Excited to announce participatory parody by premium search service! #GrowthMindset
If you’ve spent more than a day on LinkedIn in your life, you may have noticed that the networking service has developed a language all of its own. If you were a tad unkind, you might say LinkedIn users self-promote every tiny career moment in such a cliched way, it’s a wonder that their words aren’t written by AI.
Or, if you wanted to turn that last sentence into more, uh, proactively positive LinkedIn speak: “We’re seeing so many thought leaders lean into the hustle, celebrating every micro-win with such a growth-oriented narrative that you’d swear it was automated. It’s all about that personal branding and staying humble while scaling your impact! #GrowthMindset #PersonalBranding #HustleCulture.”
And in a smart marketing move worthy of a LinkedIn update, Kagi has introduced more humorous internet subculture “languages” among its translation options. LinkedIn, launched Wednesday, is only the latest: there’s Reddit speak (lots of “weird-ass,” “cringe” and “banana for scale”), Pirate Speak (“tis a wonder their words aren’t written by some mechanical ghost”), and complete fictional languages like Klingon (you’ll be glad to know Klingons hunt for work on “LinkedInDaq.”)
But it’s the LinkedIn lingo making waves on social media this week. I can see why, because this is more than a novelty — it’s a hilarious and actually useful translation service. When it comes to human-style AI speak taking over our digital lives, the LinkedIn translator is touching the same nerve as Your AI Slop Bores Me — not to mention George Orwell’s Newspeak.
There’s a game-like aspect to the translations, and the game is: is there any human activity that couldn’t be made to sound doubleplusgood in a LinkedIn post? If there is, I haven’t found it yet.
Wasted the afternoon in bed? No, you “decided to prioritize a strategic recharge to optimize cognitive performance and long-term productivity.” Started injecting heroin? Call it “a high-intensity, daily commitment to a specialized chemical routine” that taught you about “supply chain consistency” and “a relentless focus on personal objectives, no matter the cost.” Murdered a co-worker? Nonsense, my friend, you “successfully offboarded a team member … to optimize long-term headcount.”
The translation works the other way around, too: LinkedIn speak into plain English. That’s right — the next time your boss writes a 10,000-word LinkedIn epic that could have been a three-line email, there’s no need to Google all the obscure marketing or management jargon. Just Kagi the whole thing.
And if you need to write a comment in response, know that “I hated this and I am dumber for reading it” can also be rendered as “’While I’m always looking for ways to challenge my current mindset, this particular content reminded me of the importance of being intentional with the information we consume. Grateful for the learning opportunity!”
Hey, maybe AI will save white collar workers’ jobs after all.
Feature image credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
Chris is a veteran tech, entertainment and culture journalist, author of ‘How Star Wars Conquered the Universe,’ and co-host of the Doctor Who podcast ‘Pull to Open.’ Hailing from the U.K., Chris got his start as a sub editor on national newspapers. He moved to the U.S. in 1996, and became senior news writer for Time.com a year later. In 2000, he was named San Francisco bureau chief for Time magazine. He has served as senior editor for Business 2.0, and West Coast editor for Fortune Small Business and Fast Company. Chris is a graduate of Merton College, Oxford and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is also a long-time volunteer at 826 Valencia, the nationwide after-school program co-founded by author Dave Eggers. His book on the history of Star Wars is an international bestseller and has been translated into 11 languages.
In the early years of personal branding, before LinkedIn became the default professional destination, I encouraged clients to create their own personal websites. It was a powerful way to introduce yourself to the people who are checking you out. Because you own your website, you control the narrative, structure, and context.
LinkedIn Emerges As Your Professional Home Base
When LinkedIn officially launched in 2003, it gradually evolved into a powerful platform for communicating your experience, credibility, and point of view. It came with some big advantages over having your own site:
An instant network. LinkedIn is the de facto professional social media platform, providing a community of people eager to engage with you.
Ease of creation and updating. Building and maintaining a website takes more effort than updating a profile on an established platform.
Budget. There’s no need to pay for your own design, hosting, maintenance, and updates.
LinkedIn also helped normalize an important idea: if you are serious about your career, you are responsible for managing it. LinkedIn became the online home for your résumé, your network, and your professional reputation. It was the sole professionally focused social media platform. Over time, it became the place to tell the world who you are and to learn about other professionals. That’s still true today. Often, when people want to learn about you, they open a browser, go directly to LinkedIn, and type your name in. And even if they start their research with Google, your profile shows up near the top, so it’s usually what gets clicked. That has been the case for over two decades. But now, there’s a new game in town. You’ve probably heard of it. It’s called AI.
