How do you write a LinkedIn profile that recruiters actually find?

How recruiters actually use LinkedIn

Recruiters search LinkedIn by keyword. They type "senior product manager Toronto" or "machine learning engineer remote" into Recruiter's search bar and scan the first page of results. Your profile appears — or doesn't — based on how well it matches those keywords. Then the recruiter scans your headline, your current role, and the first line of your About section in about five seconds to decide whether to click in.

Your LinkedIn profile is a search result. Optimize for the search.

The headline

The single most important field on your profile. Most people waste it by listing their current job title. Don't.

Put your target role in the headline — what you want to be hired for — even if it differs from your current title. Include two or three keyword variations.

Good: "Senior Product Marketing Manager | B2B SaaS | Go-to-Market Strategy"

Bad: "Passionate marketer helping brands tell their story"

If you're currently employed and don't want your manager to read your headline as an intent signal, adjust the wording — "Product Marketing Leader" instead of "Open to Senior Product Marketing roles" — but keep the keywords.

The About section

Write in first person. Three short paragraphs.

1. What you do and who you do it for. Include your target role keywords in the first sentence.
2. Your strongest two or three achievements, quantified. Same bullets you'd put on a resume, written as prose.
3. What you're open to. "Open to Senior Product Manager roles at B2B SaaS companies, remote or Toronto-based" gives recruiters the filter they need.

Avoid: third-person ("John is a highly motivated..."), clichés ("passionate about driving impact"), or walls of text.

Experience section

Mirror your resume. For each role:

• Title (use the target-role equivalent where honest)
• Company, location, dates
• A short paragraph summarizing scope
• Three to six bullet points with quantified achievements

Include relevant media — link to products you launched, articles you published, press the company received.

Skills and endorsements

Pick the 10 skills most relevant to your target role and pin them to the top. Endorsements matter less than they used to, but the skills themselves are keyword fuel for recruiter searches.

"Open to Work"

Two options:

• Publicly visible (#OpenToWork badge on profile photo) — increases inbound recruiter messages but signals to your current employer.
• Private, recruiter-only — visible only to recruiters on LinkedIn Recruiter. No badge. Safer if you're employed.

Set up the private option if you're currently in a role. Fill out the preferences completely: target titles, target industries, target locations, remote preference. The more specific, the better the matches.

Profile photo and banner

• Professional headshot. Solid background. Recent. Smiling is fine, scowling is not.
• Banner is optional but a simple branded banner (company logo, tagline, or a relevant image) can lift click-through.

Custom URL

Claim a clean custom URL: linkedin.com/in/yourname. Takes 30 seconds. Put it on your resume.

Activity

Recruiters occasionally check recent activity. You don't need to post daily. You do need to avoid posts or comments you wouldn't want a hiring manager to read. A few thoughtful comments on industry content every month is plenty.

The metrics that actually matter

• Profile views from recruiters in your target space — the signal you've optimized correctly.
• Search appearances — your profile is turning up in the right queries.
• Inbound messages from recruiters about roles you'd actually consider — the final outcome.

If your profile views are low, check your headline and About section. If you're getting views but wrong-target messages, tighten your keywords.

One common mistake

Do not leave your profile half-filled. An incomplete profile signals lack of interest. If you're job-searching, every section should be populated, and your most recent role should have a descriptive summary, not just a title and dates.