Your headline is doing more work than you think

By default, LinkedIn uses your current job title as your headline — a missed opportunity. Use the space to state what you do and what you're aiming for, with keywords a recruiter would actually search.

Headline comparison

Default: "Student at XYZ University." Optimized: "Aspiring Data Analyst | SQL, Power BI, Python | Open to Entry-Level Analytics Roles."

The About section — write it like a short pitch, not a bio

Three short paragraphs work well: what you do and your core strengths, a specific achievement or project, and what you're looking for next. Keep the tone conversational rather than formal — this section is one of the few places on the platform where personality is expected to show through.

Experience section — mirror your resume, but expand slightly

LinkedIn gives you more room than a one-page resume, so it's fine to include a couple of additional context lines per role beyond your resume bullets, as long as the core achievements stay consistent between both documents.

Skills section and endorsements

List the specific, searchable skills relevant to your target roles (not vague ones like "hard worker") and pin your top three to five most relevant ones to the top. Ask a few genuine colleagues or classmates to endorse skills they've actually seen you use.

Activity matters more than most people realize

Keep your resume and LinkedIn consistent — check your resume's keyword strength for the roles you're targeting.

Check Your ATS Score

Common LinkedIn profile mistakes

  • No profile photo, which significantly reduces profile views and connection acceptance
  • A headline that's just a job title with no keywords
  • An empty or overly generic About section
  • No activity at all — a completely static profile is easy for recruiters to scroll past