How to Make a LinkedIn Profile

Your LinkedIn profile is more than an online resume, it's your professional storefront on the world's largest business network. A polished profile can attract recruiters, clients, and partners, while a neglected one simply blends into the background. This guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough with actionable tips to transform your profile from a simple career timeline into a powerful personal branding tool.

Start with a Professional First Impression: Your Photo and Banner

Before anyone reads a single word about your experience, they see your photos. These visual elements set the tone for your entire profile, so getting them right is non-negotiable.

Your Profile Photo

Your profile photo is your digital handshake. It should be warm, professional, and tell people you’re approachable. Resist the temptation to crop yourself out of a wedding photo or use a selfie from your car.

• Use a High-Quality Headshot: Make sure your face takes up about 60% of the frame. A high-resolution photo is a must - blurry or pixelated images look unprofessional.
• Keep the Background Simple: A neutral, uncluttered background keeps the focus on you. A solid wall, a subtly blurred office setting, or a clean outdoor space all work well.
• Dress the Part: Wear what you would for a client meeting or an interview in your industry. If you're a software developer, a clean t-shirt is fine. If you're in corporate finance, a blazer is more appropriate.
• Smile Genuinely: A warm, genuine smile makes you appear friendly and confident. Look directly at the camera to create a connection with the viewer.

Your Banner Image

The banner image (also called the cover photo) sits behind your profile picture and is prime real estate for personal branding. Leaving this as the default blue banner is a massive missed opportunity. Use this space to visually reinforce who you are and what you do.

• Showcase Your Work: A graphic designer might use a collage of their designs. A public speaker could use a photo of themselves on stage. A writer might feature a quote about storytelling alongside their brand colors.
• Represent Your Company: If you love where you work, using a company-branded banner is a great way to show loyalty and act as a brand ambassador.
• Communicate Your Value: Add a simple tagline or mission statement to your banner. For example, a project manager’s banner might say: "Turning Chaotic Projects into Streamlined Successes." Use a free tool like Canva to easily create a custom banner with text.

Write a Headline That Grabs Attention

Your headline is arguably the most important piece of text on your profile. It follows you everywhere on LinkedIn - in search results, connection requests, and when you comment on posts. By default, LinkedIn populates this with your current job title and company, which is often boring and uninformative.

A great headline goes beyond your job title to explain the value you provide. Think of it as a 220-character elevator pitch. A winning formula is:

[Your Job Title] | [Your Area of Expertise/Specialty] | [The Result You Deliver or Who You Help]

Examples of Effective Headlines:

• Default Headline: Marketing Manager at ABC Corp
• Optimized Headline: Content Marketing Manager | Helping B2B SaaS Startups Drive Organic Growth Through SEO-Driven Content

• Default Headline: Software Engineer
• Optimized Headline: Senior Software Engineer | Specializing in Python & AWS | Building Scalable FinTech Solutions

• Default Headline: Freelance Writer
• Optimized Headline: Freelance B2B Writer for Health Tech | Author of "The Startup's Guide to Content" | Helping Brands Tell Better Stories

A strong headline is packed with keywords relevant to your industry, making it easier for recruiters and potential clients to find you in search.

Craft Your "About" Section: Tell Your Story

The "About" section is your chance to expand on your headline and give people a deeper understanding of who you are, what drives you, and what makes you unique. Don't just list your skills - weave them into a compelling narrative. Aim for a conversational, first-person narrative that feels authentic.

Break your summary into three simple parts:

1. The Hook (1-2 sentences): Start with a strong statement that summarizes your professional mission or highlights your primary expertise. This is what people see before they have to click "see more."
2. The Body (2-3 paragraphs): Here’s where you elaborate. Talk about your years of experience, key skills, and areas of passion. Back up your claims with evidence. Instead of saying you're a "results-driven leader," mention a specific accomplishment, like leading a team that increased revenue by 20%. Highlight your biggest wins and what you're proud of.
3. The Call-to-Action (1 sentence): End by telling people what you want them to do next. Are you open to new opportunities? Looking to connect with fellow marketers? Seeking clients for your freelance business? Make it clear. You can also include your professional email address or a link to your portfolio.

Feel free to use bullet points with emojis to highlight core competencies and break up the text, making it easier to scan.

Detail Your Experience with Accomplishments, Not Just Job Duties

Most people treat the Experience section like a boring list of job responsibilities copied from a job description. To stand out, you need to frame your experience around your accomplishments. Recruiters don’t want to know what you were supposed to do, they want to know what you actually achieved.

