Oct 12, 2026 · @Julio
Seven in the morning, cold coffee, and twenty open profiles
Imagine the scene. It's Monday, seven in the morning. The HR manager of a distribution company opens her computer, coffee already cooling, and types two words into a search box: "logistics manager Luanda." Hundreds of names appear. She has an urgent vacancy, a boss pressuring her, and at most, twenty minutes before her first meeting.
What happens next decides her work week, and perhaps her career. She opens the first profiles that catch her eye, scans each one in ten, fifteen seconds, and saves three or four to a list. The others? She never sees them again.
I've been on that side many times, over more than 30 years of recruitment. I assure you that the question asked in those seconds isn't "who is the best professional?" It's much simpler and much more unfair: "who can I quickly understand and who seems to fit?"
That's why I see, with an almost paternal sadness, so many excellent professionals hidden on LinkedIn. They have years of experience, real results, solid education, but their profile is empty, outdated, or written in a way that no one, neither people nor algorithms, can find.
The good news is that correcting this doesn't require talent or money. It requires attention, a few well-spent hours, and a clear idea of what you're doing. That's what I'm going to share with you in this article.
We will calmly go through:
- how recruiters practically search on LinkedIn;
- each part of the profile, from the photo to the skills, and how to work on it;
- where and how to use keywords without sounding like a robot;
- settings that almost no one uses and that make a difference;
- how your activity and network help you get found;
- the most common mistakes I see;
- a 30-minute audit and a seven-day plan.
No magic formulas. Just what I've learned from looking at thousands of profiles, and being looked at by them.
First, understand how recruiters really search
For recruiters, LinkedIn functions as a huge people search engine. Understanding this logic is half the battle.
What happens behind the search box
A recruiter types terms (job title, skill, industry, city) and often applies filters: location, experience, language, current or previous company. The platform returns a list of profiles ordered according to criteria we don't fully control, but which largely depend on four things:
- Match: Do the searched terms appear in your profile, especially in high-weight areas like the headline, "About" section, job titles, and skills?
- Completeness: Is the profile filled out, or does it have gaps?
- Relevance: Do your location, industry, and experience make sense for the search?
- Proximity and activity: Are you connected to people in the recruiter's network? Do you have recent activity?
I don't have access to the exact internal workings of the platform, which changes frequently, but these four factors align with what I've observed over the years as a recruiter and user. Treat them as practical principles, not as rules set in stone.
Two distinct moments: being found and being chosen
It's useful to separate:
- Being found depends on keywords, completeness, and relevance. This is the machine's territory.
- Being chosen (being clicked on, messaged, or having your profile saved) depends on clarity, credibility, and overall impression. This is the person's territory.
A winning profile excels in both phases. Many people only work on one: either they fill their profile with technical terms that no one enjoys reading, or they write beautiful text without the words that would make them appear.
Who searches for whom?
Recruiters aren't the only ones searching. Hiring managers, department heads, potential clients, partners, and even colleagues looking for references search profiles every day. Each conducts slightly different searches. Therefore, your profile should be clear to anyone in your field who opens it, not just HR specialists.
The photo and banner: the first impression in two seconds
I know it seems superficial, but the photo carries weight. When a recruiter sees a list of results, the image is the first thing the eye catches. It's not a matter of beauty: it's a matter of trust. A profile without a photo, or with a strange photo, raises a silent question: "Is this profile real and up-to-date?"
A good professional photo
- Face clearly visible, occupying about 60% of the image, with shoulders and upper chest;
- Simple background, without clutter behind you, preferably neutral or with a soft color;
- Natural light from the front, near a window. Avoid backlighting and direct flash;
- Clothing you would wear to an interview in that field. An engineer and a designer can dress differently, and that's perfectly fine;
- Natural expression, with a subtle smile. It doesn't need to be a rigid document pose;
- Recent image, representing you today. If someone meets you in person, they should recognize you.
You don't need a studio. A trusted person with a modern smartphone and a window can achieve very good results. Take ten, choose one.
What to avoid
- Mirror selfies, party photos, group cutouts (with someone's arm next to you);
- Heavy filters, sunglasses, hats;
- Photos with children, pets, or your car. They have their place, but not here;
- Blurry, dark, or low-resolution images.
The banner (background image)
This is one of the most wasted areas of a profile. Many people leave the standard gray background, which is a lost opportunity. Use it to communicate in two lines what you do. Some ideas:
- A short phrase with your specialty and industry;
- A discreet background with sober colors and your name, role, and area of expertise;
- An image related to your work (a warehouse, a laboratory, a classroom, a project), if it's of good quality;
- If you have a service or a website, the visible address.
Keep the text legible on mobile, as most people view profiles on their phones, and the banner is cropped differently depending on the device. Test it on your own phone.
The headline: the most important line of text on your profile
If I had to choose a single place to invest half an hour, it would be here. The headline is the text that appears right below your name, in searches, comments, messages, and connection requests. It's your permanent storefront.
The problem? By default, LinkedIn fills it with your last job title and company, for example, "Administrative Assistant at Company X." It's correct, but it wastes the opportunity. You have about 220 characters, and most people use fewer than 40.
The recipe I recommend
Main role + specialties or keywords + value you bring (optional)
Some examples to inspire, all invented:
| Profile | Weak Headline | Strong Headline | | --- | --- | --- | | Accountant | "Accountant at Company X" | "Accountant | | Salesperson | "Commercial" | "B2B Sales Manager | | Recent Graduate | "Student" | "Business Management Graduate | | Teacher in transition | "Teacher" | "Teacher transitioning to Corporate Training | | IT Professional | "IT Technician" | "IT Support Technician |
Five rules for a good headline
- Use the job title as the market calls it. If job ads say "Project Manager," don't write "Leader of strategic initiatives";
- Place the most important words at the beginning. On mobile, the headline may be cut off;
- Show a differentiator (industry, tool, result) instead of vague adjectives;
- If you're job searching, you can say so elegantly, but don't let it be the only information. "Seeking opportunities" alone doesn't help with searches;
- Be truthful. The headline is a promise. The rest of the profile must deliver on it.
What to avoid
- Phrases like "Passionate about challenges," "Natural leader," "Sales guru." They are not searched and sound exaggerated;
- Excessive emojis (one discreet one, at most, and only if it matches your industry);
- Invented or inflated job titles;
- Overly long headlines that get lost in searches.
The "About" section: your story, told by you
If the headline is the storefront, the "About" section is the conversation at the entrance of the store. It's the space where a stranger decides if they want to hear more.
And here I see two repeated tragedies. One is the blank section, which wastes one of the most read parts of the profile. The other is the copied, dry, third-person resume text, which sounds like it was written by a lawyer: "The professional in question possesses solid experience in..."
Write like you speak (but better)
Think about the difference between these two openings for a maintenance technician's profile. The first: "Professional with solid experience in industrial maintenance." The second: "I spend my days preventing machines from stopping. And when they do, figuring out why before anyone notices." I'd read the second one to the end. I understand what he does, how he thinks, and why he's good, in two sentences.
You don't need to be funny or poetic. You need to be clear, human, and specific.
A simple structure
- Opening (1 to 2 sentences): who you are and what you do, or what drives you in your work. This part appears before "see more," so it needs to grab attention;