How to create a standout LinkedIn profile

Entering the job market as a recent graduate can feel overwhelming, and it can be tricky to know how to stand out amongst other applicants.

Luckily, there is something that can help you do just that – LinkedIn!

As well as being a dynamic online version of your CV, the professional networking site is a fantastic thing to have in your job seeking toolkit, as it allows you to showcase your skills, connect with industry professionals and be discovered by potential employers.

Creating a standout LinkedIn profile could potentially be the key to your job-hunting success; read on for top tips on how to create a polished and professional profile that will get you noticed by employers.

Why is LinkedIn important?

LinkedIn is often the first place recruiters will go look at to find out more about candidates, and a large number will in fact scout for potential hires even before a job is advertised.

For recent graduates, having a strong profile can be a powerful tool to help you get noticed, even if you don’t have years of experience.  

A strong LinkedIn profile will also help you to build your professional brand and showcase to employers your academic achievements, skills and career aspirations.

It also allows you to grow your professional network and connect with previous alumni, industry professionals and potential mentors – which could all be extremely useful when securing a graduate role.

Creating a standout LinkedIn profile

Profile picture

First impressions count! Your profile picture will be the first thing people will notice on LinkedIn, so it’s important to get it right. Choose a clear, high-quality headshot against a neutral background, and try to look professional yet approachable. Avoid casual snaps or group photos (pictures from a night out would not be appropriate here).

As well as conveying your ‘first impression’ on LinkedIn, having a profile photo also increases your chances of being noticed. According to LinkedIn, profiles with photos receive 21 times more views and 9 times the amount of connection requests than one without.

You do have the option to add an ‘Open to Work’ banner to your profile photo if you would like recruiters to see that you are interested in potential job opportunities. Simply click the ‘Open to’ button that appears under your photo when you are in ‘edit’ mode to enable this feature and fill out the requested information.

Headline

Your headline appears under your name and is one of the most visible parts of your profile. It should be descriptive, but also short and snappy, as with any strong headline.

A good formula to follow for this section is to highlight who you are, what you are aiming for and what you are interested in, for example:

‘Law Graduate | Aspiring Solicitor | Focused on Human Rights and International Law’

Summary/About

Think of this section as your ‘elevator pitch’, and how you can tell your story to potential employers.

Try to cover what you have studied, what you are interested in/passionate about, and the kind of roles you are seeking. You could also mention any standout achievements from your academic work, extracurricular activities or relevant roles.

Keep it concise and authentic, and try to use keywords that recruiters in your field might search for throughout.

End with a ‘call to action’ – what do you want the audience to do once they have read your ‘About’ section? This could be as simple as inviting potential employers to connect with you if they think your experience and interests align with any suitable opportunities at their company.

This section can be up to 2600 characters, but bear in mind that it is only the first three lines that are visible when someone views your profile.

Make sure that your most compelling, important information is in these first few lines so that viewers of your profile will want to click to read more of your story. 

Core sections

LinkedIn has several sections that it recommends as ‘Core’; these include Education, Experience and Skills. It’s a good idea to fill out these sections as a minimum to add depth to your profile and give recruiters the best chance to understand your background.

In the Education section, ensure to add details of your academic qualifications. You can add basic information about your GCSE and A-level qualifications, but the focus here should be on your university education, especially if your degree or degrees are related to the industry you wish to work in. Include details of relevant modules, projects, specific technical skills acquired and any key academic achievements/grades.

Your Experience section should include information about any part-time jobs, placements, internships or volunteer work you have undertaken before, during or after university. Like with a CV, aim for a few bullet points under each role to describe your responsibilities and the skills that you gained, focusing on transferable skills such as communication, collaboration and problem solving.

LinkedIn has a database of hundreds of skills that you can add to your profile in a ‘Skills’ section. In the first instance, try and add around 5-10 that are relevant to your career goals, and aim for a good mix of both hard and soft skills to show employers the range of your competencies.

Additional sections

You have the option to add a range of different sections to your profile in addition to the ‘Core’ sections. These are broken down into ‘Recommended’ and ‘Additional’. Have a look and see if there any others that you can add, as more sections will boost your profile’s content, and make it more prominent to recruiters.

Popular additional sections with recent graduates include:

• Projects – you can go into further detail about your academic projects here, including your dissertation
• Volunteer Work – instead of adding any voluntary work to your ‘Experience’ section, you have the option to add a whole new section to your profile to highlight this
• Languages – if you speak additional languages, you can add them here

Recommendations

LinkedIn also allows you to request recommendations and endorsements from people that know you well in an academic or work capacity, such as tutors, lecturers, managers or colleagues.

If you think someone would be happy to write a short paragraph about your strengths and contributions that you can add to your profile, ask them politely and perhaps offer to write one in return.

A few short recommendations can boost your LinkedIn profile and provide context and credibility for your skills and achievements.

Staying active

Once you’ve completed your initial profile, don’t stop there!

Staying active on LinkedIn is another vital way to stand out to employers. Engage with content by liking, commenting on and sharing posts related to your field, and follow companies of interest and individuals working in your preferred sector.

Sharing your own updates, such as courses you have completed, reflecting on a completed project or even your recent graduation day, can also help you stay visible. Keep your profile up to date with your new experiences, skills and achievements to make sure it remains accurate and relevant.

Conclusion

By investing some time to create a standout LinkedIn profile, you will help make yourself more noticeable to employers and open yourself up to new opportunities. LinkedIn is one of the most powerful job search tools you have as a new graduate so ensure to make the most of its capabilities to set you up for career success!