The Ultimate LinkedIn Profile Guide for 2025
How to stand out and get noticed!
In 2024, LinkedIn is more than just an online resume—it’s your personal brand, your networking hub, and often the first impression you make in the professional world. With more people turning to LinkedIn for job searches, thought leadership, and networking, having a profile that truly stands out has never been more important.
This guide will give you the most impactful, actionable steps to level up your LinkedIn profile, get seen by the right people, and open the doors to new opportunities.
1. Start with Your Profile Picture
People process visuals faster than text, so your profile picture is key to that all-important first impression. Think of it as your personal logo.
Choose a clear, professional photo: Make sure it’s recent, well-lit, and friendly. Ideally, your face should take up about 60% of the frame. Avoid busy backgrounds or group photos.
Dress for your role: For tech roles, business casual is great. In creative fields, a more relaxed look may suit.
Smile (with your eyes): This makes you appear approachable and trustworthy.
💡 Pro Tip: Profiles with photos get 21x more views and 9x more connection requests.
Useful Links:
🔗 Upgrade your profile picture (free)
🔗 Upgrade your cover photo (free)
Before
After
2. “Open to Work” Banner - Yes or No?
The “Open to Work” banner can boost visibility, and LinkedIn reports that users with it get up to 40% more messages from recruiters. But here’s the twist: some recruiters see it as a sign of urgency, especially for mid-level or senior roles.
For Entry-Level or High-Demand Roles: The banner can fast-track connections.
For Mid-to-Senior Roles: Skip the public banner. Instead, enable “Open to Work” for recruiters only. This approach keeps your profile professional without signaling urgency.
The Better Move: Use LinkedIn’s “Open to Work” feature without the public banner, so only recruiters see your status. It’s a subtle approach that keeps your profile professional without signalling urgency.
Recruiter Only “Open to Work” mode
3. Headline
Your headline is prime LinkedIn real estate. It’s your opportunity to tell people what makes you unique.
Use keywords and value statements: Include key skills and the value you bring. Instead of “Cloud Engineer at XYZ Corp,” try “Cloud Engineer | Scaled AWS Infrastructure for 1M+ Users.”
Avoid overused buzzwords: Words like “experienced” and “strategic” can sound generic. Instead, be specific.
💡 Examples:
Role | Specific Achievement:
"Cloud Engineer | Cut AWS costs by 45%"Role | Helping ___ (Type of Company) do ___ (Result):
"DevOps Engineer | Helping SaaS achieve 99.9% uptime"Role | Specializing in ___, ___, and ___:
"Full Stack Developer | Specializing in scalable apps, microservices, real-time data"Creating ___ | Role
“Creating Scalable Infrastructure | Cloud Solutions Architect”
4. Custom URL
Personalize your LinkedIn URL (e.g., linkedin.com/in/maximussoares) to make your profile easier to find and more professional. Go to your profile settings to edit this—no random numbers!
5. Summary
Your LinkedIn summary is the best place to highlight your career story, unique contributions, and what drives you. A strong summary can set you apart and increase your profile views by up to 3.9 times, according to LinkedIn.
💡 Pro Tip: LinkedIn only shows the first four lines of your summary before the “See more” button. Use this space to hook readers with your most impactful points!
6. Showcase Your Projects
Projects add depth to your profile, showing people what you’re truly capable of. They’re a powerful way to demonstrate your expertise, especially if you’re in tech or project-based roles.
Want to build in-demand tech skills? Explore hands-on tech projects at NextWork for practical experience, complete with automatic documentation you can easily share on LinkedIn.
Highlight core skills: Feature projects that showcase your key skills, whether in process improvement, automation, or user experience design.
Post documentation and demos: Link to relevant documentation, presentations, or demo videos for a fuller picture of your work.
Useful Link:
🔗 How to add projects to your profile
7. Experience
List your past roles with more than just a title and responsibilities. Use this section to call out measurable achievements and tangible impact.
Focus on Results: Instead of saying “Responsible for cloud infrastructure,” try “Enhanced cloud infrastructure performance by 30% within 4 months by implementing cost-effective scaling strategies.”
Use Bullet Points: This format keeps your experience clear, concise, and impactful, making your key accomplishments stand out.
💡 Example: “Led a team of 5 to improve cloud application deployment times by 40% within 3 months through automation and optimized resource allocation.”
8. Skills
LinkedIn allows you to list up to 50 skills, but quality over quantity here! Focus on top skills that align with your goals.
Add skills that reflect your current role: Remove outdated skills if they don’t support your brand.
Prioritize High-Impact Skills: Keep the most relevant skills at the top of your list.
💡 Example: Add skills that you see in job descriptions eg. for cloud computing roles like “AWS,” “Kubernetes,” “DevOps,” and “Terraform.”
Useful Link:
🔗 Guide to add skills to your profile
🔗 Useful website to build tech skills for free
9. Request Recommendations
Recommendations serve as mini testimonials. They’re powerful because they validate your skills and experience from others’ perspectives.
Request specific recommendations: Request colleagues mention particular projects or outcomes.
Diversify your sources: Recommendations from a mix of managers, clients, and colleagues add depth to your profile.
Useful Link:
🔗 Learn how to get recommendations
10. Showcase Certifications and Continuous Learning
Even though nothing beats hands-on projects - adding relevant certifications can show that you’re committed to growing your skills.
List high-value certifications: Industry-recognized certifications relevant to your goals can add depth to your profile.
💡 Example: “AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (2023)” or “Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer” adds credibility to your skillset.
11. Engage with Others
LinkedIn is more than a place to broadcast achievements—it’s a platform for building real connections.
Start conversations, don’t just comment: When you respond to someone’s post, treat it like a conversation. Ask questions, add your perspective, or even share a related story. This makes your engagement feel genuine and can open doors to deeper connections.
Personalize your connection requests: Sending a connection request? Take a moment to personalize it. Mention a shared interest, a recent post they shared, or what inspired you to reach out. It’s these small gestures that make a connection feel more like a friendship than just a click.
12. Share Engaging Content
Staying active doesn’t mean constant thought leadership posts—mix it up! Share personal insights, industry news, or day-to-day learnings.
Post a mix of topics: Share updates, advice, or behind-the-scenes insights that reflect who you are and what you do. This variety can make your profile more relatable and approachable.
Add your perspective: When sharing something, add a brief comment about why it’s meaningful to you or how it relates to your role. This personal touch keeps your posts engaging.
💡 Content Ideas:
Share industry news with your insights on why it matters
Post a personal goal related to career development
Write a mini-case study about a recent project you’re proud of
Offer (or request) podcast or book recommendations
Write about a lesson you’ve learned on your career journey
Give public kudos to a colleague or team member
Share a fun fact or lesser-known insight about your industry
Share tips on managing work-life balance
Offer productivity tips or organization hacks that work for you
Highlight recent accomplishments or career milestones
Post a relevant meme or joke about your industry for a lighter touch
Share a step-by-step tutorial on a useful tool or workflow
Ask a thought-provoking question about a trend in your field
Share a personal story or success moment that taught you something valuable
Wrap-Up
Your LinkedIn profile isn’t a static resume; it’s your personal brand. Regular updates, authentic engagement, and varied content that reflects both professional and personal growth can open doors you didn’t even know were there.
Bonus Section
Want your LinkedIn profile to truly stand out?
Add hands-on projects! Unlock over 30+ free projects covering topics like DevOps, AI and Machine Learning, Networking, Databases, and more.
So comprehensive - nice work!