AI Can Play A Big Role Than LinkedIn In How You Are Perceived
Increasingly, your first impression may be delivered by an AI-generated summary instead of a direct visit to your profile or website. For years, when people wanted to learn about you professionally, LinkedIn was often the first stop. And if they googled you, your LinkedIn profile was among the top links. Today, though, if someone searches your name on Google, the first thing they may see is an AI-generated overview before any traditional links. That matters because a large share of Google searches now end without a click. 58.5% of U.S. searches and 59.7% of EU searches resulted in zero clicks. In many cases, the searcher decides the summary gave them enough to move on.
Here’s the challenge: AI systems tend to draw more confidently from content that is openly accessible on the web. Because much of LinkedIn lives inside a walled garden, it may be less visible and less useful to AI systems than content published on your own website. Google still operates at a much larger search scale than ChatGPT, even as AI search behaviour grows quickly. LinkedIn still has more than a billion members and remains a powerful place to build visibility, share ideas, and strengthen professional relationships. But it has a limitation in the AI era. Much of its value lives inside a platform that AI systems cannot access as easily or as fully as the open web.
The New System Requires A Focus Both On Web Search And AI Search
The answer is not LinkedIn or AI. It is LinkedIn and the open web. That’s pretty much how most technological advances happen. When radio arrived, newspapers did not disappear. When television arrived, radio did not vanish. New channels rarely erase old ones. They change how attention gets distributed. As AI strategist Matt Strain puts it, “You need to make sure your content is visible to both Google and AI. Strain added, “If your best work lives inside walled gardens (LinkedIn, newsletters, private communities, paywalls), it can vanish from the AI research cycle. In addition to focusing on LinkedIn, publish a searchable home base on your own website, then earn third-party mentions (interviews, podcasts) that validate your credibility.” That’s the strategic shift many professionals have not yet made. They’re polishing the version of themselves that lives inside LinkedIn while neglecting the version of themselves AI can actually read, summarize, and cite. As AI becomes even more prevalent, it’s essential that you post valuable, relevant content to get it referenced in AI summaries.
The Real Advantage: LinkedIn Plus An AI-Readable Home Base
When you manage your digital identity as an ecosystem, you increase the odds that no matter how someone searches for you, they find a clear, credible, and compelling picture of who you are and how you deliver value. Your LinkedIn profile may still rank highly for your name, but if an AI-generated summary appears first and satisfies the searcher, they may never click through to it. That is why zero-click behaviour matters so much now.
Having your own website may seem like overkill or a bit self-centered, but it’s actually key to being visible, known, and found in the age of AI. Strain explained, “Traditional SEO trained us to think in keywords. AI answer engines behave more like a researcher. They look for clear explanations and narrative context that they can summarize with confidence. One of the simplest formats is structured Q&A with a short story behind the answer. Focus on making your expertise easy to extract.” Storytelling is key, and your website allows you to position yourself with this type of content. The good news is that building a strong personal website is simpler than most people think. Follow these steps:
Buy your domain name.
Define your brand identity system – the colours, fonts, and imagery that convey your brand differentiation.
Decide if you want to do it yourself or hire someone.
Create a homepage that clearly states who you help, how you help, and what makes you different.
Add a strong About page written in natural language, not résumé language.
Include proof: media mentions, testimonials, speaking topics, articles, books, podcasts, and case studies.
Publish a few pages or articles that answer the questions people actually ask about your expertise.
Make your content easy for both humans and AI to understand with clear headings and an organized structure. Avoid business jargon.
Link your site to your LinkedIn profile and link your LinkedIn profile back to your site.
Keep it current so both search engines and AI systems find fresh signals of credibility.
Use LinkedIn And Your Personal Website To Increase Your Visibility
Having your own website gives you something LinkedIn cannot fully give you: control over structure. You decide the pages, the questions you answer, the proof points you feature, and the language that explains your value. That makes your expertise easier for both search engines and AI systems to interpret. LinkedIn remains the best platform for building relationships, showing activity, and signalling professional relevance in real time. Your website is not a replacement for that. It is the foundation beneath it. For years, LinkedIn was your most important professional first impression. In the age of AI, it is still important, but it is no longer enough. To be accurately understood and easily found, you need both a strong LinkedIn presence and an AI-readable home base on the open web.
William Arruda is a keynote speaker, bestselling author, and personal branding pioneer. He works with leaders to help them deliver magnetic, mesmerizing, and memorable presentations in-person and online.
Why it matters: AI search is rewriting the rules of executive and brand visibility, raising the stakes for how leaders show up online.
Zoom in: Since November, LinkedIn’s citation frequency has doubled and it is now the No. 1 domain cited in professional search queries.
LinkedIn posts, long-form articles and newsletters account for 35% of all LinkedIn citations within ChatGPT, while profiles are cited 14.5% of the time, according to Profound.
