The headline is the highest-value field
It appears in search results, in messages, and next to everything you post. Your job title alone wastes it.
- Weak: "Senior Analyst at Meridian"
- Better: "Senior Data Analyst | SQL, Python, dbt | Retail & supply chain analytics"
The second version contains the terms a recruiter would actually type. That is the whole trick.
Write the About section in first person
Three or four short paragraphs: what you do, what you have done that is worth knowing about with a number in it, and what you are looking for now. First person, plain language. Third-person profiles read like a press release about someone who is not present.
Put the keyword-heavy detail here too — the section is indexed, and it is the natural place for tools, domains, and specialisms that do not fit the headline.
Settings that matter more than content
- Turn on "Open to work" with recruiter-only visibility if you are employed. Recruiters filter on this heavily and it is invisible to your current employer.
- Set your location to where you want to work, not where you happen to be, if you would relocate.
- List every relevant skill — the skills section is directly searchable.
- Make sure your current title is a title people search for. An internal title like "Growth Ninja" is invisible.
Keep the resume and profile consistent
Recruiters compare them, and mismatched dates or titles create doubt that is entirely avoidable. They do not need to be identical in detail — the profile can be longer and more informal — but employment dates, titles, and companies should match exactly.
Being visible without becoming a content creator
You do not need to post. But a profile with zero activity is harder to evaluate than one with a small amount. Commenting substantively on a few posts in your field each month is enough to keep you visible in your network's feed, and it is far less effort than producing content nobody asked for.