Free LinkedIn Profile Checker

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Your LinkedIn Profile should make you stand out and be easy to find by other LinkedIn members and casual people searching, like recruiters for example.

This essential 10-point checklist is packed with invaluable tips to quickly improve your LinkedIn Profile to ensure recruiters, employers and your peers will want to connect with you (and interview you too, if you're looking for a job).
You can download our LinkedIn Profile Checklist as a PDF. Please click on the underlined blue text with your right mouse button and select 'Save Target As' or 'Save Link As'.

1. Do you have a professional 'head and shoulders' photograph?

Quite a lot of people don't have a photograph, this is a missed opportunity, as according to LinkedIn and other leading authorities, adding a photo could result in 7 to 14 times more profile views.
A happy-go-lucky image of you at the bar on holiday in shorts and shades with unruly and unkempt hair is not the image you want to convey on a professional networking site like LinkedIn. How people see you will influence what they think of you.
A professional head and shoulders photo of you in business attire, hair appropriately coiffed and generally looking well-groomed will create a good impression.

2. Does your Profile have a well-written headline?

Your headline is located just underneath your name on your Profile and it must therefore grab the reader's attention, as it may be one of the first things they read.
Your headline is limited to just 120 characters and must reflect who you are and what you want to project to whoever might read it.
Most people just list their current job title and employer's name, but if you want to attract attention, you need to be more creative and you must convey your skills, experience and results.
When employers / recruiters search on LinkedIn, your headline will be shown in the search results. If it looks like everyone else's then you won't stand out and employers and recruiters will just ignore you and just pick a Profile with a more interesting headline.

3. Is your contact information sufficient?

Clearly this is vital! Yet surprisingly mistakes are often made with incorrect phone numbers and email addresses.
Ask yourself who might want to contact you, when and how. Mobile numbers are frequently not answered and of course it might not be convenient from a confidentiality viewpoint. Email could be better as you can control when you answer it.

4. Does the summary section sell you?

A well-written summary should make people want to connect with you (and invite you to an interview if you're currently looking for a job). It must be relevant and compelling, particularly when someone has located your Profile through a search on LinkedIn.
A slip-shod approach to this section will undoubtedly damage your image and inhibit others from finding you and wanting to be associated with you.
You have 2000 characters to sell yourself, you should showcase your main experience, skills, talents, results and achievements.

5. Is your experience section completed effectively?

The experience section needs to be written from a cup-is-half-full perspective and you should not miss the opportunity to promote your capacity to add value to each employer you've worked for.
If you don't promote yourself in this section, you won't grab the attention of people who might have sought you out.
You should include your most recent job first, just like you would on a CV / resume, including your job title, employer's name and the dates you worked there.
You must also detail your main responsibilities and show how you've used your skills and experience to achieve results.
Only include your most important jobs, you don't need to include holiday jobs you did when you were a student 20 years ago!
Make sure that your dates follow on and don't leave any long unexplained gaps in your experience section.

6. Have you included an education section?

If your academic prowess is important to your career then this section could be critical, ensure it is relevant and up to date.
Clearly secondary education from 35 years ago will be less influential to the reader, but the higher the education level the more compelling it is likely to be. Don't rely on education to sell you exclusively though.

7. Have you made the most of your skills?

It's important to fill in the Skills section, as these increase your chances of showing up in the search results when employers, recruiters or other LinkedIn members search for a particular skill.
Think carefully about the main skills that you have and list them in the Skills section of your Profile.

8. Have you filled in 'Projects' and other relevant sections?

You may not be an outright project manager, but have you contributed to projects that could showcase your skills and talent?
Here you can relate to internal project work as an employee, maybe any training you have been involved with or online authoring or publications. Anything that could promote your skills and abilities.
You can also add other sections, such as language skills, volunteering, etc. But only add these if they add value to your Profile.

9. Do you have endorsements and recommendations from others?

Praise from clients / colleagues is a powerful endorsement, adding value to your Profile by showing how you've used your expertise to go the extra mile - it also boosts your Profile in LinkedIn's search results.
Get your connections to endorse your skills & write recommendations.

10. Are you updating and improving your LinkedIn Profile frequently?

There will always be room for improvement and your LinkedIn Profile should be a continuous 'work in progress'.
Aim to update and improve your Profile on a regular basis, at least once every few months (even if you're not looking for a job).

Do You Want To Significantly Improve Your LinkedIn Profile / CV?

Most LinkedIn Profiles and CVs are quite weak, so you can get far more attention from employers and recruiters with a compelling expertly written LinkedIn Profile and CV from Bradley CVs.
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