Things to Put On a LinkedIn
Your LinkedIn profile does more work than you think. It shows up in search results when recruiters look for candidates.
It appears when someone wants to check your background before a meeting. And it sits there, representing you, even when you’re not actively job hunting.
But filling it out feels tedious. You stare at empty boxes wondering what actually matters.
Some sections seem obvious. Others feel like busywork.
Here’s what actually belongs on your profile.
A Professional Photo
Your face matters more than you’d expect. Profiles with photos get way more views than those without them.
The photo doesn’t need to be fancy. Just clear.
Just you. Just professional enough that someone would recognize you in a meeting.
Skip the vacation shots. Skip the group photos where you’re the tiny person in the back.
Get something simple with decent lighting and a neutral background. Your expression should be approachable, not intimidating.
Save the serious corporate headshot for your company’s about page.
A Headline That Actually Says Something
The default headline—your current job title at your current company—wastes prime real estate. You get 220 characters to tell people what you do and why it matters.
Use them. Instead of “Marketing Manager at TechCorp,” try something that explains your value.
“Helping B2B companies turn complex products into clear stories” tells people what you actually do. “Building sales teams that consistently hit quota” speaks to results.
“Designer who makes apps people actually want to use” shows your focus. The headline appears everywhere your name does.
Make it count.
Your Location
This seems basic, but people skip it. Location matters for jobs.
It matters for networking. It matters when someone wants to know if you’re local enough to meet for coffee.
You don’t need your exact address. Just city and state works fine.
Or city and country if you’re international. Recruiters filter by location constantly.
Don’t make yourself invisible by leaving this blank.
A Summary That Shows Who You Are
The about section intimidates people. That big blank box feels like it’s asking for a novel.
It’s not. You just need a few paragraphs that explain what you do, how you do it, and what you care about.
Write it like you’re introducing yourself at a conference. Start with what you do now.
Add some context about your experience. Mention what drives you or what problems you like solving.
Keep it conversational. Keep it real.
Three to five paragraphs usually does it. You can write more if you want, but people skim.
Front-load the important stuff.
Your Current Job with Real Details
Your experience section shouldn’t just list titles and dates. It needs to explain what you actually did.
What you achieved. What changed because you were there.
For your current role, add bullet points that describe specific accomplishments. “Managed a team of five” tells part of the story.
“Managed a team of five and increased output by 40% in six months” tells a better one. “Launched three new products” is fine.
“Launched three new products that generated $2M in first-year revenue” is stronger. Numbers help.
Results help. Specific examples help more than vague descriptions of responsibilities.
Past Jobs That Build Your Story
You don’t need to list every job since high school. Focus on positions that show progression.
That demonstrate skills. That connect to what you’re doing now or want to do next.
For older roles, you can keep it brief. A few bullet points or even just a description line works.
The further back you go, the less detail you need. Your job from ten years ago doesn’t require the same depth as your current position.
Education That’s Actually Relevant
List your degrees. List your major if it matters.
List relevant certifications or specialized training. That’s usually enough.
You don’t need to include your GPA unless you just graduated and it’s impressive. You don’t need to list every single course.
You definitely don’t need to include high school unless you’re still in college or just graduated. For recent grads, education matters more.
For everyone else, it’s background context that supports your experience.
Skills That People Actually Search For
LinkedIn’s skills section feels gimmicky, but it works. Recruiters search by skills constantly.
Having the right ones on your profile makes you discoverable. Add skills that match your expertise.
Prioritize the ones people would actually search for. “Project Management” beats “Being Organized.”
“Python” beats “Coding.” Specific trumps vague every time.
You can list up to 50 skills. You don’t need that many.
Pick 10 to 20 that actually represent what you do. Put the most important ones at the top since those show up first.
Recommendations from Real People
Recommendations add credibility in a way that self-promotion can’t. They show that other people vouch for your work.
That they’d work with you again. That they think you’re good at what you do.
You don’t need 50 of them. A handful from different contexts works better.
Get one from a manager. One from a colleague.
Maybe one from a client or someone you managed. Different perspectives matter more than volume.
Ask people who know your work well. Give them some guidance about what to focus on.
“Could you write something about the project we worked on together?” works better than “Can you recommend me?”
Volunteer Work If It Fits
Volunteering shows interests beyond work. It demonstrates values.
It can explain gaps in your work history or add context to your story. But don’t force it.
If you volunteer regularly, include it. If you don’t, that’s fine.
This section shouldn’t be homework. It should reflect what you actually do.
When you do include it, treat it like work experience. Explain what you did.
What you contributed. What you learned or accomplished.
Certifications and Licenses
Professional certifications matter in certain fields. If you’re a CPA, PMP, or licensed attorney, that needs to be visible.
Industry-specific certifications show expertise and commitment. Keep this section current.
Expired certifications don’t help you. Neither do random online courses that took an hour to complete.
Focus on credentials that carry weight in your field.
Projects That Show Your Work
The projects section lets you showcase specific work. A campaign you ran.
A product you built. A research paper you published.
Anything concrete that demonstrates what you can do. This section works especially well for creative fields, consulting work, or freelancers.
It gives you a place to show examples without cluttering your experience section. Add links if you have them.
Images help. Context matters more than length.
Languages You Actually Speak
If you speak multiple languages, list them. Include your proficiency level honestly.
Native. Fluent.
Professional working proficiency. Basic.
Pick the one that fits. Language skills open doors.
They matter for international roles. They matter for companies with global teams.
They matter when someone needs someone who can do business in Mandarin or Spanish or Arabic. Don’t list languages you learned in high school and forgot.
Stick to what you can actually use.
Causes You Care About
What grabs attention on LinkedIn isn’t just job titles. A quiet space exists for sharing passions outside office walls.
Think classrooms, forests, city streets – places where change begins. Some care about schools.
Others focus on clean air or fair wages. Lifting communities up matters to many. Justice in daily life speaks to others.
Maybe skip it. Still, a touch here gives warmth to something stiff.
Pick only what feels true for you. More items do not mean stronger impact.
Content That Shows Your Thinking
Thoughts shared online reveal depth. When posts go up, it suggests someone is working through ideas.
Writing things out means sorting them first. Clear sentences often come from long thinking.
Showing up now and then works fine. What matters is sharing real thoughts on challenges you have faced.
Sometimes talking about shifts in your field helps too. This kind of update reveals the way you approach work.
It goes beyond job titles or tasks listed somewhere. People start to see how your mind works when things get tricky.
What Your Profile Actually Does
Posts should feel human, not like office memos. Skip the stiff tone – talk how real people do.
Focus on things that grab your attention or help you out. Your profile?
It just sits there. Not handing out jobs.
Instead of a resume, think of it like a snapshot. Missing skills won’t be fixed by filling in boxes.
Experience gaps stay gaps, no matter how polished the summary looks. Search results show it.
When folks look you up, there it is. Offers a clearer sense of your skills, your background.
Getting it accurate matters for that alone. Start anywhere you like.
Jump past what feels unnecessary. Tweak entries as life shifts around you.
Truth works better than polish. Showing up matters more than tricks.
Truth cuts through noise without help.
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