From Invisible to Irresistible: Fix Your LinkedIn Profile

Your LinkedIn profile isn't just a digital resume, it's your 24/7 billboard.

But most Director-level profiles are outdated, task-heavy, or indistinguishable from mid-level engineers.

That disconnect is costing you interviews, credibility, and visibility.

In this guide, we'll show you how to fix your LinkedIn profile so it reflects your true leadership level. Make it a magnet for the right kind of attention from recruiters and hiring leaders.

🎥 Prefer watching? Watch our video breakdown on YouTube.

Why Your LinkedIn Profile Isn't Working

Most recruiters spend less than 30 seconds scanning a LinkedIn profile. They're not reading it in detail. They're scanning for signals:

✅ Are you operating at the level they're hiring for?
✅ Can you lead teams, drive outcomes, and deliver impact?
✅ Do you have the technical and strategic skills they need?

If your profile is vague, activity-focused, or too junior in tone, they'll move on.

How to Fix Your LinkedIn Profile

1. Upgrade Your Headline

Your headline follows you everywhere on LinkedIn: search results, post comments, DMs. And if it just says "Engineering Leader," you're blending in with thousands of others.

Instead, make it findable, impactful, and clickable by showing your scope and a key delivery.

Don't just say:
Engineering Leader at XYZ Corp

Try:
Director of Engineering | Scaled SaaS Platforms from $0 to $50M | AI & Infrastructure | Org of 75+ | 3 Sr Mgrs Direct

This instantly communicates your level, area of ownership, and what you've delivered.

2. Tell Your Leadership Story in the About Section

The About section of your profile shouldn't read like a biography. It should read like a leadership narrative.

Use the first 2–3 lines to hook the reader. Most people won’t click "see more" unless they're intrigued.

Then cover:

✅ What you do
✅ Who you lead
✅ What problems you solve
✅ A few proud outcomes (with metrics)

Example:
I help scaling tech companies to go from chaos to clarity by building high-impact engineering teams. I've led backend infrastructure across 3 product launches generating $75M+ ARR.

Finally, close with a keyword-rich "expertise" section to help you rank in recruiter search. Use relevant technologies, frameworks, and specialties that align with your ideal role.

3. Rewrite Your Experience Using the SAR Formula

Most Experience sections look like job descriptions:

❌ "Led sprint planning"
❌ "Managed a dev team"
❌ "Improved processes"

Those are activities, not outcomes.

Instead, use the SAR formula:

✅ Situation: What was the challenge?
✅ Action: What did you do?
✅ Result: What changed because of it?

And always quantify your results: revenue impact, team size, retention, delivery speed, etc.

Example:
Asked to turnaround a low-performing Engineering group, utilized my leadership framework to equip and engage the team, enabling delivery on three critical product launches netting $100M new revenue in one year.

This format shows that you drive transformation.

4. Use the Featured Section to Show Proof of Leadership

The Featured Section is one of the most underused tools on LinkedIn.

It's visual. It's top-of-profile. And it's a chance to show that you walk the talk.

Use this space to include:

✅ A PDF version of your resume
✅ A slide deck, portfolio, or case study
✅ A link to a public speaking event or podcast
✅ A high-performing post you wrote about industry insights

Hiring leaders will scroll through this. Make it easy for them.

5. Curate Your Skills Section

Most people treat the Skills section as a crowdsourced list. But that's a mistake.

The Skills section affects how often you show up in LinkedIn Recruiter search so it needs to be intentional.

✅  Remove beginner-level skills like Microsoft Office
✅ Prioritize leadership, strategy, and domain depth
✅ Include technical expertise by category:

✔️ Programming languages
✔️ Systems/architecture
✔️ Domains

LinkedIn expanded the skills limit to 100 in 2024. Use it.

Final Thoughts: Your Profile Should Tell the Right Story

Your LinkedIn profile should signal leadership at a glance.

✅ Your headline is strategically crafted
✅ Your About section tells a your leadership narrative
✅ Your experience shows business outcomes
✅ You Featured section showcases proof
✅ Your skills align with the roles you want

Ready to build a career brand that attracts interviews, not just views?