How to build a LinkedIn profile that recruiters find (and that convinces)
Recruiters search LinkedIn with the same keywords as a CV database. Here's how to appear at the top for the right searches.
Most technical vacancies aren't filled through applications, but because a recruiter finds the candidate. And that finding happens on LinkedIn, with searches full of technical terms. A good profile isn't a business card but a safety net: it determines whether you're found for the roles you want.
Write for the search query
Recruiters search terms like 'maintenance technician', 'TIA Portal', 'HVAC' or 'Siemens', combined with a region. If those words aren't in your profile, you don't exist in their results. So put your core technologies literally in your headline ('Maintenance technician | electromechanics | Antwerp') and repeat them in your experience, per job, as you would in a CV.
Make contact easy
A recruiter decides in seconds whether contact makes sense. Help them: mention your region, whether you're open to shifts, and if needed one line on what you're looking for. The 'Open to work' feature can be made visible to recruiters only; your current employer won't see that signal.
What you can skip
You don't need to write posts or be active daily; for technical profiles that barely counts. One professionally decent photo, a correct job title and concrete experience do ninety percent of the work. Vague titles like 'technical employee' are the biggest findability killer there is.
Unsure how your profile comes across? Share it with us via the profile form; we'll review it next to the search terms we use ourselves every day.
Frequently asked questions
Will my employer see that I'm open to something new on LinkedIn?
Not if you set it up right. Under 'Open to work', choose to show it to recruiters only; the green photo frame won't appear and colleagues see nothing. A hundred percent guarantee doesn't exist, but this is the discreet standard nearly everyone uses.
Does my LinkedIn have to match my CV exactly?
The broad lines, yes: the same jobs, periods and titles. Differences there raise questions in every screening. Your LinkedIn may be more concise though; it's the findable summary, your CV the full story.
Take the next step in your career
Browse our open technical vacancies, each with a clear salary range.