“Update your LinkedIn profile” is standard advice when starting a job search—but what exactly should you update, and why does it really matter? To answer these questions, we went straight to the source: the Staffing Advisors research team.
Led by our VP of strategic recruiting, our research team is expert in finding highly qualified candidates who might otherwise be overlooked by typical sourcing methods. They don’t just look at job titles and the names of the organizations where you worked. They’re digging for keyword-rich accomplishments that signal your ability to succeed in a specific role.
While LinkedIn isn’t the only platform our team uses to source talent, it is one of the most valuable, largely because so many people use it. Even so, just having a profile won’t get you noticed. Here’s how to make sure your profile gets the attention of recruiters on LinkedIn.
➔ Click here for the Staffing Advisors LinkedIn profile optimization checklist.
Job Titles and Employer Names Are Not Enough
Recruiters today use advanced Boolean search techniques and AI-assisted tools to find candidates with specific skills and a range of experiences. Our team doesn’t rely heavily on AI (we never use it to review resumes or evaluate candidates), and most association and smaller nonprofit HR teams don’t either, but AI is becoming more common across the broader recruiting industry. And whether a person or a machine reviews your resume, a minimal LinkedIn profile with just job titles, employers, and dates doesn’t offer enough information about your skills and abilities.
No matter how qualified you are, you could be passed over simply because another candidate had a more complete profile.
Here’s a fun fact about job titles: they can mean very different things in different organizations. “Marketing” could mean digital marketing, content creation, SEO expertise, or dozens of other specialties. So, if you are a marketing director, the title alone doesn’t indicate your areas of expertise.
If you are looking for a job, having a robust profile with keywords related to your industry and functional area is essential. Even if you’re not actively searching but would be open to exploring new opportunities should they come along, do yourself a favor and update that profile.
Use Relevant Keywords to Show Your Impact
Your goal is to weave relevant terminology throughout your profile as you highlight your accomplishments. The more keywords in more places, the better recruiters can find you.
If you’re not sure which keywords to use, read ten job postings in your target functional area and sector to identify common phrasing. You can also review the hiring organizations’ websites and the LinkedIn profiles of professionals in similar roles. (Read this for more tips on how to conduct smart job research.)
In your headline:
Make your headline count. It’s one of the first things people see, so use it to highlight what you’re good at and where you’d like your career to go. Aim for a mix of core skills, focus areas, and industry preferences. For example:
Operations Leader | Process Improvement | Team Development | Nonprofit Sector
In the summary section:
Think of this as an expanded version of the executive summary you would include at the top of your resume. Share your career narrative and what you do better than most. Make this section stand out by including:
- An overview of strengths and impact. Highlight your strongest skills and the measurable business results you’ve achieved, with context about the types of sectors or organizations you’ve worked with.
- Your professional “why.” Share what drives you. Whether it’s advancing equity, scaling mission-driven programs, or building strong internal teams, your motivation helps shape your narrative.
- Leadership snapshot. For senior-level professionals, this is a good place to describe your leadership style, strategic focus, or areas of expertise, such as board engagement, revenue growth, or cross-functional collaboration.
- Industry-specific language. Include relevant keywords that may not fit neatly under a single job title but are essential for your field.
In the experience section:
Use this area to show the work you are most proud of in each position. Focus on:
- Business results. Include metrics and specific outcomes, not just tasks or responsibilities. How did your work benefit the organization, team, or community? What skills did you use to make that impact? For example, “Implemented Salesforce automation that reduced manual data entry by 40%.” or “Developed policy recommendations adopted by a statewide coalition, resulting in $2M in new program funding.”
- Scope and scale. If you increased revenue, improved engagement, or led a major initiative, how much, over what time period, and for what size of project or team?
- Strategic contributions. If you built or led a team, shaped a new program, navigated an organizational transition, or worked closely with a board or funders, make that visible.
- Accurate timelines. Check your start and end dates. Many people forget to add end dates for prior roles. If you’ve been promoted within the same organization, list all roles to show your career progression.
- Relevant skills. Add key skills to each role using the LinkedIn skills feature and ensure your top three align with the types of jobs you want.
Additional Tips
- Use a clear, professional photo. Hiring managers consistently notice and comment on unprofessional profile photos.
- Show that you are open to work. Enable the “Open to Work” feature on your profile. If you are publicly seeking a new role, make it visible to all LinkedIn members and consider posting about what you’re looking for and why. If you want to keep your search private, set the visibility to recruiters only.
- Proofread carefully. Just like in your resume, typos and errors can affect your credibility.
- Respond to recruiter messages, even if just to decline. The Staffing Advisors team doesn’t use InMail much, but many recruiters do. A simple reply can boost your visibility in LinkedIn’s algorithm. This will also keep you on the recruiter’s “active” list.
- Know where to highlight different accomplishments. If you’ve spoken at conferences, published articles, led volunteer initiatives, or held board roles, highlight them in the Volunteer Experience, Publications, or Featured sections. Show how you engage with your field.
- Use the platform. This tip is less about optimizing your profile for recruiters and more about increasing your professional visibility. When you comment on posts and share articles, you stay top of mind with your network.
Make Your LinkedIn Profile Work For You
Whether you’re actively job hunting or just open to new possibilities, your profile should reflect the work you do best and the kinds of opportunities you want to attract. The next great role might come looking for you long before you’re officially looking.
Put These Tips Into Action
Download this interactive checklist to optimize your LinkedIn profile for recruiters and AI-driven tools. (No signup or email required.)