Zoom out: Community and creator-driven platforms like Reddit, Wikipedia and YouTube have all emerged as some of the most cited sources in AI responses precisely because they host real, conversational human insights that models latch onto when answering nuanced queries.
Because what’s said in Reddit threads increasingly shows up in chatbot responses, brands that were once wary of the platform have ramped up their presence to manage reputation, correct misinformation and shape the narrative.
What they’re saying: “Professional visibility is changing. It is no longer only about how people present themselves to other people. It is increasingly about how machines interpret them first,” says Erin Lanuti, co-founder of LinkedIn intelligence platform Lilypath.
“If AI systems are using LinkedIn as a core source for professional authority, profile clarity becomes foundational to whether someone is surfaced, trusted or overlooked,” she added.
Yes, but: Generative AI search tools can only surface publicly available LinkedIn content, according to the company.
“We continue to protect member data from unauthorized scraping and only content [users] have chosen to make public on LinkedIn can appear in these results,” a spokesperson told Axios.
The bottom line: In the age of AI and generative engine optimization (GEO), every executive, brand and company can grow their reach and credibility by engaging thoughtfully on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn tactics that worked six months ago could be tanking your reach right now. The platform has rolled out significant changes to how content gets distributed, and most people posting have no idea. Your posts might be getting buried while others who adapted early are seeing their engagement climb.
I visited LinkedIn’s New York headquarters to learn how they think about the platform’s future. LinkedIn is understandably cagey about the algorithm because people could game it. So I chat to marketers running experiments to stay up to date on what’s actually working. I run my own. And with enough data, you can reverse engineer large parts of the algorithm.
Chris Donnelly has 1.2 million LinkedIn followers. He owns The Creator Accelerator and co-owns SayWhat, a company that analyses millions of posts weekly. Donnelly shares insights to help you generate leads on LinkedIn, including a brand new64-page report on the LinkedIn algorithm based on 300,000 posts. Here’s what you need to know to get an edge over everyone still playing by old rules.
How the LinkedIn algorithm works in 2026: what you need to know
Your profile signals your authority
The algorithm reads your headline, about section, and experience to verify your authority before distributing your posts. LinkedIn’s latest update, which Donnelly said is called 360 Brew, “now shows your content more accurately to your ICP if you give it the right signals.” He advises to “set your profile up to look like you are a certain job within a certain sector.” A clear profile tells the algorithm exactly who should see your work.
If your content topic doesn’t match your stated expertise, LinkedIn limits how far your posts travel. A healthcare professional posting about cryptocurrency will see their distribution drop because the platform questions whether they have knowledge on that topic. Make sure yourLinkedIn profile clearly states the topics you create content about, and watch your reach expand.
Saves are the metric that matters
When someone bookmarks your post, LinkedIn interprets it as content worth coming back to. This carries more weight than a quick like that takes half a second to tap. Donnelly confirms that “saves have been the most important factor for ages.” Posts that people save can resurface in feeds for weeks after publishing.
Create content people want to reference later when they need it. Frameworks, checklists, and practical guides earn saves because they offer lasting value beyond a single scroll. Think about what would make someone hit that save button. If your post contains information worth bookmarking, you’ve created something the algorithm wants to distribute.
Consistency beats timing
“There has never been a golden hour,” says Donnelly. Any advice to post at specific times misses what actually matters. For Donnelly, “posting consistently isn’t about the algorithm directly. It’s so your audience expects you to post then, and can conveniently engage.” That predictable behaviour is good for the algorithm.
Donnelly is blunt about the alternative: “random posting is very tactically bad and damaging.” When you show up sporadically, your audience doesn’t know when to expect you, so they don’t look for your content. Pick a schedule and stick to it. Your followers will learn when you post and check in at those times, which creates the engagement signals the algorithm rewards.Grow your LinkedIn by being predictable.
Consider your content formats
If you want maximum reach, polls offer a higher multiplier than other post types. But Donnelly warns against chasing that metric. He says polls are “top for reach but very low for follower growth or conversion.” His verdict on the format is clear: “truly terrible for your profile generally.” Save polls for occasional audience research, not your core content strategy.
Document carousels face new requirements. The algorithm now penalizes low completion rates, meaning your carousel needs strong visual storytelling and a shorter length of eight to ten slides maximum. Long carousels that people abandon halfway through hurt your account performance. Keep them punchy, watch your completion metrics, and cut anything that doesn’t pull its weight.
What to ignore in 2026
“Hashtags haven’t worked in years, literally,” says Donnelly. The algorithm now scans the actual text of your posts using interest graphs to categorize your content and decide who sees it. Stuffing hashtags at the bottom of your posts does nothing useful. Focus on including topic-specific language naturally in your sentences instead.
