How to Get a LinkedIn Account

Creating a LinkedIn profile is your first step toward building a powerful professional network, and it's a lot easier than you might think. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from the initial five-minute sign-up to crafting a polished profile that helps recruiters, clients, and partners find you. We'll cover everything you need to know to create an account that truly works for you.

Creating Your LinkedIn Account: The First 5 Minutes

Let's get the basics out of the way. Signing up for LinkedIn is a quick, straightforward process that requires just your name and an email address.

Here's how to do it step-by-step:

1. Visit LinkedIn.com: Go to the LinkedIn homepage. You'll see the sign-up form right on the main page.
2. Enter Your Details: Type in your first and last name, provide your email address, and create a strong password that you'll remember. Click "Join now."
3. Complete Security Verification: You'll likely be asked to complete a quick security check to prove you're not a robot.
4. Add Your Location: Add your country and zip code. This helps LinkedIn provide more relevant job postings and network suggestions.
5. Provide Your Most Recent Job Title and Company: If you're a student, you can indicate that here. This is the first piece of information LinkedIn uses to start personalizing your experience. Don't overthink it, you can (and will) change this later.
6. Confirm Your Email: LinkedIn will send a verification code to the email address you provided. Go to your inbox, grab that code, and enter it to confirm your account.

And that's it. You officially have a LinkedIn account. Now, it's time to turn that empty shell into a compelling professional profile.

Building Your Profile Foundation: The Must-Haves

An empty profile won't do you any good. The next step is to fill in the essential sections that serve as the foundation of your professional brand online. Think of these as the non-negotiables - the parts everyone will look at first.

Nailing Your Profile Picture and Banner

Before someone reads a single word on your profile, they'll see your pictures. Making a strong first impression here is critical.

Your Profile Picture

Your profile picture is your digital handshake. A profile without one can look inactive or spammy, causing people to hesitate before connecting. Your goal is a photo that looks both professional and approachable.

• Use a High-Quality Headshot: Your face should take up about 60% of the frame. Use a clear, recent photo where your features are easily visible.
• Keep the Background Simple: A busy background can be distracting. A neutral-colored wall, some outdoor greenery, or a slightly blurred office setting works perfectly.
• Show Your Personality: Professional doesn't have to mean boring. A friendly, genuine smile goes a long way in making you seem more approachable.
• What to Avoid: Steer clear of group photos, selfies taken in a mirror, pictures with distracting filters, or a photo from a party cropped to just show your face. It's best to take a photo specifically for this purpose.

Your Banner Photo

The banner (or cover photo) is the rectangular image that sits at the very top of your profile. It's valuable real estate that most people waste by keeping the generic blue default banner. Don't make that mistake.

Use your banner to communicate something about who you are and what you do. For example:

• A graphic designer might display a collage of their work.
• A software developer could use a picture of their workspace or a stylized snippet of code.
• A writer might have a clean image of a bookshelf, a keyboard, or a simple text-based banner stating their specialty (e.g., "Helping B2B Brands Grow with Content").
• A public speaker could showcase a photo of them on stage.

You can create a custom banner for free using tools like Canva, which even has pre-sized LinkedIn banner templates.

Writing a Headline That Gets You Noticed

Your headline is the short description that appears right under your name. By default, LinkedIn populates this with your current "Job Title at Company." While accurate, it's not very descriptive and doesn't tell people the full story.

Recruiters often search for people using keywords, so a great headline can make you more discoverable. Think of it as your professional tagline. Instead of just stating your title, describe the value you bring.

Try this simple formula: [Your Role/Title] | [Unique Value/Specialty] | [Keyword]

Here are some examples of transforming a default headline into a powerful one:

• Default: "Marketing Manager at ABC Corp"
  Better: "Marketing Manager | Driving B2B Lead Generation with SEO & Content Strategy | SaaS Growth"
• Default: "Graphic Designer"
  Better: "Freelance Graphic Designer for Sustainable Brands | CPG Packaging & Identity Design"
• Default: "Student at State University"
  Better: "Computer Science Student Seeking Software Engineering Internships | Python & JavaScript"

Crafting a Compelling "About" Section (Your Summary)

The "About" section is your chance to expand on what your headline introduced. This is where you can show some personality and give people a reason to connect with you. Don't just list skills, tell a story about who you are, what you're good at, and what you're passionate about.

Here's a simple structure you can follow:

1. The Hook (1-2 sentences): Start with a strong statement that summarizes your professional mission or area of expertise.
2. The Body (2-3 paragraphs): Detail what you do. What problems do you solve? What are your key areas of expertise? Mention a few accomplishments or proud moments from your career. Use short paragraphs and even bulleted lists to make it easy to scan.
3. The Call to Action (1 sentence): End by telling people what you want them to do next. Do you want them to connect? Visit your portfolio? Reach out for collaborations?

