the field.

Featured Skills & Endorsements: Fill in as many skills as you can. You can use synonyms for the same skill if the section otherwise seems to be too incomplete. Once you’ve listed your skills, other users can make recommendations that are lightly comparable to Facebook likes. Profiles in which the skills section is filled will receive an average of 13 times more impressions than profiles that are missing skills.

Other sections: In addition to the sections mentioned above, it is possible to add many additional sections to your LinkedIn profile. Among other things, you can link your Twitter account to the profile, add publications, projects and organizations sections. Take a closer look at them once you’ve got the LinkedIn basics in order and fill your profile so it looks like you! Your LinkedIn profile needs to be up-to-date, so add and edit information over time as it changes and skills evolve.

Configure the settings so that you are found

With privacy settings, you get to determine what others see of you and reciprocally what you see of the other members. LinkedIn has the same operating principle as WhatsApp. If you do not have read receipts on, you will also not see if another has read the message you sent.

As a job seeker, you are sure to be interested in who has visited your profile. Your profile may have caught the interest of a potential employer, so it’s not a good idea to limit this view from yourself. Naturally, having a public profile also increases the number of contacts.

Once the groundwork is done, you can move on to the next level and start taking advantage of LinkedIn for job search with full throttle.

Career Reload Team

We’re a team of writers dedicated to providing insights and tips for navigating the professional world. With a collective wealth of experience across various industries and roles, our team understands the challenges and opportunities that come with seeking meaningful work and advancing your career. We help job seekers to better their careers by offering career advice & free resources. Download free Word resume templates and resume templates for Google Docs.