Focus your LinkedIn profile around the job you want to get

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Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter

When it comes to your career (whether you are looking for a job, seeking a hub or just keeping your options open), LinkedIn is your storefront. Just like a storefront, it needs to clearly show what you offer today And what you want to sell Next. If your profile looks like a list of work you do, but is not what you are going to do, you will make it harder for the right person to find you.

That’s where most professionals go wrong. They created a LinkedIn profile that reflects their past job descriptions, rather than positioning themselves for the role they want next. If you want to move up, switch industries, or hire for your ideal job, you must focus your profile on that goal.

This is the right way.

1. Know what job to want next

This sounds obvious, but many professionals don’t take the time to define the job they really want. If you try to do too many things at once, it is impossible to write a powerful, concentrated profile.

First answer this question: What is the title or type of role you want to take next? Product Manager? Financial analyst? Marketing Director? Executive Assistant?

Now we need to be specific: Which company or industry are you targeting? technology? Health care? educate? at last: What is your goal? Entry-level, mid-career, vice president, vice president?

If you don’t know clearly where to go, your profile looks like a record of where you’ve been.

2. Let your headlines talk about the character you want

Your title is one of the most obvious parts of your profile. It follows you around LinkedIn – in search results, reviews, recruiters inmails.

Too many people just list their current positions. That was a waste of opportunity. You want the title to reflect where you are heading, not just where you are.

Instead:

“Administrative Assistant at ABC Corp”

Use something similar:

“Operation Experts | Project Coordination | Driving Process Improvements for Fast-Paced Teams”

This makes it clear that even if your current title is not in a dilemma, you can target a broader or more strategic goal. You are telling the market what kind of problems you solved and the roles they should consider.

3. Rewrite your part for the future rather than the past

The “about” part is where you tell a career story, and like any good story, it should have a direction. Too many people regard it as a biography. It shouldn’t be.

Instead, write it like pitch: Who are you, what you are good at, and most importantly, what to do next.

Here is a simple build formula:

Start with your “why”: the work you like to do or the impact you like to do.
Highlighting key strengths or experiences directly connect to the role you want.
Finally, a clear statement about the type of role, team, or industry you are targeting.

example:

I thrived in a fast-moving environment where I could turn complex challenges into clear, actionable steps. In more than 4 years of managing customer accounts and internal communications, I have developed a trick that can bring orders to chaos and help the team execute better.

I want to apply these skills to the project coordinator or operational support role, especially in technology, healthcare or higher education.

Now you have provided readers (and recruiters) with a narrative they can follow.

4. Tailor your experience to the language that matches the target role

Even if your past job title doesn’t match the job you want, The work you do It may still be important. The key is to reframe it in a language that matches your target role.

For example, suppose you want to switch from customer service to sales. Your experience may initially say:

“Processing inbound calls and solving customer issues.”

Good, but it doesn’t reflect the results-oriented language used in sales.

You can reframe it as:

“Having a rapport with customers and undetected needs requires tailored product advice, which is to improve sales and retention goals.”

Same work. Different frameworks. Now it sounds like someone with transferable sales skills.

This is especially important if you are moving to a new feature or industry. Study the job description of the target role and actually use the language in that language.

5. Skills and recognition: Align them with the role you want

The “skills” part is more than just window dressing, it will affect how you perform in recruiter searches. If your first three skills are outdated or irrelevant, you will harm your chances.

Check out the job description for the role you want. What are the core skills they mentioned again and again? Do you have those? Add them (if they are honest and true). If you missed some, you can consider taking a short course or certification to build credibility.

Also, reorder your skills so that the most relevant skills are on the top. LinkedIn allows you to pin the top three. Make those counts.

6. Let recruiters know what you are looking for

If you are actively looking for or opening up close, you can “open work” on LinkedIn. You can choose to show it only to the recruiter (not your network) and specify the title, type of job (site, hybrid, remote) and where you are targeting.

This simple step can help recruiters filter to candidates like you.

Final Thought: You are not a resume – You are a signal

Your LinkedIn profile is not only a digital version of your resume. This is a signal to the market.

You can shape the signal. And, if you don’t, others will usually base on your last job, not the most appropriate one.

Focus your profile around the work you want, rather than pretending or stretching out the truth. It’s about the value you bring and the value you’re going to next and where you’re going to.

If you do well, the right person Will be Found you.

Be a recruiter

About Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter

People hired Jeff Altman And make it easier to succeed in your career.

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