"Opportunities don't float like clouds in the sky. They're attached to people. If you're looking for an opportunity, you're really looking for a person." (Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn)
In the STRIDE approach, standing out requires more than a polished resume. It means being an active member of your professional community, whether you are just beginning, transitioning to a new industry, or well into your career. While we talked about using career chats to build community in the Define stage and prepared conversation starters to explain your journey in the Plan stage, this chapter introduces another powerhouse community-building tool, LinkedIn.
Many people think of LinkedIn as a digital resume. That is far from the truth. Its true value is connection. LinkedIn changes the game by moving you from a database entry (online job application) to being actively engaged in the job market. Most users are 'reactive'. They only log into LinkedIn when they need a job. Successful professionals are 'proactive'. They use LinkedIn to build their professional communities. By commenting on a post, sharing updates, or linking to your portfolio (on platforms like GitHub or Behance), you are raising your hand and saying, "I’m here, and I’m interested.” This is how one expands their professional network, bypasses the ATS filter, and reaches the people actually making decisions.
Regardless of where you are in your career, starting out, changing paths, moving to a new company, or returning after a break, your community is your most valuable asset. LinkedIn connections can include:
Friends, family, and former coworkers.
Alumni from your school or members of professional organizations.
People working in your target industry or at companies you admire.
This chapter focuses on the big picture:
The Why: Why your digital presence matters.
The Profile: How to tell your story, not just list your experiences.
The Connection: How to reach out to your professional community and get a response.
As you read this chapter, think about: What if your next opportunity didn't come from a job board, but from a conversation you haven't had yet?
Many job seekers apply for jobs by submitting their resume to a website and hoping for the best. Instead of waiting for an automated system to pick you, LinkedIn flips the script. How so? Job boards and other sites keep you hidden behind an application form. LinkedIn puts you front and center by giving you a platform to share your voice.
Note: Along with its 'building a professional community' opportunities, LinkedIn also has a job board. However, its job board is not its primary focus.
Recruiters and hiring managers lean heavily on LinkedIn to find qualified candidates. LinkedIn's search algorithm favors profiles that are complete and keyword-rich. Furthermore, its search algorithm and recruiter filters heavily prioritize certain fields (headline, job titles, relevant skills) over others.
It is important to note that other parts of your profile still matter for human review, but they don’t carry the same search weight. When creating your profile, here are suggestions to improve your search visibility and grow your professional community (i.e., connections).
Top of Page (The Visuals). The first elements anybody sees when they visit your profile are your headshot, background (banner), and headline (a series of keywords under your name). Strong first impressions help you stand out from the noise.
Headshot: Make your headshot recent and professional.
Headline: You have 220 characters to summarize what makes you stand out. You can incorporate excerpts from your brand statement here. Use keywords related to the job you want, not just the one you have. Example: "Aspiring Web Developer | Wireframing and Prototyping | Passionate about UX Design and Clean Code"
Banner: Replace the default gray background with a custom image that reflects your industry, an interest, or showcases your work. Profiles with custom banners get significantly more views.
We often get asked if using “Open to Work” is a good idea. In some cases, it is; in others, it isn’t. We recommend doing a Google search to gain more information on whether or not it makes sense for you. Feel free to reach out to your coach or instructor to talk about this issue.
About Statement (The Narrative). Your About statement is directly under your headline. It is your opening hook, and provides the backstory (i.e., the stories and stops along the way) that does not fit in the resume. It enables you to give the professional community a chance to see the person behind the credentials. In essence, your About statement turns a static document into a story being lived.
Write a strong sentence about your professional brand. This is the hook.
Briefly describe your career path, including the twists and turns that cannot be explained in your resume. Highlight your transferable skills here.
Use the About section to focus on your current skills and future goals. Keep in mind that LinkedIn is about where you are going, not only where you have been.
Show enthusiasm for what you are looking for. Use content from your brand statement, conversation starter and TMAY statement to keep the tone authentic.
Skip the buzzwords like motivated or energetic. Consider using language from your assessment in the Define stage.
Experience (The Proof). You have 2000 characters to describe each experience and related highlights. Incorporate high-value (impactful) keywords to increase your visibility in recruiter and hiring manager search results. Use this section to list unrelated experiences that show important transferable skills (like leadership in a volunteer role).
Do not copy and paste your resume bullet points into your LinkedIn profile. There are a few ways to write about your experience on LinkedIn. Some people summarize each experience in a 2 -3 sentence paragraph; others list 3-4 bullet points; and some people combine both summary (1-2 sentences) and bullet points (2-3 bullet points).
Featured and Activity. Once your profile is set, add Featured content. Links to your GitHub, work portfolio, articles, or a video of a presentation turn your profile from a 'static' document into a 'dynamic' showcase.
Education: Like your resume, list the most recent school or certification first. Include graduation dates on LinkedIn only if you are a current student or a recent graduate (within 1–5 years). Even though there is a section for certifications, some people list them here if they are an important qualification in their industry.
Recommendations: Personal 'testimonials' can significantly elevate your profile. Ask colleagues, supervisors, professors, or clients to write about your contributions to a team, project, or in the classroom.
