How to create a LinkedIn profile: step by step, set up for a job search.
A new LinkedIn profile takes an hour to set up properly. The sections that matter most for a job search are the ones a recruiter sees first: photo, headline, About, experience and skills.
Sign up with an email you check, then fill in the sections in this order: a clear photo, a headline that names the role you want and your strength, an About section in first person, your experience with results, education, and skills that match your target postings. Customise your profile URL, add it to your resume, and connect with people you know.
Set up in this order
- Create the account. Use your real name and an email address you check regularly.
- Add a clear photo. A recent, well-lit head-and-shoulders picture with a plain background.
- Write your headline. The role you want plus your strongest proof, not just your current title.
- Write your About section. Three short paragraphs in first person: what you do, proof, what you are looking for.
- Add experience and education. Each role with dates and a few results, written like your resume but in first person.
- Add skills and your URL. Skills from target postings, then customise your public profile URL. LinkedIn renames and moves menus from time to time, so look for these options by name, or search LinkedIn Help for the current steps.
Illustrative examples to adapt
Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.
Headline for a new profile
When to use: Your first headline.
[Target role] | [Core skill or field] | [Proof: result, credential or experience in a few words]
Short About section
When to use: First-person summary for a new profile.
I'm a [job title or field] who [what you do for whom]. At [Employer or school], I [result you can prove]. I'm especially strong at [skill] and [skill], and I'm now looking for [type of role] where I can [what you want to do]. Reach me at [email] or send a message here.
Experience entry
When to use: One role on your profile.
[Job title] at [Employer] | [Month Year] to present I [what you do], for [who]. Highlights: [result you can prove]; [second result].
Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Every sample on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Profile sections and what to put in them
| Section | Put in it | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | Recent, clear, plain background | Group shots, heavy filters. |
| Headline | Target role plus proof | Only 'Unemployed' or only a title. |
| About | Three short first-person paragraphs | A pasted resume. |
| Experience | Roles with dates and results | Duties only. |
| Skills | Terms from target postings | Skills you do not have. |
| Profile URL | Your name, customised | The default string of numbers. |
The same line, rewritten
Illustrative example with placeholders.
| Version | Example |
|---|---|
| Weak | Headline: Looking for opportunities |
| Strong | Headline: [Target role] | [Field] | [Result or credential in a few words] |
Why it matters: 'Looking for opportunities' tells a recruiter nothing they can search for. A headline with the target role and proof makes you findable and credible.
Before you send it
- Photo is recent and clear.
- Headline names the role you want.
- About section is in first person with proof.
- Experience has dates and results.
- Skills match your target postings.
- Profile URL is customised and on your resume.
Mistakes to avoid
- Leaving the headline as your current title only.
- Pasting your resume into the About section.
- Skipping the photo.
- Listing skills you do not have.
- Not adding your profile URL to your resume.
Build yours
Questions people ask
How do I create a LinkedIn profile?
What should my LinkedIn headline say?
Should my LinkedIn profile match my resume?
How long does it take to set up a profile?
How this page is built
Written by Maid Dizdarevic, a career coach and 8x LinkedIn Top Voice. Advice is labelled as advice. Every sample uses a fictional person marked '(illustrative)' or a 'Your name' placeholder, and every employer, school, date and result is a bracketed placeholder for your own true details.
- What a specific employer screens for: always read the posting.
- Your results: we never invent numbers, and you should never copy a result you did not achieve.
- Outcomes: no resume, letter, profile or program can promise an interview or a job.
- TryHired editorial guidance by Maid Dizdarevic, career coach, Nov 4, 2026.