How to improve your LinkedIn profile: Guide with expert advice

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LinkedIn is not only a great tool to boost your professional profile, but it also helps you reach out to top voices in whichever field you're passionate about. In this episode of Career Beats, we talked to Borja Jimena, Esade alumni, an expert in personal branding, and a strategic advisor at LinkedIn's European headquarters. He brings top tips to build the perfect LinkedIn profile. 

This article offers a briefed version of the interview.

Why is having a good LinkedIn profile so important?  

LinkedIn serves a dual purpose . On the one hand, it is your professional digital representation: it is the first thing that appears when someone searches for your name on the internet. Your profile answers fundamental questions: Who are you as a professional? What value can you bring? And, most importantly, who do you want to be?

On the other hand, LinkedIn is your best professional tool, a global networking platform for building your personal brand and expanding your network of contacts.

Don't undervalue yourself, especially if you're a young professional

Best ways to improve your LinkedIn profile: the three best pieces of advice  

First, treat your profile as a website. It's your digital representation, indexed on every web browser. Ensure every word counts, understand your keywords and present your work and achievements.  

Second, don't undervalue yourself, especially if you're a young professional. We tend to relate the lack of experience with a lack of value, but that's not true. Also, no one can compete against you on being you. Identify that unique perspective you can bring to the platform.

If you are looking to improve an executive profile on LinkedIn, the challenge is different: it is about projecting leadership, strategic vision and influence. Include quantifiable achievements, mention teams you have led, and share your vision for the sector.

Third, learn some basic skills like copywriting or design; these will be useful for your whole career. People have a short attention span and want to see catchy content.  

How to improve your LinkedIn profile with AI: tools and precautions

Artificial intelligence has transformed how professionals optimize their LinkedIn presence. Using AI to improve your LinkedIn profile can quickly become a powerful competitive advantage, helping you stand out to recruiters, attract better opportunities, and save hours of work.  AI tools or LinkedIn's own assistant can help you write summaries, improve job descriptions, or generate ideas for posts.

However, improving your LinkedIn profile with AI requires careful judgement. Here are some recommendations:

• Use AI as a starting point, not as the final product. Automatically generated text tends to be generic and lacks personality. Review, edit, and add your personal voice.
• Avoid artificial language. Phrases such as ‘results-oriented professional with extensive experience’ are detectable and unmemorable. It doesn't matter if you use AI to improve your LinkedIn profile or write everything yourself; what matters is keeping your authentic voice front and center.
• Leverage AI for specific tasks. It is especially useful for translating your profile into other languages, summarising extensive achievements, or suggesting keywords relevant to your industry.
• Maintain consistency. If you use AI for different sections, ensure that the tone and style are consistent throughout your profile.

How to improve your LinkedIn profile visibility and find the right opportunities

The right opportunity on LinkedIn usually comes when we don't expect it. But there are three ways opportunities can arise.

From your network

Opportunities often come from your network, including your external network (not only your contacts but your contacts' contacts). The second one is being found by others. And the third one is finding the opportunities yourself.

Expand strategically. Connect with relevant professionals in your industry, especially second-degree connections. Personalize connection requests to increase acceptance rates.

Stay active. Comment thoughtfully on posts and share valuable content regularly—your activity keeps you visible and top of mind.

Being found by others

This is where profile optimization becomes critical. Recruiters and potential clients search LinkedIn daily for professionals like you.

Optimize for search. Use relevant keywords in your headline, summary, and experience that recruiters would search for. Complete every section—LinkedIn prioritizes complete profiles in search results. Customize your URL to your name (linkedin.com/in/yourname) for better discoverability.

Use visibility features. Enable Creator Mode and "Open to Work" or "Providing Services" badges to increase your visibility in targeted searches.

Finding opportunities yourself

Take an active approach through exploration and research.

Use LinkedIn's search tools. Set up job alerts for specific keywords and follow companies you're interested in. Engage with targets. Comment on posts from organizations or leaders you'd like to work with, this puts you on their radar before you even apply.

What do you recommend not to do?  

One of the best ways to improve your LinkedIn profile is avoiding the biggest mistake: using it as a static CV. LinkedIn is a dynamic network that thrives on interaction and fresh content.

Other common mistakes to avoid are:

• Writing about yourself in the third person. This creates distance and can come across as artificial.
• Discussing controversial topics such as politics. Of course, you are free to express yourself, but keep in mind that LinkedIn is a platform focused on professional knowledge. Discussing these topics could distance you from your network, so if you want to—or need to—do so, think carefully about how you approach it.
• Using LinkedIn solely to search for work. Most people here are not looking for a job, but rather trying to build a professional network and brand.

Visual content is a huge diferentiator in LinkedIn

Best practices on LinkedIn to highlight your expertise 

The most important thing is to turn information into actionable advice that is easy to digest, something that you would stop and read. For instance, whenever I create a piece of content, I think of who will read this and how they will perceive me.

Some effective strategies for positioning yourself as a leader in your field are:

• Share real-life lessons. Personal experiences, including failures, generate greater connection than theoretical content.
• Comment wisely. Adding value to other professionals' posts increases your visibility and credibility.
• Post regularly but prioritise quality. Consistency is more important than frequency. A weekly quality post is preferable to daily content without substance.
• Use a variety of formats. Alternate between text, images, PDF documents, surveys and videos to keep your audience interested.

The importance of visual content for improving your LinkedIn profile 

It's a huge differentiator. You should begin with a profile picture taken with a professional camera. And the background image could say something about you and not just be a generic, dull background.

Your photo should convey professionalism and approachability: neutral background, good lighting, clothing appropriate for your industry, and a natural expression. Avoid selfies, cropped photos from events, or images with other people.

A short introductory video explaining who you are can also be a good idea, but you will need to pay close attention to quality and to what you want to convey. Not everything goes.

What are your top recommendations for the summary section? How to create the best LinkedIn profile

First, use storytelling so people want to read until the end. And craft an elevator pitch where you talk about where you are right now, your previous experiences, your achievements, and then where you want to go because LinkedIn is an aspirational network. And if you can pair your professional life with something personal, that's great. You could ask yourself: "If I was reading this, would I want to befriend this person? Would I want to work with them"  

If you were to give only one piece of career advice, what would it be?  

Don't ask LinkedIn what it can do for you. Instead, ask yourself what you can do for others on LinkedIn. Most professional opportunities will come when people know the value you can bring.

Start helping your professional community. If you want to know how to improve your LinkedIn profile in a sustainable way, the answer lies in generosity: share knowledge, connect people, and consistently add value. In the long run, what you give to your network will come back to you multiplied.

Quick takeaways: tips for improving your LinkedIn profile

• Treat your profile as a dynamic website, not a static CV
• Use AI tools wisely while maintaining your authentic voice
• Invest in quality visual content (professional photo and background)
• Share actionable insights and real experiences regularly
• Focus on adding value to your network before asking for opportunities
• Optimize your profile with relevant keywords to improve visibility
• Write your summary with storytelling and a clear aspirational message

By following these recommendations from Borja Jimena, you'll be well on your way to creating a LinkedIn profile that attracts opportunities and builds meaningful professional connections.