LinkedIn profile checklist

Employers and clients check LinkedIn before they call. This checklist turns a bare profile into one that works for you while you sleep. Work top to bottom — about 45 minutes total.

The essentials

• Photo: a clear, recent head-and-shoulders photo, plain background, friendly expression, work-appropriate clothes. No group photos, no sunglasses.
• Headline: not just your job title. Use: [Role] | [Specialty or result] | [Location]. Example: "Residential Cleaner | Move-out & deep cleans | Toronto".
• Location & industry: set both — recruiters filter on them.
• Custom URL: claim linkedin.com/in/yourname in Settings. Put it on your resume.

About section (3–5 short lines)

• Line 1: what you do and who for.
• Line 2: your proof — years, numbers, a result.
• Line 3: what you are looking for or offering now, and how to reach you.

Experience

• Every recent role gets 2–3 bullet achievements — reuse your resume bullets.
• Self-employed counts. List your business as the employer and describe real client work.
• Add skills to each role (LinkedIn suggests them) — aim for your 10 strongest overall.

Trust builders

• Ask two or three past clients, supervisors or co-workers for a recommendation. Give them a line to make it easy: "Could you mention the move-out cleans we did together?"
• Turn on "Open to work" or "Providing services" — whichever fits — so the right badge shows.
• Post or share something useful in your field once a month. Consistency beats volume.

Final pass

• View your profile while signed out (Settings → Visibility → "Public profile") and read it like a stranger. Would you call this person?