How to Highlight Key Information on LinkedIn

If your entire job search strategy is filling out applications, uploading your resume, and then waiting… you’re missing the bigger picture. I can only speak for the software job market, which is an absolute mess for job seekers. Qualified candidates are everywhere, and you must take extra steps to stand out. Marketing yourself to a hiring manager is not a sin. Yes, some companies should change their hiring practices. Yes, I've made a ton of mistakes when hiring people. Just this last week, I accidentally ghosted someone when I had a last-minute family event jump on the calendar. AND YES, this is off the back of my post last week, where I shared why I no longer read resumes and gave tips on how to stand out in the interview process. Most of you loved it (thank you!), but a few strongly disagreed... STRONGLY disagreed. Who knew people would be so passionate about resumes? I get it. People have different perspectives. However, a resume and job application alone aren’t enough to stand out from the crowd. I promised a few in the comments that I would follow up with tips on making your LinkedIn profile stand out. So let's do it. Start with the Headline: Avoid default titles like “Marketing Manager at XYZ.” Instead, showcase your value: “Driving Revenue Growth through Data-Driven Marketing” or “Empowering Teams to Create Scalable Strategies.” Spend Time on the About Section: This is your elevator pitch. Highlight your skills, achievements, and passions in 3-5 paragraphs. Make it you, not just a resume dump. Add Key Achievements to Your Experience Section: This is one of the most effective and least used. Use bullet points that emphasize results and impact. Quantify whenever possible (e.g., “Increased MQLs by 50% through revamped campaigns”). Keep it concise, but USE NUMBERS. Don't Ignore the Featured Section: Add links to your portfolio, blogs, presentations, or standout projects. This is the place to shine a spotlight if you’ve published articles or spoken at events. Keep Your Profile Active & Current: Update your profile with every new role, project, or milestone. Stale profiles give the impression of inattention. Set a calendar block or invite every other month to update your profile. Start there. Your LinkedIn profile is more than a digital resume because who wants to read a resume? It’s your chance to tell your story, highlight your skills, and make someone want to talk to you. Go forth and conquer.

Here’s what recruiters actually look for in your LinkedIn summary (and what makes them hit ‘Message’ instead of ‘Back’). After reviewing 100+ profiles and helping hundreds of job seekers land interviews, I noticed a clear pattern: The summaries that work all follow this behind-the-scenes formula 👇 🔹 1. Hook Them in the First 3 Lines Because that’s all they see before “...see more” ✅ Mention your current role + impact ✅ Highlight your biggest achievement ✅ State your career mission in 1 crisp sentence Example: “I help fast-growing startups reduce hiring time by 50% through strategic talent partnerships.” 🔹 2. Showcase Your Expertise Use the middle section to position your credibility ✅ Add 3–4 key accomplishments (with numbers) ✅ Mention tools, certifications, or relevant industries Example: “Scaled recruitment for Series A–C startups | 200+ hires closed in 2 years | Certified HRBP | ATS expert” 🔹 3. Add Your Personality This is where most professionals go cold. ✅ Write in first person ✅ Keep paragraphs short (1–2 lines) ✅ Make it feel like a coffee chat “I believe hiring isn’t about filling roles — it’s about solving real business problems through people.” 🔹 4. Insert Strategic Keywords Recruiters use search filters. So speak their language. ✅ Use job title + skills + tools in natural flow ✅ Add location if targeting a region ✅ Include industry-specific terms “Specialized in FMCG hiring | Excel | Zoho | Sourcing Strategy | Employer Branding | Gurgaon-based” 🔹 5. End with a Call-to-Action Guide them on what to do next ✅ Mention your inbox ✅ Say you're open to conversations ✅ Or direct them to your work “If you're building a high-growth team or want to discuss hiring strategies, let's connect.” ❌ What to Avoid: - Writing in third person - Overusing buzzwords like “go-getter” or “team player” - Long paragraphs without breaks - Copy-pasting from your resume ✅ Final tip: Update your summary every quarter. LinkedIn is not a “set it and forget it” platform, it’s your living, breathing digital pitch. ✨ If you found this helpful and want more hands-on guidance on LinkedIn profile writing, resume wins, and job strategy… I’m hosting a free webinar: “Get Your Dream Job with My Career Spotlight Framework.” 📍 Details are in the comments. Let’s make your profile impossible to ignore. #LinkedIntips #Careergrowth #Personalbranding #Jobsearch #Jobseekers #Careertips

𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟬+ 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝟰 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁! 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 - LinkedIn is your digital first impression. If your profile isn’t optimized, you’re invisible to opportunities. After going deep into top-performing profiles, I’ve distilled 6 powerful tips that consistently show up in the best ones. 👇 𝟭. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 = 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗲 A clear, confident, smiling photo builds trust instantly. Make it high-quality, professional, and well-lit. No blurry selfies, please. 𝟮. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗘 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 Forget just listing your job title. Use this winning formula: What you do + Who you help + How you help 👉 Example: “Helping SaaS startups scale with data-driven growth strategies” 𝟯. 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 = 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝗯𝗲 This isn’t a resume. It’s your moment to connect. Share your journey, highlight key wins, and infuse your personality. Professional doesn’t have to mean boring. 𝟰. 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗨𝗥𝗟 Ditch the auto-generated mess. A clean URL like linkedin.com/in/yourname boosts your credibility and makes sharing easier. 𝟱. 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 = 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗼𝗼𝗸 It’s the first thing people see, make it count. Use a banner that reflects your brand or value. Bonus: Make sure it looks good on both desktop and mobile. ✅ Ideal size: 1584 x 396 px 𝟲. 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗘𝗢 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 Want to show up in recruiter or client searches? Use relevant keywords across your: * Headline * About section * Experience * Even your banner image text (yes, it matters!) An optimized profile doesn’t just look good, it works for you. It attracts views, opens doors, and builds credibility while you sleep. Polish your profile. The right people are already searching, make sure they find YOU. 𝗔𝗹𝘀𝗼, 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟳𝟮/𝟯𝟱𝟬. 𝗣.𝗦. 𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗖𝗫𝗢𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 - 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧: During my time as a LinkedIn intern, I got a closer look into how people make the most out of their profiles. The truth is, your LinkedIn is more than just your resume – it's what helps you stand out through your personal brand, networking strategies, and first impression you make on people you connect with. So with over a billion users on LinkedIn, how do you stand out? In my opinion, the key is structure and consistency, which a lot of profiles actually lack. 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯: 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 = 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 *𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭* 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 A lot of people might just default to their job title, but you should be telling a more detailed story. ✖️ Bad example: Product Management intern @ Company ✔️ Better example: Product Management intern @ Company | CS student @ School | Founder @ Initiative | Data Science and Strategy Enthusiast Having a compelling headline will help people who view your profile get a good first impression of you and where your passions lie. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞: This is usually not spoken about enough, but it’s important to have a clear, high-quality headshot which is NOT AI-generated or edited, having your face fully visible, a clean and non-distracting background, and something that is professional and makes you feel confident. Having an unprofessional profile picture can be a turnoff for the rest of your profile. 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫/𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞: Your banner is prime real estate! Use it to showcase things like what your expertise lies in (marketing, product design, medicine, etc.), your mission statement, achievements, etc. Have fun with themes and keep it true to you! 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: You want this to be well-organized and specific to your impact. You can break it down into something like: 1️⃣ Who you are (background about you) 2️⃣ Your strengths, things you’re working on (your current job, project, etc.) 3️⃣ Your impact (demonstrate this in numbers) 4️⃣ Your hobbies (brings more light to you as a person) 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Keep it structured! ✔️ Have 1-2 bullets showcasing the scope of your role and your impact ✔️ Put the highest impact experiences first ✔️ Demonstrate in numbers ✔️ Showcase leadership and innovation 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: ✔️ Make sure to update as you progress based on your year in college ✔️ State your degree fully ex. Bachelor of Science in Engineering ✔️ Add relevant clubs, honors, and leadership roles I’ve seen how well-optimized profiles can unlock opportunities you don’t even know existed. Whether it’s recruiters scouting out candidates, people looking to build their network, or cool opportunities, your LinkedIn is still working in the background, even if you’re not online. I hope this guide helps and let me know if there is anything you do to help your profile stand out.