A good LinkedIn profile checklist

3 mins read

Here is a list of rules to make your LinkedIn profile professional:

General

Criteria	Meet Specification
Overall, profile is professional, has no errors, and is easy to read and digest	A custom URL has been createdSpelling and grammar are correct Acronyms or language are likely to be known to recruiters or includes explanation Does not include negative language Language is correct and consistent: present tense for current duties, past tense for prior duties and accomplishments

Top Section

Criteria	Meet Specification
Profile picture is professional	Profile includes a clear picture of student’s face Picture needs to look professional, but does not have to be a professional portrait
Headline is professional	Headline uses only positive language (eg. not “seeking employment” which conveys a lack of employment) Headline avoids use of slashes (ie: “data analyst/data scientist”)

Network

Criteria	Meet Specification
Student has enough connections to show up in searches	Has over 50 connections
Student uses LinkedIn as a networking tool by joining relevant groups	Is a member of 2+ relevant groups to goal position/industry
Correct companies and educational institutions are correctly linked	Educational institutions and company pages are correctly linked

Summary

Criteria	Meet Specification
Summary is brief and memorable	Summary briefly describes work experience, applicable knowledge, and builds a narrative Written in first person Stays professional throughout the entire narrative Length is about 1-4 sentences

Projects

Criteria	Meet Specification
Includes 2-3 projects that demonstrate skill	Only most relevant projects are listed; can include personal, academic or work projects Only includes about 2-3 projects Projects have links leading to the code or the project itself
Bullet points are concise and focus on individual actions and project results	Maximum 2-3 bullet points per project At least 1 bullet point demonstrates individual contribution At least 1 bullet point communicates project result (success metrics, findings)

Experience

Criteria	Meet Specification
Includes at least 1 work experience	Experiences note company/organization, title of role, start and end date (month & year), location Includes unpaid or part-time work, if applicable, but omits the words “part-time” and “unpaid”
Bullet points are concise and focus on individual actions and results, and does not summarize job description	Maximum 3-4 bullet points No sub-bullet points Bullet points start with action verbs Correct tense is used in bullet points: past tense for previous, current tense for ongoing Within each job listing: At least 1 bullet point communicates how candidate benefited company or cause. At least 1 bullet point provides concrete, numerical evidence such as projects completed, money made, people managed, accomplishments (eg. % increase) Bullet points are one sentence maximum, not longer than one and a half lines

Education

Criteria	Meet Specification
Includes relevant education, such as but not limited to community college courses, online courses, bootcamps, etc.	Education is listed in reverse chronological order

Skills

Criteria	Meet Specification
Skills listed are relevant to past experience and goal job	Skills listed can include both technical skills (ie: programming languages) and others, such as “project management” Skills section should not include commonly-used technologies such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint Skills section should not include common soft skills like “communication” or “attention to detail”