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How to create and complete a LinkedIn profile to look for work

Ubuntu Canarias · 11 min read

LinkedIn is a professional network where you can create a profile with your experience, your education and training, and what you know how to do, connect with professionals and companies, and look for job offers. You don't need an important job title or an office job to use it: it's for anyone who wants to show their career path and look for new opportunities.

In this guide we explain, step by step, how to create your account and prepare your profile.

1. What is LinkedIn for?

You can use LinkedIn to:

• Look for work.
• Learn about companies and follow their posts.
• Build professional contacts.
• Show your work experience, your studies, your courses and your skills.
• Find job offers that match your profile.

It also has a «Jobs» section where you can search and apply for positions.

2. Why is it important to have a profile?

When a company or a professional visits your profile, they can learn about your career path. That's why creating an account is not enough: you need to complete your profile with real, up-to-date information. According to LinkedIn, a complete profile helps you connect with opportunities and show your experience, education and skills.

The idea is that, when a company opens your profile, they quickly understand who you are, what you can do, what experience you have, what training you've done and what kind of job you're looking for.

3. What do I need to sign up?

Before you start, have ready:

• A mobile phone or a computer.
• An email address.
• A password.
• Information about your previous jobs.
• Information about your studies and courses.
• Information about your knowledge and skills.
• A suitable photo for your profile, if you decide to add one.

You don't need a perfect CV to create the account. You can complete your profile little by little.

4. Create your LinkedIn account

Go to LinkedIn and choose the option to sign up or join. You can sign up with your first name, surname and email address, or use your Google or Apple account.

Important: use your real name. According to LinkedIn's rules, each profile must belong to one person only and cannot use company names or nicknames.

5. Choose your email carefully

Use an email address you check often, for example name.surname@gmail.com. Avoid one you can't access.

Tip: if you have several email addresses, use a personal one you can keep for a long time. Don't share your password with anyone.

6. Fill in your basic details

Once your account is created, LinkedIn will ask you for information to set up your profile: location, job title or professional activity, education, skills and experience. Fill them in with real information. LinkedIn has different sections so you can build up your professional profile step by step.

7. Your profile photo

Your photo shouldn't be just any photo. If you decide to add one, try to make it recent and clear, with good lighting, your face clearly visible, a simple background and an appearance suitable for a professional profile. You don't need to go to a studio: a good photo taken with your phone can be enough. LinkedIn lets you upload it from your phone or computer, and crop and adjust it.

Avoid:

• Group photos or photos with other people.
• Photos taken at parties.
• Photos that are too dark.
• Images with quotes or phrases.
• Logos instead of your photo: according to LinkedIn, the profile photo must show the person who owns the profile.

8. Your professional headline

This is one of the most important parts of your profile: it appears under your name. Instead of just writing «Looking for work», it's better to explain your profession or the kind of job you're looking for. For example:

• Kitchen assistant | Experience in hospitality and restaurants
• Cleaner | Cleaning of hotels, homes and offices
• Warehouse operative | Order picking and logistics
• Shop assistant | Customer service and sales
• Electrician | Installations and maintenance
• Carer | Care and support for older people

If you're looking for your first job, you can mention your training and the area you want to work in, for example: Administrative assistant | Training in administration | Looking for opportunities. Your headline should be clear and true.

9. Add your work experience

Now it's time to add your previous jobs. For each one you can include the company, the job title, the start date, the end date and the tasks you did. If the company has a LinkedIn page, its name and logo will appear.

Important: only add companies you have actually worked for, not companies whose services you've used or with which you've had an informal relationship.

10. How to describe your tasks

Don't just write «I cleaned». It's better to explain what tasks you did. For example, for a hotel cleaner job: cleaning and preparing rooms, cleaning bathrooms, changing bed linen, restocking products and cleaning common areas. That way, anyone who sees your profile will know exactly what experience you have.

11. Add your education

In the education section you can include, for example:

• Secondary education.
• Bachillerato (upper secondary education).
• Vocational training.
• Professional certificates (certificados de profesionalidad).
• Courses.
• Training related to your trade.

You don't need a university degree to use LinkedIn. Any useful training helps explain your professional profile.

12. Add your skills

Skills are the knowledge and abilities you can bring to a job. For example: cleaning, order picking, customer service, computer skills, food handling, driving, maintenance, bricklaying, electrical installations, care for older people or languages.

Important: don't add skills you don't really have.

13. Add languages

List the languages you really know and your level in each one (for example: Spanish, native; Arabic, French or English, with whatever level you have). Don't put a higher level than your real one: a company may check it in an interview.

14. Write a description about yourself

You can write a short text explaining what experience you have, which sector you've worked in, what you can do and what kind of opportunities you're looking for. For example:

«Professional with experience in cleaning hotels and homes. Used to working in an organised and responsible way. Currently looking for job opportunities in the cleaning sector in Gran Canaria.»

