9 LinkedIn Profile Tips for New Developers

This article was contributed by Laurence Bradford from learn to code with me

If you’re a career-changer transitioning into web development, or are an aspiring techie entering the workforce for the first time, you need a LinkedIn presence to get noticed in your new field.

Here’s why:

94% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find candidates. In fact, some research has found up to 97% of recruiters use LinkedIn. Yet despite the heavy recruiter and hiring manager presence on the platform, only 36% of job seekers are active on LinkedIn. This disparity leaves you, the new developer, with a huge advantage.

Below are nine LinkedIn tips to help you take advantage of the opportunities it holds.

LinkedIn tip #1: Get your profile to 100%

A complete LinkedIn profile (scoring 100%, or becoming an “all-star”) is 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn.

This is because a completed profile ranks higher in the internal algorithm, meaning you’re more likely to be discovered. (Like Google’s search engine, LinkedIn relies on an algorithm when displaying search results.)

Here’s what makes your LinkedIn profile an all-star profile:

1. Profile picture
2. Location and industry
3. Experience (a current position, with a brief description, plus two previous positions)
4. Skills (at least three)
5. Education
6. At least 50 connections

LinkedIn makes it easy to reach a 100% completed profile by giving hints and recommendations along the way.

LinkedIn tip #2: Keywords are really important

Keywords matter a lot on LinkedIn because of the aforementioned internal search algorithm that hiring managers and recruiters use to source talent.

To make sure the algorithm sends the right people your way, emphasize the specific things you want to work with, such as particular languages and frameworks. (Example: Python, R, Ruby on Rails, Angular.js, Sass, WordPress, etc.)

At the same time, make sure to remove skills and technologies you are not interested in working with. Or at least de-emphasize them.

Here’s what I mean:

Say you previously worked as a social media manager, but no longer want a career that relates to social media. Make sure to limit keywords relating to social media across your profile (in the summary, experience, skills, and so on). Consider removing them all together. Otherwise, recruiters may contact you looking for social media candidates rather than web developers.

LinkedIn tip #3: Use the summary section to your advantage

The summary section is your only chance to freely write on LinkedIn. It’s your chance to tell your story and describe what motivates you. But be careful not to use the word “motivate”. (It’s the most over-used word in summaries across all industries!)
Instead, show examples of how you are motivated, e.g. “After discovering my passion for web development, I couldn’t get enough. I made websites for friends and family, interned with a local business, and hired myself out as a freelancer. I’m looking forward to bringing that passion to a full-time role.”
Moreover, include technologies and languages you want to work with.
Write in first person — like you are talking to a person, explaining what you do. It’s important to use your own voice. Sound natural. Though it’s important to use keywords, don’t go overboard. LinkedIn’s algorithm can tell when you’re trying to game the system.
Finally, make sure your summary is 40+ words (it will be indexed better in the internal search results on LinkedIn)

LinkedIn tip #4: Include a call-to-action

Always include a call-to-action (CTA). You want people to be prompted to find out more about you, off your LinkedIn profile. The best place to do this is in the summary section.
Here are some examples of a CTA you can use:

1. Feel free to contact me directly at name@example.com.
2. Check out some of my design samples at portfolioname.com.
3. See my Github repositories at mygithubprofile.com.

The idea is to intrigue hiring managers and recruiters; get them wanting to find out more about you, so they click to learn more or even reach out.

LinkedIn tip #5: Order your sections to draw attention to your most impressive experience

For instance, you work in a job unrelated to web development right now, so your “Experience” section won’t impress recruiters. But you have taken some courses and/or done individual projects for yourself or other. Make sure to drag those higher on the hierarchy of your profile.

You don’t have to remove your unrelated experience, but you can curate your profile in a way that draws attention to the best portions.

LinkedIn tip #6: Highlight transferable skills

If you’re a newer developer, your tech skills may not be all there yet. If that’s the case, make sure to highlight any skills that may transfer from your current and previous non-tech positions. Remember: show, don’t tell. Provide examples, and cite evidence.
Below are five transferable skills, which are valued in any role:

1. Communication skills, which can include writing, negotiating, presenting, and teaching/mentoring.
2. Teamwork or collaboration. Show you know this by mentioning collaboration tools you’ve used, give examples of ways you’ve worked with clients or teams, etc.
3. Planning and organization skills mean you are organized in thought, communication, and workflow. Demonstrate this by showing processes you’ve developed.
4. Ability to manage multiple responsibilities means you can multitask without getting stressed, rank your priorities, and stay disciplined.
5. Problem-solving skills means you can troubleshoot issues in new ways.

Always note software/tools you are familiar with, such Salesforce, Infusionsoft, Microsoft Excel, Asana, etc. You’ll be surprised to see how some of these can transfer over or be relevant in other roles.

LinkedIn tip #7: Show examples of your work

This is especially important if you don’t have a lot of experience to show yet. By showing work, you are substantiating your stated skills and experience.

One way you can do this by adding media to the summary, experience, and/or education sections. On LinkedIn you can add documents, photos, links, videos, and presentations.

Another way you can provide evidence of your skills is by including links to your portfolio, Github, CodePen, or blog.

For instance, Jennifer Dewalt showcases her 180 websites in 180 days project in her “Projects” section on LinkedIn.

She even has this project placed above her experience section. This is a great example of showing what she can do, along with her passion and ambition.

See also: 12 Things Web Developers Must Include in Their Portfolios

LinkedIn tip #8: Include your education

The education section is especially important for newbies because it shows that you’ve studied and been tested on your tech knowledge. It also shows you value self-improvement.

Plus, people who fill out their education section receive 10 times more profile views than those who leave it blank. And don’t worry if you don’t have a degree; it doesn’t have to be all formal college education. Lyn Muldrow, for example, adds a coding bootcamp below.

There are two other sections titled “Certificates” and “Courses” where you can list things like a nanodegree from Udacity, courses you’ve taken on Codementor, etc.

LinkedIn tip #9: Hide the “People Also Viewed” box on your sidebar

The “People Also Viewed” box does exactly what it says — when someone is viewing your page, it shows other LinkedIn profiles that your previous visitors looked at.

This box can show colleagues, friends, others in your industry, etc. Usually, these people will have a lot in common with you.

Since these people will often have a similar skillset, by allowing this box to stay on your profile, you’re making it easier for a recruiter, hiring manager, or client to scope out your competition.
Take the box off your page by visiting “Privacy & Settings”.

It’s time to get on LinkedIn

In a matter of minutes, you can create a LinkedIn profile (though you’ll want to invest more than ten minutes to make a profile that really shines). With these nine tips in hand, you’re ready to get started!

If you’re looking for more advice on making a killer profile, check out my free LinkedIn profile checklist for techies.

About the Author

Laurence Bradford is the creator of learntocodewith.me, a blog for self-taught coders. When she’s not building websites, she’s writing about building websites. You can find Laurence on Twitter, too.