According to May 2023 data, LinkedIn, which is used by 930 million people , is a platform that provides benefits in many areas such as researching desired job postings, expanding business circles by connecting with new people, and following industry trends. According to research, LinkedIn profiles that are fully set up are 30% more visible on the platform, so the LinkedIn account must first be fully set up. So what should we pay attention to when setting up LinkedIn and starting to use it actively? Now we will cover each section in detail.
1. Setting Up Your LinkedIn Profile
In the first step of LinkedIn setup, we start by entering basic information such as name, surname, e-mail information and city of residence into the system. At this stage, people who are actively looking for a job can enter the position and city alternatives they can work in and enter the necessary information into the system to be notified via e-mail when a suitable position opens. In this way, we have the chance to follow job postings in different cities for more than one position.
In the next stage, LinkedIn suggests some followable hashtags and pages based on the country you live in, your education and work experience. You can continue after selecting the options that you think are suitable for you.
The adjustments we’ve made up to this point have been the necessary steps for a basic LinkedIn setup. After that, we’ll dive into ways you can improve your account to personalize it and make it more visible.
URL and Language Selection
First, you should make sure that your LinkedIn URL consists of only your first and last name. This field will help people find you more easily and will create the perception that you have paid the necessary attention to the setup of your LinkedIn account. You can make this edit by clicking on the profile icon at the top right of your profile and entering the 'General Profile and URL' section. This field gives you the freedom to include 3-100 letters or numbers, but keeping it short and concise is important for memorability and for those looking for you to find you easily. After removing the numbers after your first and last name from your account URL and making it directly www.linkedin.com/in/didemhimmetli , you can continue with the other steps. You can also update your LinkedIn language options from this field.
Photo and Cover Image Selection
Another stage is to diversify your LinkedIn profile visually. Your LinkedIn photo is one of the most important external images of your LinkedIn presence and is considered to be an indicator of many things about you. After entering your profile, you can edit your current photo or add a new photo by clicking on the round photo addition section. If you are currently looking for a job, you can add the 'Open to Work' frame to the edge of your profile photo by clicking on the Square section at the bottom of the photo addition section . If you are a professional who is hiring, you can use the 'Hiring' frame from the same section.
So what kind of photo should be used? A clear and high-quality photo where you are dressed for your job, taken in the right light, in front of a plain background, with your face in the foreground, would be appropriate for this area. You should make sure that there is no one else in the photo or distracting elements, and your face should cover a large part of the photo. At this point, instead of using a selfie as your profile picture, using photos taken by professionals as your profile picture will create a good impression.
More than 80% of LinkedIn users use color photos, so choosing a black and white photo for your profile photo can help you stand out from a large number of users. However, you should make sure that the contrast and brightness adjustments of your black and white photo are done correctly, meaning that you are using a quality black and white photo.
The image we will add to the cover photo section should be 1584 x 396 pixels and no larger than 4MB. Since this area has more pixels than the profile photo section, it allows you to effectively display the message you want to give about yourself and your profile. If you are a blogger with regular blog posts and your purpose of using LinkedIn is to announce your posts to your target audience, you can highlight your blog posts in your cover image, or if you have received an award and this award is important for your industry, then you can add a professional photo of you from the moment you received your award, or if you are someone who gives regular trainings, then you can use images that highlight your previous trainings in this area.
Title Section
Your LinkedIn headline is an impressive section where you can give a quick preview of who you are and what you do. When searching on LinkedIn, the first thing users will notice is your profile picture and headline. In this section, it will be noticeable to choose a headline that is different from your colleagues and suitable for your industry. So where can we make this edit? After entering your LinkedIn profile, it is enough to click on the edit icon in the upper right to edit this section.
Your LinkedIn headline is an area that has the potential to overseas chinese in europe data encourage your target audience to get to know you better, and it is a key element in shaping how recruiters perceive you. For an effective LinkedIn headline, you should first make sure that you use keywords related to your industry and field. Using industry-related keywords in your headline will help you be found more easily by recruiters and business people. You can review sample headlines for different industries and positions below:
Marketing Student | Open to Marketing Job and Internship Opportunities | Social media, Email marketing | 2025 Graduate This title is an example that can be used for a student studying in the marketing department, and the desire to experience business life while studying is clearly observed.
Helping You Land the Job of Your Dreams | Career Coach & Resume Writer This headline makes it compelling by clearly stating the individual's value proposition and expertise.
Business Development Intern @Zeo | Dokuz Eylül University Business Administration Graduate | Open to new job opportunities This title directly emphasizes that we are open to job applications by showing the institution where the internship is currently done and the department from which we graduated.
Software Engineer | PHP, C++ | Open to software development opportunities This title effectively communicates an individual's job title, core skills, and career goal, making them relevant to potential recruiters.
Digital Marketing Expert | SEO, CVR, Analytics | Helping Brands Grow
This headline example is specific, showcases the person's expertise, and includes industry-related keywords to grab the attention of people in their target audience.
If you are a marketing expert, you should include marketing in the title section , and if you are a sales expert, you should include programs that are used in your sector such as B2B - B2C that you think would be useful to know. You should be clear and specific about what you want to showcase in your LinkedIn title . You can include your current job title, an important award you have won, or competencies that you think would put you ahead of your competitors. Using strategic keywords that people in your sector will search for will increase your chances of appearing in the searches of recruiters. However, remember that too much of anything can cause problems, and using these keywords more than necessary can have the opposite effect . In short, you should use a title that is relevant to your target audience, showcases your skills and experience. By implementing the tips I have shared, you can create a special LinkedIn title that describes who you are, uses the right and sufficient amount of keywords, and attracts the attention of your target audience.
About Section
Adding a summary about yourself to the 'About' section of your profile allows your profile visitors to get to know you quickly. You can think of this area as a text summary of everything you've added to your CV. After you enter your profile, you can click on the 'About' section below and add up to 2600 characters of information you want to highlight about your career development.
The summary text you add to this field should be written in a simple and understandable language using your professional qualifications, experiences, job descriptions and important keywords. Thanks to the about section, your profile visitors can understand you better before looking at your other profile details. In this section, you can add information that you can highlight about yourself, from articles written to projects carried out, awards received to designed studies, trainings and experiences. It is important to be different and original in the LinkedIn about section, and to add the information to be conveyed in a short and concise manner without being too convoluted. The elements that you should definitely include in this summary text should be:
Your title: First, you should state your title. After clearly stating the position you hold, you can add the institution you are currently working in. In addition to your title, you can highlight the special skills and experiences you have. This will highlight the characteristics that set you apart from other professionals and highlight your desire to improve yourself.
Professional Qualifications: You should add the most sought-after professional qualifications in your sector. You can highlight the programs or certificates that you think would make a difference in this section and emphasize your areas of expertise and talents.
Experience: You can specify how many years of experience you have in the relevant sector. The length of experience will show you as a more reliable professional to profile visitors. You can also specify which areas you have worked on more. In this way, you can show the people visiting your profile which subjects you are an expert in.
