We’re deep into getting ready to move house. I’m practically sleeping on top of packing boxes. But today, we’re taking a break to take the kids to a water park.

Hope you’re having a great summer.

Today we’re talking about your LinkedIn profile.

Ah, LinkedIn. In the halcyon days of the early 2000s, LinkedIn was barely social media. Instead, it was just the place where you voluntarily uploaded your resume.

Fast forward to 2020, the platform decided to prioritize “creator” content, and the LinkedIn content you love or hate or love to hate was born.

As Brian Balfour put it in his article:

Today, LinkedIn’s feed is starting to look more like driving down the 101. Sponsored content dominates. Organic posts are getting buried under “suggested posts” from people you don’t follow. The creator economy LinkedIn built is being systematically monetized.

Regardless of how you feel about it, when it comes to your job search system, your LinkedIn profile is often the first impression you make.

Before they see your resume, before they talk to you, they’re judging whether you’re worth their time based on 10 seconds of scrolling.

So let’s look at how you can maximize those 10 seconds.

Here’s what you’ll learn today:

• How to research and model the best profiles in your field

• Step-by-step AI workflows to upgrade every part of your profile

• The exact prompts that turn bland profiles into interview magnets

…and more!

🔍 Step 1: Research Great LinkedIn Profiles

Most people skip this step and wonder why their profile doesn’t stand out.

Before you change a single word on your profile, you need to understand what “good” looks like in your field.

Here’s what you’re going to do: find 5-10 people in your target role who have profiles that make you think “I want what they have.”

🕵️ How to Find the Right Profiles

Use LinkedIn’s search like a pro:

• Search for your target job title

• Filter by location (if relevant) and current company

• Look for people at companies you’d want to work for

• Pay attention to profiles with high engagement on posts

Look for these green flags:

• Professional but not boring headshot

• Summary that tells a story, not just lists achievements

• Work experience that focuses on impact, not duties

• (Optional) Active posting with actual engagement

👉 Do this: Create a swipe file

Screenshot or bookmark 5-10 profiles that catch your attention. Ask yourself: What makes me want to keep reading? What would make me want to hire this person?

Pay attention to patterns:

• How do they structure their headlines?

• What tone do they use in their summaries?

• How do they describe their work experience?

• What kind of content do they post?

This isn’t about copying. It’s about understanding what works in your industry and adapting it to your story.

To be clear, the best way to do this is to target people who have your exact title that you’re looking for, not just the people who are “loudest” on LinkedIn.

You’re using LinkedIn to land your next job. Creators are using LinkedIn for distribution. Sometimes there’s overlap in those use cases, but it’s small.

📸 Step 2: Power Up Your Profile with AI Headshots (SectaLabs)

Your headshot is doing more work than you think. It’s the first thing people see, and people hire people. Whether we like it or not, people make snap judgments based on your photo.

A professional headshot used to mean spending $300+ and scheduling a photoshoot. Now AI offers a much faster and cheaper alternative.

🤖 Why SectaLabs is in My Toolkit

SectaLabs lets you generate professional-looking headshots from your casual photos, and the results are surprisingly good for just $39.

Use cases:

• Creating a professional LinkedIn photo that makes people stop scrolling

• Generating multiple styles (corporate for traditional companies, casual for startups)

👉 Follow this workflow in SectaLabs

Photo selection is everything. Upload 8-10 photos where you look natural and relaxed. Skip the forced smiles.

Lighting matters. Use photos taken near windows or in well-lit spaces. No bathroom mirror selfies.

Include variety. Mix photos looking at the camera and slightly off to the side so AI understands your face from different angles.

Review all options. Some will look amazing, others like your evil twin. Pick ones that actually look like you.

Get a second opinion. Ask a friend to review your top 3 choices. What looks good to you might look weird to others.

Pro tip: Ask this simple question when testing your headshot: “Does this look like someone you’d want to work with?” The gut reaction tells you everything.

🥊 Step 3: Punch Up Your Work Experience (Impact First)

This is where most profiles die. Most people list their responsibilities instead of telling the story of their impact.

Your work experience should answer two questions:

• “Who can this person help?”

• “What problems can they solve?”

💪 The Impact Formula That Works

Every bullet point should follow this structure:

[Impact] + [What you did] + [How you did it]

This isn’t just about adding numbers. It’s about showing the business value you create.

✍️ Use Claude to transform your bullets:

“Rewrite this work experience bullet to focus on measurable impact using this format: [Impact you drove] + [What you did] + [How you did it]. Here’s the original: [paste current bullet]. Focus on outcomes like money earned, money saved, time saved, or number of people/customers affected. Make it specific and quantifiable.”

📊 Three Examples of the Impact Formula

Example 1: Marketing Role

• ❌ “Managed social media accounts and created content for company”

• ✅ “Increased social media engagement by 150% and generated 200+ qualified leads monthly by implementing data-driven content strategy and A/B testing across Instagram and LinkedIn”

Example 2: Product Role

• ❌ “Worked with engineering team to improve user experience”

• ✅ “Reduced user churn by 23% and increased feature adoption by 40% by leading cross-functional team of 8 engineers through user research and iterative design sprints”

Example 3: Operations Role

• ❌ “Streamlined processes and managed vendor relationships”

• ✅ “Cut operational costs by $120K annually and reduced processing time by 3 hours per order by automating vendor workflows and renegotiating 12 key supplier contracts”

✍️ For bullets that lack impact data, use this Claude prompt:

“I don’t have specific metrics for this responsibility: [describe what you did]. Help me identify what the likely business impact was and suggest measurable outcomes I could reasonably claim based on this type of work in [your industry].”

