In the competitive UK job market, simply having a LinkedIn profile is not enough. If you want recruiters to notice you, message you about opportunities and remember your name, your profile needs to look professional, polished and easy to find.
Here are five proven ways to make your LinkedIn profile stand out to UK recruiters. You can also read “Portfolio Careers Are Becoming the New Normal and How to Adapt” for more ideas about building a modern career.
1. Use a Professional Photo and Banner That Make a Strong First Impression
Your profile photo and banner are often the first things a recruiter sees, and they shape the first impression of who you are.
Profile photo:
Use a recent, high-quality headshot with good lighting and a plain background. Dress appropriately for your industry and choose a friendly, confident expression. A professional photo makes you appear approachable and trustworthy. According to Prospects UK, profiles with photos attract far more recruiter attention.
Banner image:
Avoid leaving the banner space blank. Use it to reflect your professional identity or personal brand. You could include your job title, tagline or an image linked to your field, such as a design mock-up, code interface or city skyline. Freelancers might include their contact details here too.
2. Write a Headline and About Section That Clearly Show Your Value
Your headline appears right beneath your name and is one of the most visible parts of your profile. Many people only list their job title, which misses the chance to highlight what makes them stand out.
Headline tips:
- Combine your job title, expertise and value. For example: “UX Designer | Improving user journeys through data-driven design.”
- Include keywords recruiters search for, such as tools, roles or skills like Python, Excel or Content Strategy.
- Keep it short, professional and easy to read.
About section:
This section tells your professional story. Start with a clear opening line about who you are, what you do and what motivates you. Those first three lines matter most because they appear before the “see more” link.
Then focus on your achievements and goals rather than just responsibilities. Use strong verbs and results, such as “Increased website engagement by 35% through strategic content planning.” Write naturally, in the first person, to make it more engaging.
3. Optimise Your Skills, Experience and Keywords for Search
Recruiters often use LinkedIn’s search filters to find candidates. If your profile does not contain the right keywords, you might never appear in their searches.
Skills:
Add around 20 to 30 relevant skills, prioritising the most important ones. Make sure they match the roles you want and ask trusted colleagues to endorse your top skills to strengthen your credibility.
Experience:
Highlight achievements over duties. Use bullet points and clear action verbs such as created, led, managed or achieved. Include measurable outcomes where possible, for example, “Delivered a 20% increase in sales revenue within six months.”
Certifications and projects:
List recent certifications, short courses and projects that showcase your abilities. Add links, documents or visuals to make your work stand out. UK recruiters appreciate seeing real examples of what you have accomplished.
4. Strengthen Your Profile with Recommendations and Social Proof
Recommendations and endorsements show that others value your skills and professionalism.
Recommendations:
Ask previous managers, colleagues or clients for short recommendations that describe your impact. A few detailed, specific reviews are better than many brief ones.
Endorsements:
Encourage people in your network to endorse your top skills and do the same for them. This builds engagement and visibility.
Groups and professional communities:
Join relevant LinkedIn groups and take part in discussions. Share insights, ask questions and comment on posts. This activity demonstrates that you are informed, active and passionate about your profession.
5. Stay Active and Consistent on LinkedIn
Even the best LinkedIn profile will not help if you rarely use it. Consistency is key to staying visible.
Turn on “Open to Work”:
If you are job hunting, enable this feature so recruiters know you are open to opportunities.
Post and comment regularly:
Share industry news, personal insights or professional achievements. Even one post per week can increase your visibility significantly.
Customise your LinkedIn URL:
Go to your profile settings and create a short, clean URL such as linkedin.com/in/yourname. It looks professional and is easier to share.
Check mobile layout:
Many UK recruiters browse on mobile, so make sure your photo, banner and text look good on smaller screens.
The Power of a Well-Optimised Profile
A strong LinkedIn profile can be one of your most valuable career tools. It allows recruiters to find you easily, builds trust in your professional brand and opens new opportunities that might not come through traditional job applications.
If you want expert help to enhance your profile, consider working with a LinkedIn optimisation specialist such as Bidisha Ray, who helps UK students and professionals build credible, high-performing profiles that attract recruiter attention and unlock new career paths.
