How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out for the Right Reasons

Your LinkedIn profile is often one of the first places people go after meeting you, receiving a referral, reading a comment you have shared or hearing your name in a professional conversation. For senior leaders, subject-matter experts, consultants and professionals in transition, it can help people understand your experience, current focus and the contribution you are able to make.

A strong LinkedIn profile needs to be be clear, current and credible. The aim is to make it easier for the right people to understand your work, your strengths and the value you bring.

Start with what you want your LinkedIn profile to communicate

Before updating individual sections, take a step back and consider the overall impression your profile creates.

Two questions can help:

• What do I want to be known for?
• Who do I want to influence, support or stay connected with?

Your answers might relate to leadership, client relationships, governance, workforce capability, professional practice, a specialist area of expertise or a future board or portfolio direction. These answers become a useful filter when deciding what to include, what to emphasise and what no longer reflects your work.

Your profile should help people understand the most relevant parts of your experience now.

Use a profile photo and background image that feel current and credible

Your profile photo should look like you and feel appropriate for the professional context in which you work. That does not mean it needs to be overly formal. A good photo is current, clear and recognisable, with your face visible and the image well lit.

For many senior professionals, it is worth using a professional headshot rather than a cropped event photo, holiday image or older photograph that no longer reflects how you present yourself at work.

Your background image can also help provide context.

It may be a simple visual connected to your organisation, professional focus, sector or geographic setting. It does not need to include logos, slogans or too much information. In some cases, a clean and understated background image is more effective than a busy design.

The purpose of both images is to create a profile that feels current, professional and consistent with the work you do.

Write a headline that explains your role and contribution

Your LinkedIn headline appears below your name and is one of the most visible parts of your profile. It should do more than repeat your job title.

A useful headline helps people quickly understand your role, your area of expertise and the contribution you make.

For example, instead of:

Director at ABC Consulting

You might write:

Director | Helping professional services firms strengthen client relationships, leadership capability and strategic growth

The strongest headlines are specific enough to be meaningful, while still leaving room for the breadth of your work.

You may include:

• your role or seniority
• your industry or sector
• your area of expertise
• the people or organisations you support
• the outcomes or contribution you are known for

For more help refining this section, read How to Use Top Skills in Your LinkedIn About Section.

Use the About section to add context and perspective

Your About section gives you room to explain your professional story in a more human and connected way. It is not a copy-and-paste version of your resume. Instead, think of it as an introduction for someone who wants to understand what you do, what you care about and how your experience comes together.

A useful About section may include:

• the work you do now
• the professional experience you bring
• the areas where you are particularly useful
• the issues or themes you care about
• the kind of work, leadership or contribution you want to be known for

For senior leaders, this may include the complexity of the environments you have worked in, the kind of teams or organisations you have led and the outcomes you have helped create.

For consultants and subject-matter experts, it may explain the problems you solve, the clients you support and the professional approach you bring.

For professionals in transition, it can help connect earlier experience with the direction you are now exploring.

You do not need to include every role, qualification or achievement. Focus on the details that help someone understand your professional contribution.

Make your experience easier to understand

The Experience section is where people look for evidence. Rather than simply listing job titles and responsibilities, use each role to help people understand the scope of your work and the outcomes you have contributed to.

For each current or recent role, consider including:

• the context of the organisation or team
• the focus of your role
• the scale or complexity of your responsibilities
• the issues you were brought in to address
• examples of outcomes, improvements or contributions

This does not mean every role needs a long description. A few well-chosen points are often more useful than a detailed task list.

For senior leaders, this may include transformation, growth, governance, workforce change, client relationships, operational improvement or sector impact.

For professionals building a portfolio career, it may help to show how advisory, board, consulting or project work fits together.

Your Experience section should reinforce the story already beginning in your headline and About section.

Use the Featured section and recommendations to show evidence

The Featured section can help you show examples of your work, thinking and professional contribution.

You might include:

• a useful article, interview or media mention
• a presentation, report or guide
• a company announcement or project milestone
• a recent LinkedIn post that reflects your expertise
• a website, portfolio or service page

Choose items that support the direction you want people to understand. You do not need to feature everything you have ever created. A small number of relevant examples will usually be more effective.

Recommendations can also add valuable perspective. A thoughtful recommendation from a client, manager, colleague, board chair or professional peer can help others understand how you work and the contribution you make.

When asking for a recommendation, be specific. You might ask someone to comment on a particular project, leadership quality, client relationship, area of expertise or period of collaboration.

For more guidance, read What Others Say About Your Work.

You may also find How to Add a Website Link to Your LinkedIn Profile useful if you want to connect people to a website, portfolio or broader professional presence.

Keep your profile current as your work evolves

A LinkedIn profile is not something you set up once and leave unchanged for years. Your work may evolve through a new leadership role, board appointment, consulting engagement, career change, organisational restructure or shift in professional focus. Reviewing your profile occasionally helps make sure it continues to reflect where you are now.

A useful time to update your profile may be after:

• starting a new role
• completing a significant project
• changing your leadership responsibilities
• joining a board or advisory group
• launching a consulting or portfolio career
• completing a qualification or professional development program
• refining the direction you want future opportunities to take

Small updates can make a meaningful difference over time.

For a broader view of how your profile supports executive visibility, read Building Executive Visibility Starts with Your LinkedIn Profile.

Looking for LinkedIn support in Australia?

Think Bespoke is a Melbourne-based LinkedIn consultancy supporting professionals, leaders and organisations across Australia.

LinkedIn profile writing for a clearer, stronger profile.

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LinkedIn training for leadership teams and organisations.

A stronger LinkedIn profile does not require you to become someone different online. It helps you communicate your experience, contribution and professional direction with greater clarity.