We’ve made LinkedIn much harder than it needs to be
I’ve lost count of the number of times someone has apologised to me about their LinkedIn profile.
“I haven’t logged in for months.” “I never know what to post.” “I really should use LinkedIn more.”
It’s usually said with a slightly guilty tone, as though they’re admitting they’ve been neglecting something important. Somewhere along the way, we’ve been led to believe that having a successful LinkedIn profile means posting regularly, building a personal brand and constantly showing up in people’s feeds.
The funny thing is, I don’t use LinkedIn consistently myself.
That probably surprises people because I write LinkedIn profiles almost every week. I know recruiters use it. I know employers look at it. I also know it can play an important role in someone’s job search. But there’s a big difference between having a professional LinkedIn profile that works for you and feeling like you need to become a LinkedIn content creator.
I don’t expect that from my clients because, for most people, it simply isn’t necessary.
Your LinkedIn profile isn’t another full time job
Over the past few years, LinkedIn has started to feel much more like a social media platform than a professional networking site. Open your feed and you’ll quickly find advice telling you to post several times a week, share leadership lessons, comment on dozens of posts each day and build an audience if you want recruiters to notice you.
For some people, that’s absolutely the right approach. If you’re building a business, promoting a service or establishing yourself as an industry expert, creating content can be a valuable part of your marketing strategy.
Most of my clients aren’t trying to do any of those things.
They’re already busy with work, family, interviews, applications and everything else life throws at them. They don’t want another platform demanding their attention, and I don’t believe their job search depends on becoming active on LinkedIn every day.
I’d much rather they have a professionally written LinkedIn profile that accurately represents who they are and quietly supports their career in the background.
What recruiters are really looking for
When recruiters search LinkedIn, they’re usually not looking for the person who published the most posts that week.
They’re searching for people with the right experience, qualifications and skills. They’re using keywords to identify candidates who match the role they’re recruiting for, and they’re looking for profiles that clearly explain what someone has done, what they do well and where their career is heading. That’s one of the reasons I spend so much time making sure the LinkedIn profiles I write are aligned with my clients’ resumes and include the language recruiters are likely to search for.
I’ve had many clients contacted directly by recruiters through LinkedIn when they weren’t actively looking for another job. Some hadn’t posted anything for years. Others rarely logged in. Their LinkedIn profile was simply complete, professional and easy for recruiters to find.
That’s exactly what I want.
A well written LinkedIn profile keeps working for you
I often describe a LinkedIn profile as your online resume.
Your resume will always be the document you tailor and submit with a job application, but your LinkedIn profile gives recruiters and hiring managers somewhere to learn a little more about you. It provides room to include additional information, recommendations, qualifications and career history that simply won’t fit on a two page resume. It also gives employers another way to contact you directly if they think you’d be a good fit for an opportunity.
That’s why I include LinkedIn profile writing as part of many of my services including graduate career coaching. I’m not creating another account for someone to feel guilty about neglecting. I’m creating another professional asset. One that supports their resume. One that reflects where their career is today. One that can be found by recruiters next month or even next year.
The best LinkedIn profiles don’t need constant attention. They simply need to be accurate, professional and ready when someone goes looking.
Keeping your LinkedIn profile current doesn’t take much
That doesn’t mean you should create a LinkedIn profile and never look at it again.
If you’ve changed jobs, completed a qualification or developed new skills, it’s worth updating your profile so it continues to reflect your experience. If a recruiter sends you a connection request, accept it. If someone contacts you about an opportunity, reply. Those occasional updates help ensure your LinkedIn profile remains relevant without becoming another task on your weekly to do list.
The resources I give my own clients suggest spending a small amount of time on LinkedIn every now and then, not because you need to keep feeding an algorithm, but because it’s sensible to keep your professional profile current. For most people, that’s enough.
Don’t confuse visibility with value
I sometimes wonder whether we’ve started confusing being visible online with being valuable professionally.
Posting every day doesn’t automatically make someone better at leading a team, managing projects, solving problems or supporting clients. Those qualities are developed over years of experience, not through social media.
Your LinkedIn profile should communicate those strengths clearly. It should reinforce your resume, reflect your experience and make it easy for recruiters and hiring managers to understand the value you could bring to their organisation.
That’s a very different goal from trying to build an audience.
Keep it simple
I think we’ve made LinkedIn far more complicated than it needs to be. For most professionals, it doesn’t have to become another job or another source of pressure. It simply needs to be a professional LinkedIn profile that accurately reflects your experience, supports your resume and can be found when recruiters or employers are searching for someone with your background.
Once that’s done, it’s free to get on with doing exactly what it was designed to do. Work quietly in the background while you focus on your career.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to post regularly on LinkedIn to get noticed?
Not in my experience. A complete, professionally written LinkedIn profile is far more important than posting every week. Recruiters are generally searching for skills, experience and keywords that match the roles they’re recruiting for, rather than looking for the most active content creators.
Can recruiters find me if I rarely use LinkedIn?
Yes. If your LinkedIn profile is complete, keyworded and up to date, recruiters can still find you through LinkedIn searches, even if you rarely post or comment.
Should my LinkedIn profile match my resume?
Absolutely. Your resume and LinkedIn profile should tell the same professional story. Employers often look at both before deciding whether to invite someone to interview, so consistency builds confidence and credibility.
For most people, LinkedIn doesn’t need to become another item on an already long to do list. It simply needs to be a professional reflection of who you are, what you’ve achieved and where you’d like your career to go. When it’s written well, it can continue opening doors long after you’ve logged out.
If your LinkedIn profile hasn’t been updated for years, doesn’t reflect where your career is today or simply isn’t attracting the right opportunities, I’d be happy to help. We’ll create a professional profile that supports your resume, positions you for the roles you want and works quietly in the background while you get on with everything else.
You’re welcome to book a free 15 minute call to chat about your career goals and whether a professionally written LinkedIn profile could help you get there.