For each position, use 3-5 bullet points that follow this formula:

[Action Verb] + [Specific Task or Project] + [Quantifiable Result or Impact]

Example: Tepid vs. Impressive

• Tepid: "Managed the company blog and social media channels."
• Impressive: "Grew organic blog traffic by 150% in one year by developing and executing a comprehensive SEO-focused content strategy."

• Tepid: "Responsible for email marketing campaigns."
• Impressive: "Executed A/B tested email campaigns that increased open rates by 25% and drove a 10% uplift in Q4 sales conversions."

Use strong action verbs like Launched, Grew, Led, Reduced, Optimized, and Built. Numbers grab attention and provide concrete evidence of your value. If you can't find a hard number, describe the positive impact your work had on the team or company.

Also, don't forget to add rich media like links to projects, articles you've written, or presentations you've given. It's an easy way to visually showcase your work.

Showcase Your Skills (and Get Endorsements)

The Skills section is a quick, scannable way for others to see your primary capabilities. LinkedIn allows you to add up to 50 skills, but you should focus on making your top 10 the most relevant to your goals. You can "pin" your top three skills, which are displayed most prominently on your profile.

• Be Strategic: Add skills that align with the jobs or opportunities you want. Look at job descriptions you're interested in and see what skills they list.
• Prioritize Your Top 3: Pin your most important, defining skills to the top. This might be a mix of hard skills (e.g., "Python," "SEO," "Financial Modeling") and important soft skills (e.g., "Leadership," "Public Speaking").
• Get Endorsed: Endorsements from your connections validate your skills. The best way to get them is to give them! Endorse your colleagues for the skills you know they possess, and they'll likely return the favor.
• Take Skill Assessments: For technical skills, taking a LinkedIn Skill Assessment adds a "verified" badge to your profile, offering another layer of credibility.

Build Credibility with Recommendations

Recommendations are personal testimonials that carry significant weight. While endorsements are a quick click, a written recommendation requires someone to take the time to vouch for your work and character. A few thoughtful recommendations are more powerful than dozens of endorsements.

How to Ask for a Recommendation:

Don't just hit the "ask for a recommendation" button. Send a personalized message instead. Politely reach out to a former manager, client, or senior colleague who has direct experience with your work.

Here's a simple template you can adapt:

Hi [Name],

I hope you're doing well. I'm spending some time updating my LinkedIn profile and was wondering if you might be willing to write a brief recommendation about our time working together on [Specific Project or Area of Work].

I especially valued your perspective on my work with [mention a skill like team leadership, analytics, etc.]. Any thoughts you'd be willing to share would be greatly appreciated. Let me know if you’d like me to send over a few reminder points. Of course, no worries if you’re too busy.

Thanks a lot,
[Your Name]

Making a specific suggestion helps them recall your contributions and makes it easier for them to write a strong, relevant recommendation.

Complete the Finer Details for a Polished Profile

Small details can make a big difference in how professional and complete your profile looks to viewers.

• Customize Your LinkedIn URL: When you first create your profile, LinkedIn assigns you a clunky URL full of numbers. You can and should customize it to something clean and professional, like linkedin.com/in/yourname.
• Add Your Education and Certifications: Include your university, degree, and any relevant professional certifications. This adds another layer of credibility.
• Feature Your Projects & Volunteer Work: If you've worked on significant projects (even outside of your main job) or do volunteer work, add these sections. They help to round you out as a person and showcase skills you might not use in your day job.

Go Live: Engage and Share Content

A great LinkedIn profile is only half the battle. To truly leverage the platform, you need to be active. Sharing valuable content, commenting thoughtfully on posts from your network, and connecting with others is how you bring people to your carefully crafted profile.

Regularly posting professional updates, industry news, or personal insights establishes you as a knowledgeable voice in your field. This activity shows up in the feeds of your connections, keeping you top-of-mind and consistently driving fresh eyes back to your page.

Final Thoughts

Building a great LinkedIn profile isn't a one-time task, it's an ongoing process of refining your professional story. By following these steps, you can create a dynamic profile that acts as a powerful asset for your career growth, helping you connect with the right people and opportunities.

Once your profile is finely tuned, keeping up a consistent content cadence is the best way to stay visible and build your personal brand. For professionals looking to manage their social presence without the overwhelm, a simple tool can be a game-changer. That's why we at Postbase built a modern, intuitive platform that lets you plan and schedule your LinkedIn content easily. Our visual calendar helps you see your whole strategy at a glance, so you can share your expertise consistently and focus on what you do best.