👉 When you’re done, do a polish pass:

Go through each work experience and ask: “So what?” If you can’t immediately see why someone would care about that bullet point, rewrite it or delete it. Every line should make a hiring manager think “we need someone who can do that.”

Pro tip: Your work experience section feeds everything else. Get this right first, then use these accomplishments to write your summary and headline.

✍️ Step 4: Rewrite Your Summary and Headline (In That Order)

Now that your work experience tells a compelling story, extract the best parts to create your summary and headline.

📝 Start with Your Summary

Your summary should synthesize your impact into a narrative that answers: “What makes this person uniquely valuable?”

✍️ Use Claude with your updated work experience:

“Based on these work experience bullets: [paste your updated bullets], help me write a LinkedIn summary that tells a compelling story. I’m targeting [specific role] at [company type]. The summary should: 1) Open with my core expertise, 2) Highlight 2-3 key impacts with metrics, 3) Show what I’m looking for next. Make it conversational but professional.”

✍️ Then refine for your target role:

“Make this summary more specific to someone hiring for [target role]. What would make a hiring manager in [industry] think ‘we need to talk to this person immediately’? Include the exact job title I’m targeting.”

🎯 Then Craft Your Headline

Your headline is just a condensed version of your summary. It’s your elevator pitch in one line.

✍️ Use Claude to create multiple headline options:

“Based on this summary: [paste summary], create 5 different LinkedIn headlines for someone targeting [specific role]. Each should include the target job title and highlight different aspects of my value (e.g., metrics, industry expertise, unique skills). Keep each under 220 characters.”

The most important rule: Include your target job title in both your headline and summary. If you’re applying for Product Manager roles, make sure “Product Manager” appears prominently.

👉 Do this:

Write your summary first, then distill it into a headline. The headline should make someone want to read the summary, and the summary should make them want to read your work experience.

🚨 I’m going to say it again: if you only do one thing, please…

Include the job title that you are targeting in the headline and summary.

This is crucial. Do not skip.

📝 Step 5: Create Strategic Content (Not Creator Content)

Before you get into the LinkedIn content game, here’s a crucial distinction: you’re trying to get a job, not build a personal brand.

This means your LinkedIn content strategy should be completely different from what you see LinkedIn creators doing.

(It’s not about right or wrong. It’s about having different goals.)

🎯 Job Search Content vs. Creator Content

Creator content goals:

• Maximize views and engagement

• Build massive following

• Generate speaking opportunities

• Sell courses or consulting

Job search content goals:

• Demonstrate expertise in your niche

• Show how you think about industry problems

• Get noticed by hiring managers in your field

• Prove you understand the challenges they face

The strategy is completely different.

🧠 AI Strategy for Job Search Content

✍️ Use this Claude prompt for targeted post ideas:

“I’m a [your role] trying to get noticed by hiring managers at [company types] in [industry]. Generate 10 LinkedIn post ideas that would demonstrate deep expertise and strategic thinking. Focus on: industry challenges I could solve, lessons from recent projects, contrarian takes based on my experience, and insights that would make hiring managers think ‘this person gets it.'”

✍️ Then use this framework for writing posts:

“Write a LinkedIn post about [chosen topic] targeting hiring managers in [industry]. Use this structure: Hook (industry-specific challenge), Context (why this matters now), Insight (my perspective based on experience), Example (specific case or data), Takeaway (what companies should consider). Keep it under 200 words and focus on demonstrating expertise, not entertainment.”

📊 What This Looks Like in Practice

Example 1:

❌ “5 LinkedIn growth hacks that will change your life!”

✅ “Why most B2B companies get product-market fit wrong (and how to fix it)”

Example 2:

❌ “Monday motivation: You’ve got this!” ✅ “Three signals that your customer acquisition strategy is about to break”

Example 3:

❌ “Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments!”

✅ “After analyzing 50+ SaaS pricing pages, here’s what most companies miss”

👉 Do this:

Post once per week maximum. Focus on sharing insights from your actual work experience. Forget about viral content, growth hacks, or anything designed to maximize engagement. Your goal is to look like someone who deeply understands the problems your target companies face.

Remember: You’re not trying to become a LinkedIn influencer. You’re trying to show hiring managers that you think strategically about the exact challenges they need someone to solve.

📅 Content Calendar Made Easy

Batch create content with AI:

1. Generate 20 post ideas using the prompt above

2. Write 5-10 posts in one sitting using Claude

3. Schedule them using LinkedIn’s native scheduler or Buffer

4. Engage authentically with comments when they come in

💡 Pro Tips for All These Steps

Don’t try to do everything at once. Pick one area to focus on each week:

• Week 1: Research and headshot

• Week 2: Summary rewrite

• Week 3: Work experience updates

• Week 4: First content post

Test and iterate. Your LinkedIn profile isn’t set in stone. Try different headlines, update your summary, see what resonates.

Be authentically you. AI can help with structure and ideas, but your personality should shine through. Don’t sound like a robot.

💫 The Bottom Line

Your LinkedIn profile is working 24/7, even when you’re not.

Every recruiter, hiring manager, and potential connection is making snap judgments about whether you’re worth their time based on what they see there.

The good news? With AI tools, you can create a profile that stands out without spending weeks on it.

Stop blending into the sea of generic profiles. Start telling the story that makes people think: “We need to talk to this person.”