You don't need to write a whole page: a short, clear and specific text is enough.

15. Add a cover image

LinkedIn lets you add a cover image behind your profile photo. It's not required. If you add one, make it related to your work: for example, an image of a kitchen, a trade, computers or construction. You can also leave it without an image while you complete the rest of your profile.

16. Review your profile

LinkedIn shows an indicator of how complete your profile is. Recommended sections include your photo, location, industry, education, job title, skills and summary. The goal is not to leave your profile half-finished: go through each section and complete whatever applies to your career path.

17. Look for jobs on LinkedIn

Once your profile is ready, go to «Jobs» and search for offers: for example, cleaning, waiter/waitress, shop assistant, warehouse operative, administrative assistant, delivery driver, electrician, bricklayer, customer service or carer. You can use filters to narrow down the results.

18. Search by location

If you're looking for work in Gran Canaria, type a town or area you can travel to, such as Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Telde, Arucas, Gáldar, Agüimes, Ingenio, Santa Lucía de Tirajana, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Mogán or Teror.

19. Create job alerts

LinkedIn lets you turn on alerts for your searches, for example «Cleaning in Gran Canaria», «Customer service in Las Palmas» or «Warehouse operative in Telde». That way you get notified when new offers appear.

20. Apply for a job

When you find an offer you're interested in, read all the information first. LinkedIn may show different buttons:

• «Easy Apply»: lets you send your application directly on LinkedIn, following the steps on the screen.
• «Apply»: may take you to the company's website or another page to complete your application there.

Pay attention to what happens after you press the button.

21. Before you send your application

Check:

• That you meet the requirements.
• That you can get to the workplace.
• That you can work the hours.
• That you have the experience and training they ask for.
• That your phone number and email are correct.
• That your profile is up to date.
• That the CV you're sending is the right one.

22. Save job offers

If you're interested in an offer but don't want to apply yet, you can save it to look at later. This will help you organise your search. You don't need to apply for every offer that appears: it's better to focus on the ones that really match your profile.

23. Build a professional network

LinkedIn isn't just a site for sending CVs. It's also for building a professional network: you can connect with former colleagues, professionals in your sector, people you've worked with, companies and professionals related to your training. You don't need to send connection requests to just anyone: build your network little by little and in a professional way.

24. Follow companies

If there are companies you'd like to work for, search for them on LinkedIn and follow their pages, if they have one. That way you'll see their posts, their activity and their new opportunities, and get to know the sector you want to work in better.

25. Do I have to post content?

No. You don't need to post every day to have a good profile. At first, the most important thing is to create your account, complete your profile, add your experience, education and skills, and look for work. Later on you can learn to use other features.

26. Mistakes to avoid

• Creating a profile and leaving it empty: an incomplete profile shows very little professional information.
• Writing only «Looking for work»: it's better to explain your profession and what you can do.
• Making up experience: never invent jobs, companies or qualifications.
• Making up knowledge: only include real skills.
• Claiming a language level you don't have: be honest.
• Using an unprofessional photo: choose a clear, recent image.
• Not updating your profile: when you take a new course or gain new experience, add it.
• Sharing your password: your account is personal. LinkedIn states that you should not share your login details or hand your account over to anyone else.

27. Safety

Your password, your email and your phone number are personal data. Don't give your login details to anyone. If someone offers you a job and asks you for money, passwords or access codes, don't go any further without first checking who they are and why they need that information.

28. Do I have to pay for LinkedIn?

Not necessarily. You can create a profile and use the job search features without paying for LinkedIn Premium. You don't need any paid subscription to start looking for work: use the free features first and learn how the platform works before considering any extra service.

29. Your profile should tell your story

Don't think of LinkedIn as just another form, but as your professional introduction. When a company visits your profile, they should quickly find out who you are, what experience and training you have, what you can do, where you're looking for work and what kind of opportunity you want.

30. A tip from Ubuntu Canarias

If you've never used LinkedIn, don't try to learn everything in one day. Start with the basics:

1. Create your account.
2. Use your real name.
3. Add a suitable photo.
4. Write your profession or area of work.
5. Add your experience.
6. Add your studies and courses.
7. Add your skills.
8. List the languages you really know.
9. Review your profile.
10. Start looking for job offers.

Later you can learn to build professional contacts, follow companies and use other features. A LinkedIn profile doesn't replace your CV, but it can help you show your career path and find new opportunities.

Need help?

At Ubuntu Canarias, through the Talento Sin Fronteras programme, we offer free guidance and support to help you look for work: CVs, job offers, digital job platforms, applying for jobs, training and tools for an active job search.