Chapter 6: Building Your LinkedIn and Online Presence
Why this now needs its own focus
LinkedIn is now the first place most recruiters and hiring managers look, often before they open a CV. A weak or inconsistent profile can undo strong CV work before you get the chance to make your case in person.
The essentials
Your headline should state what you do and the value you bring, not simply your last job title. Compare a headline that reads former operations manager against one that reads operations leader specialising in supply chain efficiency and cost reduction. The second gives a recruiter a reason to click through.
Your about section should read as a short, human summary of your career story and what you are looking for next, not a list of duties copied from your CV. Regular activity, including comments, short posts and genuine engagement with your industry, keeps you visible to the recruiters searching for people like you. A profile photo taken within the last two years, and a banner image relevant to your field rather than the platform default, both measurably increase profile views.
In practice: Michael's four-year-stale profile
Michael had a complete but static LinkedIn profile that had not been touched in four years. Updating his headline, rewriting his about section and posting one short reflection on his industry each week led to two direct recruiter approaches within a month, without a single job board application.
In practice: Priya's open to work setting
Priya, a finance professional, had never used the open to work setting, unsure how it would look to her current employer given she had not yet left. Once she was in a position to use it openly, she set it visible to recruiters only rather than publicly, added three specific target job titles to her profile, and began receiving relevant recruiter messages within days, several from roles she would not otherwise have found through job boards.
- Leaving a profile untouched for years and expecting it to work as hard as an active one.
- Copying CV text directly into the about section rather than writing in a natural, human voice.
- Using an outdated photo or no photo at all.
- Never engaging with content, so the profile never appears in anyone's feed.
A note of supportMany people hesitate over the open to work setting because it feels like a public admission of something painful. It is worth reframing it. Redundancy is now a routine feature of almost every industry and almost every career, not a personal exception, and recruiters and hiring managers see it that way too. Being visible as open to opportunities is a practical search decision, not a vulnerable one, and you are in good company using it.
- Rewrite your headline to describe the value you offer, not just your last title.
- Rewrite your about section in your own voice, ending with what you are looking for next.
- Set the open to work setting appropriately, and post or comment on one relevant piece of content this week.
- Ask a former colleague to review your profile and tell you honestly what impression it gives.
This programme gives you frameworks and actions. Your coach is where they become genuinely yours. Rather than arriving with answers, consider bringing these open questions into your next session and exploring them together:
- What holds you back from presenting yourself fully online?
- What would it mean, right now, to be visible about where you are?
- Whose opinion are you most conscious of when you think about updating your profile, and why theirs?