Leveraging LinkedIn features to stand out

Welcome back to our final post in the series on creating a great LinkedIn profile! We’ve covered the basics of setting up your profile, showcasing your experience, building a network, and creating engaging content. Now, let’s focus on some of the powerful LinkedIn features that can help you stand out even more. These tools will help you highlight your accomplishments, build credibility, and enhance your visibility to recruiters and potential collaborators.

Use the ‘Featured’ section to showcase your best work

The “Featured” section on LinkedIn is a prime space to highlight your most impressive work. Use it to display key projects, articles, certificates, or any content that demonstrates your skills and achievements.

• Highlight key projects or code repositories: Link to GitHub repositories, personal websites, or portfolio pieces.
  • Example: “Showcase a GitHub repo of a web app you built using React and Node.js, with a brief description of its purpose and key technologies used.”
• Feature articles or blog posts: If you’ve written technical articles or blog posts, include them here to demonstrate your expertise.
  • Example: “Feature a blog post you wrote about optimizing database queries or building scalable cloud architectures.”
• Show certifications and awards: Include certifications from platforms like Coursera, Udacity, or official vendor certifications (AWS, Microsoft, etc.) to add credibility to your profile.
  • Example: “Display your AWS Certified Solutions Architect or Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer certificates.”

Optimize your profile for search

LinkedIn uses algorithms to rank profiles in search results, so it’s important to make sure your profile is easily discoverable by recruiters and peers looking for your specific skills.

• Use relevant keywords: Include key terms related to your skills, technologies, and roles throughout your profile (headline, summary, experience).
  • Example: “If you specialize in full-stack development, use keywords like ‘JavaScript,’ ‘React,’ ‘Node.js,’ ‘REST APIs,’ and ‘MongoDB’ strategically across your profile.”
• Write a keyword-rich headline and summary: Make sure your headline and summary are concise yet filled with relevant terms.
  • Example: “Full-stack developer | JavaScript, Python, React, Node.js, and AWS cloud solutions.”
• Utilize job descriptions and skills sections: Use the exact terms and phrases that match the roles you’re targeting.
  • Example: “Include phrases like ‘DevOps engineer,’ ‘CI/CD pipelines,’ ‘Kubernetes orchestration,’ and ‘cloud-native applications.’”

Collect and display recommendations

Recommendations provide third-party validation of your skills and experience. They add credibility to your profile and give potential employers or collaborators insights into what it’s like to work with you.

• Ask for specific recommendations: Request recommendations from people who can speak to your skills in key areas.
  • Example: “Ask a former manager to write about your problem-solving abilities and contributions to a challenging project.”
• Offer to write recommendations in return: Providing recommendations for others can encourage them to reciprocate.
  • Example: “Write a recommendation for a colleague highlighting their teamwork and coding skills; they may return the favor.”
• Highlight diverse perspectives: Get recommendations from different roles—peers, managers, clients, or collaborators.
  • Example: “A peer might highlight your coding proficiency, while a manager could focus on your leadership or project management skills.”

Utilize LinkedIn Learning and display completed courses

LinkedIn Learning offers numerous courses that can help you stay updated with the latest technologies and methodologies. Completing these courses and displaying them on your profile signals to potential employers that you’re proactive about continuous learning.

• Choose courses relevant to your career goals: Focus on courses that align with the skills you want to develop or roles you’re targeting.
  • Example: “Complete courses like ‘Advanced JavaScript Techniques,’ ‘AWS Certified Developer – Associate,’ or ‘Machine Learning Fundamentals.’”
• Highlight completed courses on your profile: Display your completed courses in the “Licenses & Certifications” section.
  • Example: “Display courses such as ‘Python Data Structures,’ ‘DevOps Foundations,’ or ‘Agile Project Management.’”
• Mention new skills learned: In posts or during networking, mention any new skills or knowledge you’ve gained.
  • Example: “Just completed a course on ‘Building Scalable Web Apps’—excited to apply these concepts to my next project!”

Turn on ‘Open to Work’ and showcase your job preferences

If you’re actively looking for new opportunities, the “Open to Work” feature can increase your visibility to recruiters who are searching for candidates with your skill set.

• Set job preferences: Specify your desired job titles, locations, and types of employment (full-time, remote, contract).
  • Example: “Set preferences for ‘Software Engineer,’ ‘Remote/Hybrid Work,’ and locations like ‘San Francisco, New York, or Remote’.”
• Control who sees you’re open to work: Choose to show this status only to recruiters, or make it visible to your entire network.
  • Example: “If you want to keep your job search private, select ‘Recruiters only.’ If you’re open to everyone, use the ‘Open to Work’ photo frame.”
• Update your profile regularly: Keep your skills, experience, and job preferences current to attract the right opportunities.
  • Example: “Regularly add new projects, skills, and certifications to keep your profile fresh.”

By leveraging LinkedIn’s features effectively, you can enhance your profile’s visibility, demonstrate your expertise, and stand out to recruiters and potential collaborators. Remember, your LinkedIn profile is a dynamic representation of your professional self—keep it updated, engage actively, and use these features to your advantage.

Thank you for following our series on creating a great LinkedIn profile for software developers! We hope these tips help you build a strong online presence and unlock new opportunities.

Need more personalized advice? At Geniuses Recruiting, we specialize in helping software developers shine on LinkedIn. Reach out to us!