Example "About" Section for a Project Manager:

"I'm a PMP-certified project manager passionate about bringing order to chaos and helping creative teams deliver exceptional work on time and on budget.

With over 8 years in the digital agency world, I've managed everything from website redesigns to complex app launches for clients in the e-commerce and fintech sectors. I believe that clear communication and a proactive mindset are the keys to a successful project. My expertise includes Agile methodologies, stakeholder management, and Trello wizardry.

I'm always open to discussing new project challenges. Feel free to connect or reach out to me via email at [your email]."

Adding the Details That Build Credibility

Once you've built your foundation, it's time to fill in the rest of the details. These sections - Experience, Education, and Skills - provide the proof behind the claims you made in your headline and summary.

Your Work Experience: More Than Just a List of Jobs

Your "Experience" section shouldn't just be a copy-paste of your resume. Each entry is an opportunity to highlight your impact, not just your duties.

For each position, go beyond simply stating your job title and responsibilities. Focus on your accomplishments.

• Use Bullet Points: Instead of dense paragraphs, use 3-5 bullet points to describe your accomplishments in each role.
• Start with Action Verbs: Use strong words like "Managed," "Created," "Launched," "Optimized," and "Led."
• Quantify Your Results: Numbers are powerful. Whenever possible, add metrics to show the impact of your work.
  • Instead of: "Wrote blog posts to attract traffic."
  • Try: "Authored 10+ long-form blog posts per month, increasing organic traffic by 40% in six months."
• Add Rich Media: If you have links to projects, articles, presentations, or videos related to a role, add them! This adds visual punch and concrete proof of your work.

Education and Certifications: Showcasing Your Knowledge

This section is straightforward but still important. Add your college or university, your degree, and the years you attended. But don't stop there. This is also the perfect place to showcase a commitment to continuous learning.

Did you complete an online course from Google, HubSpot, or Coursera? Add it to the "Licenses & Certifications" section. This signals to others that you are proactive about staying current in your industry.

The Power of the Skills Section (& Getting Endorsements)

The "Skills" section helps make your profile more discoverable in searches. You can add up to 50 skills, but quality is more important than quantity. Aim for a mix of skills relevant to your field.

• Hard Skills: These are job-specific abilities like "SEO," "Python," "Graphic Design," or "Email Marketing."
• Soft Skills: These are interpersonal traits like "Communication," "Team Leadership," or "Public Speaking."

LinkedIn allows you to pin your top three skills to the top of the section. Choose the three that are most important for the roles or opportunities you're targeting. To gain endorsements (social proof from your network), a simple trick is to endorse others. Go through your network and endorse the skills of colleagues you genuinely admire - many will return the favor.

Your Profile is Ready - Now What? Making Your First Connections

A great profile is just the beginning. The real value of LinkedIn comes from the network you build.

Finding People You Already Know

The easiest first step is to connect with people you already know. LinkedIn makes this simple by letting you sync your email contacts. You can find former colleagues, classmates, and friends. Building this initial base of connections makes your profile look more established and credible.

How to Send a Connection Request (The Right Way)

When you're ready to connect with people you don't know personally, remember this critical rule: always personalize your connection request.

The "Connect" button offers an option to "Add a note." Use it. A generic, empty request is easy to ignore, but a thoughtful message shows you've done your research.

Your note can be simple:

"Hi [Name], I came across your profile and was really impressed with your work at [Their Company] on the [Project/Topic]. As a fellow [Your Role], I'd love to connect and follow your work."

Following Industry Leaders and Companies

Networking on LinkedIn isn't just about making one-on-one connections. You can also "Follow" industry influencers, thought leaders, and companies you admire. This fills your news feed with valuable content, insights, and updates relevant to your field, helping you stay informed and giving you content to engage with.

Final Thoughts

And that's it - from a completely blank slate to a professional LinkedIn profile that's ready to help you build your network. By focusing on a great photo, a keyword-rich headline, and an achievement-focused experience section, you've created a powerful asset for your career or business.

Once your profile is up, the next step is often creating and sharing content to build your personal brand. We know how time-consuming it is to post consistently, especially while you're also trying to manage DMs and engage with your network. That's why we built the visual calendar in Postbase to help you plan and schedule your LinkedIn content weeks or months in advance. It lets you create your posts once, see your whole strategy at a glance, and trust that your content will go live reliably, giving you more time back to actually network.