Other LinkedIn Sections: Licenses and Certifications, Volunteering, Skills, Organizations, Interests, and Causes.
The STRIDE approach highly encourages you to use ‘community’ to amplify job search efforts. By tapping into the power of LinkedIn, your ability to build a community of professional peers is almost limitless. In fact, LinkedIn organizes your network into three circles, or 'degrees". Understanding this concept is the key to moving your resume from the bottom of the pile to the top of a recruiter’s or hiring manager’s candidate list.
1st-Degree Connections (direct contacts and ‘inner circle’). These are people you know directly because you have accepted their Connection Request or they have accepted yours. You can message them for free anytime. (A Connection Request is a digital invitation sent to another LinkedIn user to join their LinkedIn network, or vice versa. It is LinkedIn’s equivalent of a Facebook "friend request.")
2nd-Degree Connection (friends of friends). These are people who are directly connected to your 1st-degree connections. If you want to work at a specific company and see 2nd-degree connections on LinkedIn, ask your 1st-degree connections for an introduction.
3rd-Degree Connections (the wider industry). These are people connected to your 2nd-degree network. Because 3rd-degree connections are so far removed from your LinkedIn community, we recommend focusing on 1st- and 2nd-degree community members.
Optimizing Your Connections. Make it easy for people to find you. Not everybody is comfortable using LinkedIn to reach out to people they don’t know. However, not connecting to someone who can provide helpful information is a missed opportunity.
If reaching out to strangers feels uncomfortable, use our ‘slow-build’ strategy to build trust before you reach out.
Follow, then observe: ‘Follow’ a professional peer you don’t personally know to see what they post. This helps you learn the ‘language’ of and trends in your industry.
Engage with value: Comment on their posts a few times. Just ‘Liking’ a post does not count. Thoughtful comments build recognition.
Connect with a purpose: Once you have engaged with (i.e., commented on) a peer's posts a few times, send a Connection Request with a personalized note, reference to their posts, and reason for the Connection Request. Once your professional peer is a connection, you can follow up with an ‘ask’ for a career conversation to talk about insight and advice.
According to industry data, adding a personalized note with your Connection Request can more than double your chances of having your request accepted compared to sending a blank invitation. On LinkedIn, sending a Connection Request without a note is like handing someone a business card and walking away without saying a word. For a job seeker, that note is their most powerful tool.
Connection Request example: “Hi Alex, I have been enjoying your posts on AI in education, especially related to ways to support users of educational technology. As a junior web developer in EdTech, I am meeting lots of the challenges you address. I would like to connect with you on LinkedIn. Alicia.”
Follow-up message example (a couple of weeks later): “Hi Alex. Thanks for connecting with me. Your last post was amazing! I am currently transitioning careers and would value your advice on how to prepare myself for 'what’s coming' in UX/UI design for EdTech companies. Do you have 15 minutes to talk in the next couple of weeks? Look forward to hearing from you. Alicia”
Treating LinkedIn as a transaction. LinkedIn is about building a professional community. When you genuinely engage with your peers through commenting or connecting, you create trust and support. The more you give, the more meaningful and helpful your relationships become.
Building community doesn’t happen overnight. Start small, be authentic, and grow your presence slowly and steadily.
Don’t only show up on LinkedIn when you need a job. Comment, share articles, and post updates so your presence is consistent.
Update regularly. As you gain new certifications or finish projects, add them immediately to keep your ‘track record’ fresh.
Don’t feel pressured to post anything. High-quality, occasional updates are better than ‘spamming’ low-effort posts that might annoy your network.
Don’t set and forget. In order to remain visible in candidate searches, update your profile regularly, and engage with content to keep it fresh and relevant.
The more connections you have, the broader your professional community, and the easier it is for recruiters and hiring managers to find you through their own connections. Having a significant number of LinkedIn connections also raises your credibility among peers, hiring managers, and recruiters.
Unlike standard job sites like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and Dice (tech), LinkedIn jobs are attached to real people. Before you hit <Apply>, you can see who works there, who you know in common, or who might be willing to make an introduction or give you valuable insights. This transforms a cold application into a warm connection. Don’t forget to look for those connections!
Use STRIDE’s ‘slow-build’ tactic to engage. As we talked about in the chapter on career chats (Define) and building community (Stand Out), engagement is the engine that carries your message. By commenting on the posts of people in your target companies, you are ‘engaging’ with your professional community before you ever reach out.
Your LinkedIn profile is your professional narrative. While a resume focuses on your past, your LinkedIn profile positions you for the future. By carefully crafting your profile and engaging with your community, you are establishing yourself with the industry you want to join. LinkedIn gives you the power to take control of your story. Use it to prove you are active and ready for the next chapter of your career.
Note: Before you start editing your LinkedIn profile, go into Settings > Notifications > Updating Your Profile and turn off > Allow Profile Improvement Notifications. This prevents your connections from receiving alerts each time you make a change. LinkedIn is always updating the platform. This setting may change location over time.