The old advice to hide links in the first comment is also outdated. You can place external links directly in the body of your post without a significant penalty. Stop making your audience dig through comments to find what they need. Put the link where they can see it, ideally at the end, after you’ve delivered value in the post above.
Win with the updated LinkedIn algorithm: the advice
LinkedIn in 2026 rewards those who adapt quickly. Align your profile with your content topics so 360 Brew knows who should see your posts and create saveable content worth bookmarking. Post consistently so your audience knows when to find you, avoid polls, focus on carousel retention, and ignore hashtags entirely. Donnelly puts it simply: “it’s still a massively outsized opportunity to generate leads if you adapt to the new style of what is working.” The people who act on this information now will be the ones generating leads while everyone else catches up.
Learn how to write aLinkedIn profile that attracts coaching and consultancy clients.
Feature image credit: The Creator Accelerator owner and SayWhat co-owner Chris Donnelly
It’s a new year, which makes it the perfect time to update your LinkedIn profile and communications strategy to make sure it is current, relevant to your goals, and compelling to the people who are checking you out. The world of work continues to evolve, and your LinkedIn profile and networking strategy must position you for success.
Align Your LinkedIn Strategy With Two Critical Forces
Two important areas to consider while evolving your LinkedIn strategy are humanity and AI. As tech gets integrated into every aspect of business, your humanity is what helps you stand out and build meaningful relationships. That means your profile must show that you are clear, human, generous, empathic, and grounded in real experience, all the things AI and technology are not.
At the same time, you need to showcase your skill and interest in AI. AI will impact virtually every role. Make it clear that you’re using AI thoughtfully and are committed to proactively developing AI skills to remain ahead of the curve. This can show up in how you describe your work, the content you share, and the tools or approaches you reference in your profile.
The goal is not to do more on LinkedIn, but to do the right things well. Follow this these three steps:
1. Update Your LinkedIn Profile
A lot happens in a year, so if you haven’t been updating your profile regularly, it’s time to make it current and compelling.
Your LinkedIn Headshot
Your headshot makes you real in the virtual world. It allows people to connect with you on a human level. It should convey the real you and be at least current enough for someone to be able to find you in a crowded coffee shop. If you changed your headshot recently, you probably won’t need to update it if it meets these criteria.
Your LinkedIn Headline
Your headline’s job is to make you relevant and confirm for viewers that you are the person they are looking for, or a person they should get to know. LinkedIn gives you 220 characters for your Headline. Use as many as needed to captivate viewers and encourage them to read on. Your LinkedIn headline has three important functions:
It makes you relevant. Your current title, role, and company make you relevant.
It helps you get found. Use your headline for search optimization. Include in it all the keywords you want to be associated with, and those people will use to search for you.
It allows you to showcase something interesting about you that makes the viewer want to learn more. Consider including why you do what you do, how you do what you do, or the results you achieve when you do it. You could also share your passion or life purpose.
Your LinkedIn About
Your About allows you to introduce yourself, tell your story, and make a branded first impression. Because of the power of LinkedIn and how search results are presented in Google, it will likely be your first impression. When you’re thoughtful in crafting your About, it helps you:
Differentiate yourself in a crowded marketplace
Attract opportunities that align with your goals
Build trust and real human connection with others
Your About is also a natural place to convey your thoughts about AI and the role it plays in your work.
Your LinkedIn Featured Section
Because many people keep their Featured section blank, it is an opportunity for you to stand out and showcase your passions, purpose, and accomplishments. Your Featured section sits near the top of your profile, between your About and Activity sections. That means more people will see it. This section is designed to showcase multimedia. Include images and video to enhance your story and make your profile richer and more interesting. Consider including:
Your Brand introduction. Create a brief 60-second video, that highlights your interests, accomplishments and fun facts about you.
Your Success Stories. Share one or two pieces of content or stories that highlight your superpowers and differentiators.
Your Intellectual Property. Use it to convey your proprietary process, framework, or system, like your three-step formula for crafting click-worthy headlines for social media posts.
2. Define Your LinkedIn Networking Strategy
In 2026, effective networking is about relevance and relationships, not volume. With over 1.3 billion members, LinkedIn is a powerful place for networking. Your goal, though, is not to connect with all 1.3 billion professionals. It’s to identify your community and be visible to them. As the new year begins:
Get your network up-to-date. Look back through your calendar and emails and send connection requests to the people you have met in the past year.
Decide on your strategy for adding new connections as you meet people. Also, do searches to connect with other like-minded peers so you can build a community for mutual support.
