Recruiters notice profiles that match what they type into search and give them a reason to click. So the fix is usually three things: use the exact job title and skills from the posts you want, put proof of results where recruiters look first, and stop waiting to be found by reaching out yourself.
That sounds simple, and it is. The trouble is that most profiles were written for a different purpose, usually as a record of past jobs. To show what changes in practice, here is one profile taken apart and rebuilt.
The situation
Jordan is a made-up example, but a very common one. Jordan has spent four years at a regional logistics company with the internal title “Associate II, Client Operations”. The day-to-day work is running the onboarding of new shipping accounts and fixing the process when it breaks. Jordan wants a Customer Success Manager role at a software company, has applied to a stack of jobs, and has heard from almost no recruiters.
Here is the top of Jordan’s profile before any changes:
Headline: Associate II, Client Operations at Northwind Freight | Passionate problem solver | Seeking new opportunities
About (first lines): I am a hardworking and detail-oriented professional with experience in a fast-paced environment. I am passionate about helping others and always looking to grow.
Latest role: Responsible for client onboarding. Responsible for reports. Worked with various teams.
Nothing in it is false. It just gives a recruiter nothing to search for and no reason to stop.
Why recruiters miss a profile like this
Most recruiters search. They type a job title, a few skills and a location, then filter. LinkedIn has said in general terms that search results depend on how relevant a profile is to the search, along with signals like connections and activity. Many recruiters also use Boolean search, combining titles and skills with AND, OR and NOT.
So two things have to happen. First, the words have to match: if “Customer Success Manager” appears nowhere on Jordan’s profile, a search for it is unlikely to surface Jordan. Second, the search result has to earn a click. In results, a recruiter sees a photo, name, headline and location. That is the whole pitch.
Jordan’s headline fails both tests. “Associate II, Client Operations” is a title nobody searches. “Passionate problem solver” matches nothing. “Seeking new opportunities” uses space without adding a searchable word.
Fix 1: Pick the target title from real job posts
Jordan opens eight Customer Success job posts at software companies and writes down the exact titles. Six say “Customer Success Manager”, one says “Client Success Lead”, one says “Account Manager, Customer Success”. The answer is obvious once it is on paper.
This step matters more than any wording trick. Recruiters search for one role at a time, so a profile trying to fit three roles fits none well. If you are torn between two titles that appear equally often, you can use both, but stop at two.
Fix 2: Rebuild the headline around that title
Title first, because phones and search results cut off the end. Then proof. Then focus.
Before: Associate II, Client Operations at Northwind Freight | Passionate problem solver | Seeking new opportunities
After: Customer Success Manager · Onboarded 40+ B2B shipping accounts · Onboarding, renewals, process fixes
(The “40+” here is part of the example. Use your own real numbers, or describe scope without a number.)
Is it fair for Jordan to lead with a title Jordan has never officially held? Yes, as long as the work underneath supports it in an interview. Jordan has done customer onboarding and account support for four years. Jordan should not lead with “Director”. Our page on the LinkedIn headline for job seekers goes deeper on situations like gaps, layoffs and career changes. To compare a few versions quickly, the free Headline Generator writes options around your target role.
Fix 3: Make the About section answer “why you?”
A recruiter who clicks through skims the About section for fit. Only the first two or three lines show before “see more”, so those lines do the work.
Before: I am a hardworking and detail-oriented professional with experience in a fast-paced environment.
After: I help B2B customers get value from day one. For four years at Northwind Freight, I ran onboarding for new shipping accounts and rebuilt the handoff between sales and operations so fewer accounts stalled in their first month.
After that, Jordan adds three short results, the tools used (the CRM, the ticketing system, spreadsheets), and one line on what Jordan wants next: a Customer Success role at a software company. The free About Generator drafts this structure from facts you give it, so nothing gets invented.
Fix 4: Turn duties into results in Experience
Each role is another chance to match a search, and recruiters read it to check the headline is real.
Before: Responsible for client onboarding. Responsible for reports. Worked with various teams.
After:
- Ran onboarding for new B2B shipping accounts, from kickoff call to first live shipment (Customer Success, account onboarding)
- Built the weekly account health report that the operations lead uses in team meetings
- Rewrote the sales-to-operations handoff checklist, cutting back-and-forth on new accounts
Notice the plain-language title added in parentheses. If your company used an unusual internal title, putting the standard one in the description is honest and makes you findable.
Fix 5: Check the fields recruiters filter on
Filters quietly remove people from results before anyone reads a headline. Jordan checks:
- Location is set to the metro area where Jordan wants to work.
- Skills include the ones that kept appearing in those eight job posts, with the most relevant pinned near the top.
- Education and certifications are complete.
- The current job is actually current.
If you are actively looking, the Open to Work setting adds one more signal, with some trade-offs if you are still employed. LinkedIn Open to Work: should you use it? walks through that choice.
A clear recent photo, a custom profile URL and a couple of recommendations will not get anyone hired. But when a recruiter is choosing between two similar profiles, the one that looks maintained usually gets the message.
Fix 6: Give recruiters something recent to see
A profile is static. Activity shows how you think. Jordan does not need to become a creator, just visible in the right places. A realistic week:
| Day | What Jordan does | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Comments on two posts from Customer Success leaders | 15 minutes |
| Wednesday | Comments on a post from a target company’s team | 10 minutes |
| Every two weeks | Posts one short lesson from onboarding work | 30 minutes |
Keep it about the work, not the search. A post about how you fixed a stalled onboarding says more to a hiring manager than one announcing you are looking.
Fix 7: Stop waiting and reach out
Being findable is half the job. The other half is getting in front of people directly.
When Jordan applies to a role, Jordan finds the recruiter or hiring manager for it and sends a short note: the role, one reason Jordan fits, and nothing more. How to message a recruiter on LinkedIn has the structure and examples. Jordan also connects with a few recruiters who specialize in Customer Success, and asks two former coworkers now at software companies whether they would consider a referral. Our guide on how to ask for a referral on LinkedIn covers how to ask without making it awkward.
How Jordan will know it is working
LinkedIn shows profile views and search appearances in the analytics on your own profile. Jordan writes down both numbers before making changes, then checks them weekly for the next month, along with how many recruiters get in touch.
The rule: change one big thing at a time. If Jordan rewrites the headline, About section and skills all in one evening, there is no way to tell which change mattered. Headline first, wait two weeks, then the rest. A few weeks of your own numbers beats any general benchmark.
Your own before and after
Copy your current headline, the first two lines of your About section and your latest role into a note. Then open five job posts you would apply to today and compare the words. Where they do not match, you have found your first fix.
Start with the part recruiters see first: draft three options in the free Headline Generator. For applications, referrals and interviews, our job search guides cover the rest.