Your LinkedIn profile is your digital handshake. It's often your first impression to potential employers and can be a deciding factor in job search success.

I'll share proven strategies to improve your LinkedIn profile to make it an effective tool for job searching and career building.

Many software engineers underestimate the power of LinkedIn and fail to optimise their profile, missing out on potential opportunities and failing to attract the attention of recruiters and hiring managers.

Here's what you can do to make your profile bad, good, or even better.

Background cover

Bad: Using an irrelevant image, personal photos or anything too casual.

Good: Choosing a generic, high-quality tech-related image.

Better: A personalized cover that showcases your skills, projects, or includes a professional tag line.

Profile image

Bad: Selfies, group photos, outdated images.

Good: Clear headshot taken in soft, natural light.

Better: A high-resolution, professionally produced headshot with a neutral background or one that reflects your industry.

Headline

Bad: A vague or overly generic job title.

Good: Job title with a couple of key skills.

Better: A crafted headline combining your role, specialities, and a unique value proposition.

About Section

Bad: Overly long, unstructured, or off-topic content.

Good: Basic career overview and skills.

Better: Highlight your achievements, your skills and your passion for software development in a storytelling style.

Experience Section

Bad: General descriptions or irrelevant work experience.

Good: List of jobs and responsibilities.

Better: Description of roles using the STAR method, with results and quantifiable outcomes.

Licences & certifications Section

Bad: Outdated, irrelevant certificates.

Good: presentation of relevant certificates.

Better: Certificates from reputable institutions that are relevant to career goals.

Skills Section

Bad: Displaying outdated, irrelevant skills.

Good: List skills that are relevant to our aspirations.

Better: Prioritise and update relevant skills, get endorsements for these skills.

Recommendations Section

Bad: No recommendations or irrelevant endorsements.

Good: A few recommendations from colleagues.

Better: Diverse recommendations from various professional levels and actively endorsing others.

Engagement on LinkedIn

Bad: Inappropriate or unprofessional content.

Good: Occasionally sharing relevant articles or updates.

Better: Regular insightful posts, meaningful engagement, and contributions to discussions.

By following these steps, you can transform your profile into an engaging representation of your professional journey, making you an attractive candidate to potential employers.