Put plans in place to grow your network. Consider adding your LinkedIn profile to your email signature, and create a slide to include in presentations you deliver to encourage participants to reach out and connect.
3. Commit To A LinkedIn Visibility Plan
Once your profile and network are aligned, visibility is what brings your personal brand to life. Strong brands are visible and available to the people they seek to impact, influence, and impress. The best way to do that is to share value as your primary thought leadership priority. There’s a lot of noise in the world of social media, and LinkedIn is no exception. To stand out, commit to the three Cs of social media communications plans:
Consistent. Strong brands are known for something, not 100 things. Know your topic, message, and POV and stick with it.
Constant. Choose a cadence and commit to it. You may choose to post a couple of times a month, weekly, or even daily. Whatever you choose, treat it as you would any other important item on your to-do list.
Critical. Not critical in the sense of being judgmental. Critical meaning it is not content that is nice to have. It’s meaningful and valuable to your audience and essential for their success.
One way to achieve the three Cs of effective visibility is with a LinkedIn Newsletter. It’s a powerful way to stay engaged with the people who are interested in what you have to say, and the LinkedIn Newsletter platform makes it easy for you to create, share and promote your newsletter to followers and connections. It allows you to build familiarity and trust over time without having to start from scratch each time you post.
Make LinkedIn An Ongoing Habit Instead Of A One-Time Update
Your LinkedIn profile serves many roles in helping you build your personal brand and achieve your career goals. To maximize its impact, commit to keeping your profile up to date and staying engaged with your network. LinkedIn works when you work it, so adopt the habit of interacting on LinkedIn regularly and create more opportunities that are aligned with your goals.
LinkedIn just made a decision that’s about to destroy most creators’ reach. The platform decided faceless education is dead. That means generic business advice gets buried. Safe content gets ignored. Yet most people keep posting like nothing changed.
When I visited LinkedIn’s New York headquarters in September they told me something that should have been obvious. People don’t come to LinkedIn for Wikipedia. They come for connections with real humans who happen to know useful things. The algorithm now reflects this reality. If you don’t adapt, your content becomes invisible.
Stop hiding behind your content: LinkedIn’s new reality
Your face beats your frameworks
I tested this with two identical posts. Same exact advice about scaling a coaching business. One had my face. One had a pretty Canva graphic. The face post got 4x more views. LinkedIn’s algorithm now prioritizes posts where people can see who’s talking.
Upload a simple selfie with your next post. Not a professional headshot. Just you, being you. Show people the human behind the advice. When someone scrolls to your content, they should recognize you instantly, not just your brand colours.
Turn teaching into entertainment
Remember when LinkedIn was all “5 tips for better leadership” posts? Those days died. The platform wants productive procrastination now. People need to be hooked by your content but should feel good about scrolling, not guilty. You’re a teacher, a gameshow host, and their cheerleader.
Share your morning routine disaster that led to a business breakthrough. Tell them about the client call where everything went wrong before it went right. Make them laugh before you make them think. Educational content wrapped in entertainment gets 10x the engagement of straight advice.
Lead with why they should care
Your credentials matter more than ever. Not because you need to flex, but because people need to know why to listen. LinkedIn shows your content to strangers now, not just your network. They don’t know you’re the coach who helped 100 founders scale. Tell them in line one.
“After coaching founders through $50M in raises, here’s what I know about pitch decks.” Beat that. “I spent 10 years making these LinkedIn mistakes so you don’t have to.” Perfect. Skip the wind-up. Get straight to why your voice matters.
Make your quirks your superpowers
Generic Gerald posts about leadership. Boring Barbara shares motivational quotes. Meanwhile, Anna who collects vintage typewriters and relates every business lesson to her collection? She’s memorable. Your weird hobby, your strange morning ritual, your controversial opinion about your industry. These are connection points.
Pick three personality markers that make you, you. Maybe you start every day with fantasy novels. Perhaps you dictate all your content while walking. Whatever makes you different, weave it into your posts. Give people reasons to remember you beyond your expertise.
Create binge-worthy content series
LinkedIn rewards creators who keep people on the platform through rabbit holes of connected content. Think Netflix for business content. One post should make them want to check your profile for more.
Start a weekly series only you could create. “Startup lessons from my disastrous kitchen experiments.” “What my toddler taught me about negotiations.” “Bad marketing emails I got this week.” Make it specific to your experience. People find one post in your series, then they hunt for the rest.
Become the expert people actually remember: LinkedIn in 2026
Enough of the frameworks, hot takes, and platitudes. Your audience craves real connections. They want to learn from someone they’d grab coffee with, not another faceless expert. LinkedIn finally caught up to what humans always wanted. Connection first, content second.
