LinkedIn Profile Checklist

Whether you’re trying to network, search for a job, or build your professional brand, having a built out LinkedIn profile is a great way to start. Use this checklist to put your best professional foot forward.

Header

Profile Photo

  • Upload a recent photo with good lighting and minimal background distractions
  • It doesn’t have to be taken with a professional camera (any smart phone will do!)
  • Free professional headshots are available with the Iris photo booth in MGH 134—stop by to check it out

Background Photo

  • An easy way to add personality to your profile
  • Consider a photo that shows off your geography (e.g., Seattle skyline or UW campus)
  • Or use one tied to your academic or professional identity (e.g., English major using book stacks)

Headline

  • The default headline is your most recent job title, but you can get creative with it
  • Use this 120-character space to stand out and introduce yourself
  • Consider starting with what you’re studying and applying for, like:
    • “Sociology Student at UW seeking public policy internships”

Custom URL

  • Click the right side of the page, click “Edit public profile and URL”
  • Click the pencil icon under “Edit your custom URL”
  • Choose something that helps people find you quickly and is short enough to put on your resume (e.g., your name, UW NetID, name, etc.)

About Summary

  • A brief introduction to your LinkedIn profile where you can show off your professional self and even throw in some personality. Let viewers know:
  1. What are you passionate about? Start with your academics. What are you studying and why?
  2. What are you skilled at? Write about your favorite past experiences, including the skills you built from them.
  3. What are you looking for? Jobs, internships, making connections, exploring new fields, etc.

Tip

  • The button labeled “Add profile section” will serve as your one-stop-shop for accessing all of the available sections as we go through the rest of this guide

Experience

Current & Past Positions

  • Include all of the current and past roles. Don’t miss about whether it was a paid or unpaid! This beyond jobs and internships to include RSO involvement, research, athletics, etc.

Descriptions

  • Adding a description is important for letting viewers know what you did, learned, or accomplished in each position. A good starting point is to copy details from your resume, but you can also write new content as either bullet points or a few short sentences for each position.

Education

  • Schools: Include all college information, including the university name, your degree (e.g., Bachelor of Arts, Science, etc.), field of study (e.g., Biochemistry, Psychology, etc.), and expected graduation date (include both the month and year).

Description

  • It’s optional to include a description, but it’s a great place to list any minors you’re pursuing or extracurricular experience you don’t want to include in another section. You can also choose to include your GPA in the “Grade” section, but this is also not required.

Skills

  • Think big: Choose as many as are relevant to your experiences and field! The skills listed here are what terms recruiters search when they are looking through profiles.
  • Pick your top skills: Only the top 2–3 skills will show on your profile when someone is browsing through, so you can reorder them by clicking the three-dot icon when editing your skills page.

Additional Sections (Optional)

  • Courses: Include some of the relevant courses that you’ve taken to show off your knowledge of specific topics. It’s recommended to keep it to 3–6 courses.
  • Projects: Think back to your coursework, research experiences, or even personal hobbies that you did for enjoyment! Include a short description, media, or a hyperlink to your project/experience section. Consider uploading media or sharing a link to your project!
  • Volunteering: Volunteering can show employers more about your values and is sometimes even as being just as valuable as paid experience.
  • Honors & Awards: Were you on the Dean’s List? Did you earn any merit scholarships? You can add these here!
  • Languages: Do you know any additional languages besides English?
  • Publications: If you’ve done any professional writing, whether in research, journalism, or otherwise, this is a great section to showcase your published work. Don’t forget to include links and/or citations!
  • Organizations: Are you a member of any RSOs? Maybe you even hold a leadership position within one? This is another great section to highlight those on-campus experiences.
  • Licenses & Certifications: Do you have a certification that is valuable or required for your field?

Tip

To have your LinkedIn profile reviewed or if you’d like more help creating your profile, schedule an appointment with a career coach via Handshake.

LinkedIn Profile Checklist (PDF)