Is it just us, or is LinkedIn super awkward sometimes? You're not sure what to post, whether you should be all buttoned-up professional or just... yourself. And that little voice in your head keeps asking, "Does anyone even look at this?"
They do! Hiring managers absolutely check your LinkedIn before they reach out. But here's the thing: they're not looking for a robot who copied their resume into a profile. They want to see the real you.
Your LinkedIn profile is your chance to tell your story on your own terms. Not the sanitized version, but the actual journey you're on.
Think about scrolling through social media. What makes you stop? Usually, it's something that feels real, like someone sharing a genuine moment or a story you relate to.
LinkedIn works the same way. Recruiters look at a ton of profiles. What makes them pause isn't the fanciest job title or the longest list of skills. It's the profile that feels like a real person wrote it.
When you share your actual journey—the career pivot you made, the free training you did to learn something new, the volunteering that taught you skills you now use at work—people connect with that. They see themselves in your story.
Your LinkedIn profile is usually the first impression you make before you ever talk to a recruiter. Make it someone they'd want to have a conversation with.
Before you do anything else, ask yourself: What kind of work interests me? What industries make me curious?
You don't have to have all the answers. That's kind of the point of LinkedIn; you can poke around before you commit to anything.
Start following companies that do work you find interesting. Join groups where people in your target field hang out and share advice. Pay attention to hashtags related to careers you're considering. You'll find articles, discussions, and people who've been exactly where you are.
Still figuring out what you want to do next? SkillUp's career discovery tools can help you explore paths that don't require a degree. Once you have even a rough direction (like "I think I want to try this"), LinkedIn becomes the place to learn from people already doing it.
Most people copy-paste their resume into LinkedIn and think, "Done." But your profile can do way more than that.
Talk about what you accomplished in your roles, not just what your job description said you were supposed to do. Did you figure out a better way to do something? Take on extra responsibility? Learn a skill that changed how you approach your work? That's the stuff worth mentioning.
And don't leave out experiences that happened outside a traditional job. Volunteering, community projects, training you did on your own—these all count. They show you're someone who takes initiative.
Recently finished a certificate program to build job-ready skills? Put it on there. It shows you're willing to learn and grow, which is exactly what employers want to see.
Or maybe you’re looking for an upskilling opportunity. SkillUp connects you with free or low-cost training programs in fields that are hiring right now. Adding that kind of training to your profile shows you're serious about developing skills they want to hire.
Networking isn't about collecting connections like you're trying to hit a high score. If you approach it with the intention to build relationships instead, it will feel much more authentic.
Set a simple goal: maybe reach out to five new people each month. Comment on posts from people doing work you admire. Send a message to someone whose career path looks interesting. (Most people appreciate when someone shows genuine interest, by the way.)
And here's a bonus: Your existing connections know other people. When you engage with your network in a genuine way, you naturally meet more folks. That person you talked to at a community event? They might know someone hiring for exactly the kind of role you're looking for.
Treat LinkedIn like your professional contact list. Add people you meet, follow up after good conversations, and stay visible by engaging with content that resonates with you.
Like we mentioned earlier, focus on what you did instead of what you were supposed to do. Instead of "Managed customer accounts," try something like "Helped 50+ customers solve problems, which led to 30% more repeat business." See how different that feels? One is a task. The other is a result.
Talk about your accomplishments, sure. But also share what you care about outside work. Training for a race? Learning something new just for fun? Building things with your hands? These details make you feel like an actual person, not simply a list of job titles.
Be open about your journey. If you're moving from retail into healthcare, say that. If you're trying to go from gig work to something more stable, own it. Everyone's been unsure about their path at some point; being honest about where you are just makes you more relatable.
Your skills section matters more than you might think. It's how recruiters find you when they're searching for candidates.
Keep it updated with skills for the jobs you want, not just the ones you've had. Ask people you've worked with to endorse your skills. Endorse theirs back. It's a small thing that builds goodwill and makes your profile look more legit to people who don't know you yet.
Whenever you pick up a new skill through training, a course, or just doing it on the job, add it to your profile. If you're working toward a specific career, make sure your skills reflect what that job needs, even if you're still learning.
Not sure which skills to focus on? Check out SkillUp's job board to see what employers are looking for. A lot of these jobs don't require a degree, only the right skills and the willingness to learn them.
The more you show up on LinkedIn by updating your profile, engaging with people, and sharing what you're working on, the more it pays off. Not because you're trying to hack some algorithm, but because you're staying on people's radar.
Your LinkedIn should feel like you. Not some buttoned-up, corporate version of you. Just you, ready for whatever's next.
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