Chapter 1 of 7 · 4 checks · 3 min

Photo, banner, headline and URL

The top of your profile is what shows in search results, comments and connection requests. Get these four right before anything else.

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Use a clear, recent photo where your face fills most of the frameMust
Why it matters and how to check
Your photo appears next to every comment, message and search result, so it is the most viewed part of your profile. A simple, well-lit head and shoulders shot is enough. It does not need a studio: a phone camera near a window works.
To check it, look at your profile in the search results list on your phone. If you cannot recognise your face at that small size, crop tighter. LinkedIn lets you crop, adjust and reposition the photo after uploading, and set who can see it.
Do
Face the camera, plain background, natural light
Crop so your face takes up most of the circle
Set photo visibility so recruiters outside your network can see it
Avoid
Group photos, logos, cartoons or sunglasses
Photos so old that people would not recognise you on a video call
Replace the default banner with something that says what you doNice to have
Why it matters and how to check
The banner behind your photo is free space. A plain image with one line of text, such as your focus area and stack, helps a visitor place you before they read anything else. A photo of your desk setup or a clean screenshot of a project also works.
Your profile photo covers part of the banner, and the overlap is different on desktop and mobile. After uploading, view your profile on both and move any text that sits under the photo or gets cut off.
Do
Keep text short and away from the bottom left corner
Check the result on both phone and desktop
Avoid
Busy collages with tiny text nobody can read
Write a headline that names your role, stack and focusMust
Why it matters and how to check
Your headline follows your name everywhere on LinkedIn, and only the first part shows in search results and comments. Lead with what you are or want to be, then your main tools, then one thing that makes you specific. For example: "Backend Developer | Node.js, PostgreSQL | Building payment APIs".
Students can do the same: "CS Student at FAST | React and Python | Open source contributor". The test: someone who reads only your name and headline should know which jobs to message you about.
Do
Put the job title you are targeting in the first few words
Name two or three technologies you actually use
Read it in a search result to see where it gets cut off
Avoid
A headline that only says "Student" or "Looking for opportunities"
A long list of every language you have ever touched
Set a custom public profile URLShould
Why it matters and how to check
LinkedIn assigns you a URL with random characters at the end. A custom one, such as linkedin.com/in/ayesha-khan-dev, looks better on a CV, GitHub profile and email signature. Edit it from your profile under Public profile and URL.
LinkedIn's rules: 3 to 100 characters, no spaces, symbols or special characters, and it cannot contain the word "LinkedIn". Custom URLs are first come, first served, and you can change yours up to five times in six months. Pick one you will keep, then paste it into a private browser window to check it opens your profile.
Do
Use your name, or your name plus "dev" if it is taken
Update the link on your CV and GitHub after changing it
Avoid
Changing it repeatedly, which breaks links you have already shared