Stop posting like a content machine. Start showing up like the expert you actually are. Be more weird. The algorithm rewards humanity. Your perfectly polished posts are losing to someone’s messy Monday confession that happens to include brilliant advice. Choose which side you want to be on.
LinkedIn has added some new features for job seekers, including job listings by different categories, job preference highlights, and new AI job application assistant tools.
Which still seem counter-productive, given that employers probably want to assess a job seekers actual communication skills, as opposed to getting a robot-written message. But inevitably, this is the way that things are headed regardless, so it probably makes sense for LinkedIn to incorporate such direct.
First off, LinkedIn is rolling out “Job Collections”, which will categorize open roles into different sectors and settings.
As you can see in this example, Job Collections will list open roles in various sector and business categories, making it easier to find the job that you want, based on differing parameters.
“Job Collections allows you to expand your job options and explore collections of relevant jobs across a variety of industries, specialties and companies that you may not have otherwise been aware of. To start, visit the Jobs tab on LinkedIn. Look for “Explore with Job Collections” and click on any of the collections that align with your passion and interests, including jobs that offer remote work, good parental leave, or a focus on sustainability.”
It’s a handy filtering tool, which will help to streamline your job search based on a range of additional parameters.
Along the same line, LinkedIn’s also adding a new Job Preferences filter option, which will enable you to set specific parameters and elements that you’re most interested in. Recruiters will then be able to see these preferences, while LinkedIn will also highlight the relevant aspects on every job role displayed to you in the app.
You can see the parameters highlighted in green, adding another way to more easily find relevant options in-stream.
Current preference options currently include: employment type (full-time, part-time, contract, etc.), location type (remote, hybrid, on-site), as well as minimum pay preference for U.S. members.
LinkedIn says that it will look to add more options over time, providing more ways to more easily find jobs with the most desirable elements.
LinkedIn will now also enable you to flag interest in a specific company from a job ad.
This option isn’t new as such, as you can already flag interest in a company on their business profile page. But having the button available on every job will make it a more readily accessible marker.
Finally, LinkedIn’s also testing some new job seeker tools for Premium users, including more advanced job search filters to highlight more relevant job matches, as well a new AI-powered LinkedIn Premium experience to help you assess if a particular job is a good fit for you, and even write an intro message.
As you can see in this example flow, LinkedIn also now enables Premium users to draft both job application and introductory emails via generative AI, which as noted, does seem a little counter-intuitive within the job search process.
But again, you can already do this in ChatGPT anyway, why not integrate it direct, I guess?
These are some interesting additions, which will provide more options for job seekers in the app. And with many more people looking to switch roles or careers in 2024, especially in the early months, it makes sense for LinkedIn to make this a focus.
You can read more about LinkedIn’s latest job seeker updates here.
The market is getting more competitive, but these positions are still in demand.
Keeping track of the constantly fluctuating job market over the past few years has often felt like a job itself, as both employers’ and employees’ priorities continue to shift. The skill sets required for jobs have also evolved, changing 25 percent since 2015, according to data from LinkedIn. Unsurprisingly, this is especially true for tech professionals, as the use of artificial intelligence and advanced automation has become increasingly common across industries, even as inflation-driven economic volatility has triggered a wave of tech worker layoffs.
Alarming headlines aside, while tech industry hiring slowed down heading into summer 2023, it picked back up in the last few months of the year, and is now up nearly 12 percent compared to July (versus overall hiring). Even with that growth, there’s still significant competition for tech roles, thanks in part to being the top industry for remote work and hiring stabilization.
But some positions are in higher demand than others—including those identified in a new report from LinkedIn.
The fastest-growing tech jobs in the U.S.
Of the top 25 fastest-growing jobs in the United States included in LinkedIn’s “Jobs on the Rise” report, three are squarely tech roles, while several others focus on business development in tech industries:
Artificial intelligence consultant
What they do: Advise organizations on implementing AI technologies in their business operations and product offerings.
Most common skills: Machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing (NLP)
Artificial intelligence engineer
What they do: Develop, implement, and train AI models and algorithms using programming languages
Most common skills: Machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing (NLP)
Product security engineer
What they do: Ensure the security of a product or system by analysing and addressing potential vulnerabilities through risk assessments, threat modelling, and protective measures.
Most common skills: Threat modelling, application security, vulnerability assessment
Non-tech roles on the rise in tech industries
Other examples of jobs with significant growth in the tech industry include:
Chief growth officer
Director of revenue operations
External communications manager
Recruiter
Influencer marketing manager
Head of partnerships
Instructional systems specialist
How were these jobs identified?
