How to optimise your LinkedIn profile
Your LinkedIn profile isn’t just a digital CV, it’s your personal storefront. It can help you get found, build credibility, and open doors you didn’t even know existed.
This is practical, step-by-step. As you read this, open your LinkedIn profile in another tab and update each section as you go.
Profile Photo & Banner
Your photo is often the very first thing recruiters see.
What to do:
Use a recent, clear, front-facing photo (head and shoulders).
Plain background, natural light, friendly expression.
Wear what you’d wear to work.
Avoid group shots, selfies, photos with filters or party pics.
Optional: Add a clean banner image behind your photo (a city skyline, a plain gradient or something subtle that reflects your industry).
Stop and update:
1) Click your profile photo → Edit
2) Add or update your banner
Headline
Your headline appears in every search. Don’t waste it by only listing your job title. The more accurate the words that reflect the type of role you are interested in the more likely you will be contacted about suitable roles!
What to do:
Brainstorm the most relevant skills that are most aligned with the type of role you are seeking.
Combine your current role with keywords that reflect the work you want.
Keep it simple, searchable, and specific.
Examples:
HR Business Partner | ER/IR | Culture and Change | Talent Strategy
People and Culture Coordinator | Recruitment | Onboarding | Early Careers
Stop and update:
Click the pencil icon next to your name.
Rewrite your headline with at least one core skill or focus area.
About Section
Your About is not a CV summary. It is your story in your own words: who you are, what you care about, and the difference you make. Most people leave it blank or write a list of duties. Do not do that. Use this section to connect skills to outcomes and to show a little personality.
What to include
One line on who you are and your focus
Two to four lines on strengths and proof of impact
One to two lines on what you are interested in next
Optional call to action
Stop and update:
1) Draft your “About” section
2) Copy it into your profile
Experience
This is one of the most important sections on your profile. Recruiters and hiring managers use it to quickly assess your level, the scale of work you’ve done, and the kind of impact you’ve had.
Your LinkedIn should tell the same story as your CV. If the two don’t match, it raises red flags fast. Dates, job titles, responsibilities and achievements should be aligned. You don’t need to list every tiny detail on LinkedIn, but nothing should contradict what’s on your CV.
What to do:
Check that your job titles, company names and dates exactly match your CV.
Write 2-4 sentences per role.
Give a quick snapshot of what the company does if it’s not widely known.
Focus on achievements and outcomes, not just a list of duties.
Use clear, outcome-based language (increased, improved, built, reduced, implemented).
Add links, media or documents where relevant (presentations, projects, toolkits, campaigns).
Include volunteer or contract work if it’s relevant to your career story.
Example before:
Responsible for onboarding new employees.
Example after:
Led onboarding for 150 employees annually, streamlining documentation and reducing first-week admin issues by 30%.
Stop and update:
a) Open your LinkedIn and CV side by side.
b) Check job titles, company names and dates for consistency.
c) Rewrite your bullet points or sentences to show results, not tasks.
d) Add any media, links or achievements that bring the role to life.
e) If you’ve held multiple roles at the same company, stack them correctly to show progression.
Extra tip:
Hiring managers often look at LinkedIn before they even download your CV. If your CV says “HR Business Partner” but your LinkedIn says “HR Advisor,” it can create unnecessary doubt. Always keep both aligned.
Skills
Your skills section isn’t just a list of buzzwords. It’s one of the fastest ways recruiters and hiring managers find you in searches. LinkedIn’s algorithm prioritises skills when matching candidates to roles, so the right words here can directly influence whether you show up in search results.
Keep it targeted. A focused set of skills looks more intentional and more believable than a long, scattered list. Quality and relevance will always beat volume.
What to do:
List your top 5-10 core skills. The ones that reflect what you want to be known for.
Remove anything outdated or not aligned to your current direction.
Use language that matches how recruiters search (for example, “Employee Relations,” “Recruitment,” “Change Management,” “Workforce Planning,” “HRIS”).
Revisit and tidy your list every few months to keep it current.
Stop and update:
a) Click the pencil icon on Skills.
b) Add or remove skills so the list reflects your strongest areas.
c) Reorder them to make your top skills the most visible.
Credentials and Certifications
Your credentials aren’t just a nice extra, they can make a real difference in how visible and credible your profile appears. Some clients and organisations also look for specific qualifications. For example, a Bachelor’s degree in HR or a related field, AHRI membership, or specialist certifications in ER/IR, WHS or payroll. If they can’t see it on your profile, they may not assume you have it
Even short courses can help show professional development and commitment to the field.
What to do:
Add your formal qualifications (e.g., Bachelor of Human Resources, Diploma of Business, Psychology, Law, Commerce).
Add professional memberships or certifications (e.g., AHRI, Fair Work training, WHS, payroll systems, coaching accreditation).
Include relevant short courses and LinkedIn Learning completions that align with your goals.
Stop and update:
a) Click “Add profile section” → Education and Licenses & Certifications.
b) Add your degree(s), major(s) and year of completion.
c) Add memberships and certifications that are relevant to the roles you’re targeting.
d) Move your most important qualifications to the top of the section.
Extra tip:
If a job ad specifies a particular qualification, having it clearly listed on your profile can help ensure your application isn’t filtered out before a human ever sees it.
Location
Location plays a much bigger role on LinkedIn than most people realise. Recruiters and hiring managers often search for candidates using location filters. If your profile lists the wrong place (or none at all), you may never appear in their search results even if you’re a perfect fit for the role.
Stop and update:
Go to your profile → click the pencil icon at the top.
Under Location, enter your current or target city.
Final Checklist
Profile photo is clear, current and professional
Banner image is clean and aligned with your personal brand
Headline includes keywords that match the roles you want
About section tells your story and highlights impact
Experience matches your CV and focuses on achievements
Key skills are relevant, targeted and up to date
Qualifications, memberships and certifications are listed clearly
Location is set to your current or target city
Profile has no outdated or conflicting information
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