LinkedIn Profile Checklist for Executives

Most senior leaders know their LinkedIn profile could be better. Few know exactly what to fix first, which is where a simple LinkedIn profile checklist helps. The profile was set up years ago, updated in a rush after the last role change, and has not been looked at properly since.

That matters more than it used to. Recruiters, search consultants, board chairs and hiring panels in Australia and New Zealand check LinkedIn before they call. If your profile is thin, out of date or does not match your resume, it raises questions you never get the chance to answer.

The checklist below is grouped by section, so you can work through it in order. You do not need to do it all at once. Start with the top of the profile, because that is what most people see first, and work down from there.

Why use a LinkedIn profile checklist?

A checklist stops you from polishing one section while another quietly lets you down. It is common to see a well written About section sitting under a blank banner, or a strong headline above an Experience section that stops three roles ago.

From my years on the recruiter side, I can tell you that a profile is judged as a whole. A search consultant looking at a long list of names is asking a simple question: does this person look like the level we need? Every section either supports that answer or weakens it.

Use this list once to get the profile right, then come back to it every six months or when your role changes.

Photo

Your photo is the first thing people notice, and it shapes how they read everything else.

• Use a recent, clear, well lit head and shoulders photo.

• Face the camera, with a natural expression.

• Choose a plain or softly blurred background.

• Dress as you would for a board meeting or senior interview.

• Make sure your face fills most of the frame, so it still reads when shown small.

• Avoid cropped group shots, holiday photos or images more than a few years old.

A professional photographer is worth it for most executives, but a good phone photo in natural light can work if it is sharp and well framed.

Banner

The banner is the wide image behind your photo. Many executives leave the default blue, which looks unfinished.

• Replace the default with a simple, uncluttered image.

• Consider a subtle image linked to your sector, city or the work you do.

• Keep text short if you use any, and check it is not hidden behind your photo on mobile.

• Avoid anything that looks like an advertisement.

Our guide to the LinkedIn photo and banner for executives has more on getting these two images right.

Headline

The headline is the line under your name. It appears in search results, comments and messages, so it does a lot of work.

• Go beyond your job title. Say what you do and for whom.

• Include the words a recruiter would search for, such as “CFO”, “Chief Financial Officer” or “Non-Executive Director”.

• Mention your sector or scale if it sets you apart.

• Keep it readable. A string of job titles and symbols is hard to take in.

Illustrative example: “Chief Financial Officer | Multi-entity groups across Australia and New Zealand | Growth, capital raising and finance transformation”

About section

The About section is where you explain what you are known for and why it matters. Most executive About sections are too short, too vague or written in the third person.

• Write in the first person. It reads as more confident and more human.

• Open with the problem you solve or the value you bring, not your career history.

• Include two or three results with scale or numbers where you can share them.

• Mention the kinds of roles or organisations you work best in.

• Use short paragraphs, so it reads well on a phone.

• End with a clear line on how to contact you, if you are open to that.

Our guide to writing a LinkedIn headline and About section for senior leaders walks through both in detail.

Before and after (illustrative). Here is how a weak About opening can be rewritten.

Before: “Experienced finance professional with a strong track record in financial management, stakeholder engagement and team leadership. Results driven and highly motivated.”

After: “I lead finance teams through growth and change. Over the past 12 years I have been CFO or Group Financial Controller for businesses between [$ amount] and [$ amount] in revenue across Australia and New Zealand. My focus is building finance functions that give boards and CEOs the numbers they need to make decisions quickly.”

The second version tells the reader who you are, what scale you work at and what you do well, in three sentences. The figures are placeholders. Use your own.

Experience

The Experience section is where recruiters check that your story holds together.

• Match your job titles and dates to your resume exactly.

• Add a short line under each role on scope: team size, budget, revenue or reporting line.

• Include two to four key results for current and recent roles.

• Keep older roles brief. A line or two is enough for roles from well back in your career.

• Remove gaps you can explain, or add a short note where one needs context.

• Use the company’s current name if it has changed, and mention the old name if that helps.

Present tense for your current role, past tense for earlier ones. It is a small detail, but readers notice when it is mixed.

Featured

The Featured section sits near the top of your profile and lets you pin posts, articles, links or media. Many executives leave it empty, which wastes prime space.

• Pin two or three items that support your positioning.

• Good options include an article you wrote, a presentation, a media interview or a post that drew strong discussion.

• Remove anything outdated or off message.

• Check the images and titles display well on mobile.

Our piece on the LinkedIn Featured section for executives covers what to pin and what to leave out.

Skills

Skills help LinkedIn match you to searches. They also give recruiters a quick sense of your strengths.

• Review your skills list and remove anything outdated or too junior.

• Add the skills that match the roles you want, using the words a recruiter would search for.

• Pin your top three so they appear first.

• Ask trusted colleagues to endorse the skills that matter most.

Our guide to LinkedIn skills and keywords for recruiters explains how search works on the recruiter side.

Recommendations

Recommendations are one of the few places on LinkedIn where someone else speaks for you. A few strong ones carry more weight than many weak ones.

• Aim for a handful of recent recommendations from senior people.

• Include a mix, such as a CEO, a board member, a peer and someone you led.

• Ask for a specific focus, such as how you handled a restructure or built a team.

• Offer to write one in return, and make it specific.

Settings

Settings are easy to overlook, but they change how your profile appears to others.

• Set a custom profile URL with your name.

• Check your location is correct, as recruiters often search by city.

• Review the “Open to work” settings. For senior roles, many executives prefer the option visible only to recruiters.

• Decide whether to share profile updates with your network while you make changes.

• Check your contact details are current.

Activity

Your recent activity sits on your profile and shows whether you are present on the platform. You do not need to post every day.

• Comment thoughtfully on posts from people in your sector a few times a month.

• Share or write an occasional post on a topic you know well.

• Remove old reposts or comments that no longer reflect how you want to be seen.

• Stay consistent over time, rather than posting in bursts.

Common mistakes to avoid

Titles and dates that do not match the resume. This is the first thing many recruiters check.

A third person About section. It reads like a press release, not a leader.

No results anywhere. A profile full of duties looks junior.

An out of date photo. People notice when you walk into a meeting looking different.

Changing everything at once, with notifications on. It can signal a job search to your current employer.

Questions to ask yourself

• Would a search consultant know my level within five seconds?

• Does my headline include the words someone would search for?

• Does my About section say what I am known for?

• Do my titles and dates match my resume?

• Is there at least one clear result in each recent role?

• Have I updated anything in the past six months?

If you answer no to any of these, start there. Small fixes at the top of the profile usually make the biggest difference, because that is the part most people read before they decide whether to scroll.

If you would like a printable version, I have a LinkedIn Optimisation Checklist you can get by messaging WAVE to me on LinkedIn.

If you want a LinkedIn profile that tells a clear story at your level, see how I approach executive LinkedIn profile writing.

If you are a senior leader planning your next move, book a complimentary Clarity Session and we will look at what your LinkedIn profile says about you today.