Your LinkedIn profile is often the first thing a recruiter or interviewer looks at after your CV. You do not need to post every day — you need a clear, complete profile that matches the roles you want.
Work through this checklist.
1. A professional photo
A clear head-and-shoulders photo in good light. It does not need to be a studio portrait.
2. A headline that says what you do
Instead of only "Student at…" or "Engineer", try:
Graduate Mechanical Engineer | HVAC design & energy efficiency | Seeking graduate roles in building services
3. A custom profile URL
Edit your public URL to something like linkedin.com/in/firstname-lastname-engineer. It looks tidier on your CV.
4. An About section with substance
Four short paragraphs work well: who you are as an engineer, what you have worked on, what you are good at, and what you are looking for next.
5. Experience written as achievements
Copy the strongest bullets from your CV. Add media where appropriate — a project poster or a public article you wrote — but never share confidential client material.
6. Projects
Use the Projects section for final-year projects, competitions and significant pieces of work.
7. The right skills
Add the skills recruiters search for in your target roles. Pin your top three.
8. Education and licences
List your degree, professional registration status and certifications, with dates.
9. Recommendations
Ask a supervisor or lecturer for a short, specific recommendation. Specific comments carry more weight than general praise.
10. Simple, consistent activity
Comment thoughtfully on posts in your field once or twice a week, or share something you learned on a project. Consistency matters more than volume.
Keep it consistent with your CV
Recruiters notice when job titles, dates or achievements differ between your CV and profile. Keep them aligned.
If you would like specific feedback on your own profile, our LinkedIn profile review goes through every section and suggests wording for your target roles.
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