To come up with these figures and calculate the growth rate for each job title, LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers gathered data from the millions of jobs the site’s members started between January 1, 2019 and July 31, 2023. In order to be ranked, a job had to see consistent growth and reach a “meaningful size” by 2023.
Maximizing your LinkedIn profile has never been more crucial in this digital era.
Whether you’re on the hunt for a new job, hoping to grow your professional network, or simply looking to improve your online presence, your LinkedIn profile is your first impression in the virtual professional world.
From creating a captivating headline to leveraging LinkedIn’s unique features, we’ve compiled the ten top tips to enhance your online presence.
So, ready to transform your LinkedIn game?
Let’s jump in!
1. Harness the Power of Your LinkedIn Headline
A compelling LinkedIn headline acts as your digital handshake, initiating your introduction to the virtual professional world.
The headline is more than just a statement; it’s your opportunity to quickly communicate your professional identity and peak interest.
Instead of merely listing “Data Analyst,” for example, consider fine-tuning it to “Data Analyst specializing in predictive models for e-commerce”.
This not only provides more detail about your unique abilities but also differentiates you in a sea of data analysts.
Furthermore, including relevant industry keywords in your headline can make your profile more searchable, increasing the chance of being found by potential employers or clients.
Remember, LinkedIn gives you 120 characters for your headline. Use this space to creatively encapsulate who you are professionally, your key skills, and your unique value proposition.
2. Craft a Stellar LinkedIn Summary
Your LinkedIn summary is essentially your professional autobiography. It’s a platform to humanize your profile, sharing not just your qualifications but also your journey, passions, and future aspirations.
This narrative can create an emotional connection with your reader, making you more memorable.
For instance, if you’re a marketer who transitioned from traditional advertising to digital marketing, this is your opportunity to share your evolution.
Discuss the challenges you overcame during this shift, the new skills you developed, and how this transformation has made you a better marketer.
Sharing these stories conveys your adaptability, growth mindset, and demonstrates your resilience — traits that employers often value.
Use the summary to show that you’re not just a list of skills and experiences, but a dynamic professional with a compelling story.
3. Spotlight Your Work Experience
When detailing your work experience on LinkedIn, think of it less like a job description and more like a highlight reel of your professional career.
It’s not just about what you’ve done; it’s about the measurable impact of your work.
For instance, rather than merely saying you “Managed social media accounts,” describe the specific initiatives you drove and their outcomes, such as “Increased social media engagement by 60% by implementing a new content marketing strategy“.
This illustrates your ability to drive results and gives prospective employers or partners insight into what they might expect if they work with you.
Remember to include specific metrics and data where possible as these quantifiable results can lend credibility to your achievements.
Also, highlight any unique projects or initiatives you’ve led that align with your career goals.
This can demonstrate your leadership, creativity, and strategic thinking to potential employers and connections.
4. Showcase Relevant Skills
Your LinkedIn profile is more than a resume; it’s a living testament to your professional capabilities.
The skills you list should be a curated collection, reflecting your career aspirations and key strengths.
Instead of merely listing a broad range of skills, consider focusing on those most relevant to your field or the position you’re aiming for.
LinkedIn also allows your connections to endorse your skills, adding a level of validation to your listed competencies.
Prioritize the skills you want to be known for, place them at the top, and encourage colleagues or supervisors to endorse you for them.
This not only validates your claim but also increases your visibility when recruiters search for specific skills.
5. Optimize Your LinkedIn URL
Your LinkedIn URL might seem like a minor detail, but it’s a powerful personal branding tool that can enhance your professional image and online visibility.
By default, LinkedIn assigns you a URL filled with random characters. However, you can (and should) customize it to reflect your name and profession.
For instance, instead of a URL like “linkedin.com/in/xyz123456789,” opt for a cleaner, more professional version like “linkedin.com/in/JohnDoeMarketing.”
It’s simpler, more memorable, and reinforces your personal brand.
Think of it as your digital business card. You can add it to your email signature, your resume, or your website.
Customization not only makes it easier for people to find you but also makes your profile look more polished and professional.
6. Understand LinkedIn Premium’s Benefits
While the basic LinkedIn account is free and offers numerous benefits, there’s value in considering a LinkedIn Premium subscription, especially if you’re actively job hunting or looking to expand your network.
LinkedIn Premium provides you with an array of tools not available with a basic account.
One standout feature is the advanced search filter that lets you target specific industries, job titles, or companies, offering a more tailored approach to networking.
With Premium, you can also send InMail messages to people you’re not connected with, opening a direct line of communication with potential employers, mentors, or collaborators.
In addition, it allows you to see who has viewed your profile, offering valuable insights about the types of professionals showing interest in your profile.
These are just a few examples of the potential advantages of LinkedIn Premium.
