5 Ways to Strengthen Your LinkedIn Profile

Dominique Meury

Thu, January 18, 2024 at 6:20 PM EST· 2 min read

If you want to get hired, you need to have a LinkedIn profile that is robust and sincere. Your profile is more than just a digital copy of your resume, though it is a good idea to include many of the same details for consistency. Your profile is also a great way to interact with industry leaders, learn what industry news is trending and relevant, and stay connected to former or future colleagues. Here are some things you can do to increase your presence:

1. Take a good photo. Take the time to get a good professional photo (clear, against a neutral background, in bright light). You could get a friend to do this with their phone (though AI seems to do a pretty good job simulating headshots these days too). A good photo can make a good first impression and shows more of who you are as a human rather than just words or numbers on paper. 

2. Summarize your passion for design. The next best thing is to spend time writing a compelling “About” description of who you are, what you’re good at, and what you’re passionate about. This should be true to who you are and also gives recruiters an idea of your personality, how you want to use your particular skillset, and what kinds of products you want to build. (For example, you could say you’re a UX designer/writer/researcher who specializes in digital health experiences and is passionate about helping everyone in the world be healthier.) Finally, include your job history, which should reflect the same details as your resume.

3. Interact with others. Follow tech and UX design leaders, especially those who are active at sharing links or updates about their company’s products. You could react to posts, comment on posts, or chime in and add your own opinion by reposting other people’s articles, which surfaces your content in the LinkedIn newsfeed and increases your presence online as someone who stays on top of the latest ideas and product releases in the industry. If you don’t have a lot of time to create your own content, these are good ways to stay in the loop.

4. Write your own posts. Another way to increase your reputation as a design leader is to write your own posts on LinkedIn. If you feel like you don’t have a lot of experience, kick that imposter syndrome away! You have the benefit of a fresh, new perspective, which can be just as valuable as someone with years of experience. What are the questions on the top of your mind? (“How will genAI change the way we design?” “3 genAI products I’m excited about”) If you’re thinking about it, others are probably wondering the same thing. They’ll likely be curious to read what you have to say! 

5. Stay connected with people. One thing I like to do whenever I join a new job is to look up and connect with all the people on my team. This helps organically increase your network and helps you stay in touch with coworkers. You never know, you might run into them again at another company, or you could contact them to learn more about roles their company might be offering, publicly or not-yet publicly. Sometimes, you can get a tip about a team’s growth plans, which is often a signal to hire more people soon.

I can tell you from experience, over the last few years working in UX, because I’ve spent a little time filling out my LinkedIn profile and staying active, I now have UX recruiters regularly messaging me with new job opportunities. Building your profile is worth it! Outline your job history and accomplishments. Expand your network. Interact, create, and share your own good work or celebrate others. 

Dominique Meury

Dominique Meury completed the UX Immersive Course from She Designs in 2022 and is now a senior UX writer at Google designing Fitbit's health experiences. Previously, she was a journalist for The Wall Street Journal, The Desert Sun, The Oregonian, and other newspapers.