While it is a paid feature, consider it an investment in your personal brand and career growth. It might just give you the edge you need in a competitive job market.
7. The Power of a Professional Profile Photo
A professional profile photo is much more than just a picture — it’s a visual representation of your brand.
It is what introduces you to the professional world before you even say a word.
This image is the first visual interaction someone will have with your profile, so ensuring it is clear, professional, and friendly is vital.
Opt for a picture with good lighting, a simple background, and appropriate attire. It’s not about the designer clothes or the perfect hairstyle, but rather about showcasing the professional, approachable, and confident individual you are.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure your photo aligns with your desired industry’s standards — a corporate banker’s attire may be different from a creative director’s.
8. Join LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn groups are your secret passageways into the world of professional networking.
Participating in these groups doesn’t just expand your network; it gives you a platform to engage in intellectual conversations, demonstrate your knowledge and insights, and connect with like-minded professionals.
Start by looking for groups that are relevant to your industry or area of expertise. Don’t just join the group and be a passive member.
Engage in the discussions, ask insightful questions, and share helpful resources or articles. The key is to provide value.
Doing so helps establish your thought leadership, and remember, a meaningful comment or shared insight could catch the eye of a potential employer or collaborator.
9. Embrace LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is not just a resource; it’s your growth partner. With a vast library of courses ranging from software skills to leadership techniques, it can help you stay at the forefront of your industry’s trends and requirements.
Courses you’ve completed are featured on your profile, which sends a clear message to potential employers about your dedication to personal development and continuous learning.
For example, if you’re in digital marketing, taking a course on the latest SEO strategies or Google Analytics can make you more valuable in the eyes of recruiters.
By consistently updating your skills through LinkedIn Learning, you’re not just improving yourself; you’re setting a high bar in your professional life and proving your commitment to staying ahead of the curve.
10. Seek & Give LinkedIn Recommendations
The power of word-of-mouth should not be underestimated, especially in the professional world.
LinkedIn recommendations function as mini letters of recommendation, giving weight to your professional competencies and achievements.
Aim to secure recommendations from a diverse array of colleagues, managers, or clients who have a first hand account of your work.
Remember, specificity is key in making these recommendations impactful. Encourage your endorsers to mention particular projects or instances that illustrate your abilities.
For instance, instead of a generic “they are a team player,” a more impactful recommendation would be “they displayed exceptional teamwork in the XYZ project by coordinating tasks effectively and fostering a positive work environment.”
At the same time, reciprocate this goodwill by endorsing your connections.
This not only strengthens your professional relationships but also keeps you on the radar of your network.
LinkedIn is, after all, a social platform — engagement is critical.
11. Make Use of LinkedIn’s ‘Featured’ Section
The ‘Featured’ section on LinkedIn serves as your personal exhibition space. Here, you can spotlight examples of your work that articulate your skills and capabilities better than words.
Showcasing real, tangible work adds credibility to your profile and captures the attention of anyone viewing your profile.
You could include links to articles you’ve written, slides from a presentation, graphics you’ve designed, or even a recording of a talk you gave.
For example, if you’re a content marketer, sharing a blog post that drove significant traffic to your company’s website will highlight your content creation and SEO skills.
Remember, this section is not just a repository for your work.
It’s a dynamic space that should be updated and refreshed as you create new, impressive work.
12. Leverage the Power of Keywords
Keywords are not just for SEO — they’re a fundamental tool to enhance your visibility on LinkedIn.
Using relevant keywords throughout your profile makes it more likely for you to appear in LinkedIn searches, potentially connecting you to a host of new professional opportunities.
Start by identifying the keywords or phrases relevant to your field that potential employers or clients might use.
By incorporating these into your profile, you increase your chances of appearing in searches by potential employers looking for these specific skills.
In the end, remember that while keywords help in visibility, they should not compromise the readability and authenticity of your profile.
Your LinkedIn profile is your digital narrative — ensure it remains a genuine reflection of your professional journey.
Ready to Enhance Your LinkedIn Profile?
In the vast world of LinkedIn, standing out is an art. It’s your first impression, your digital handshake.
Remember, your LinkedIn profile can either be an unnoticed drop in the digital ocean or a vibrant beacon attracting the right professional opportunities.
So embrace these tips, inject your profile with a hefty dose of professional charisma, and watch as opportunities begin to roll in.
Sam is an Associate Editor for Smart Blogger and family man who loves to write. When he’s not goofing around with his kids, he’s honing his craft to provide lasting value to anyone who cares to listen.
The results show that AI is a logically a big focus, while maximizing shrinking ad budgets, and customer retention, are also significant considerations.
And of course, LinkedIn remains the leading platform for many B2B industries.
You can check out the full results in the below infographic.
