How to Create a Professional LinkedIn Profile in 2025: The Complete Guide

2025 is here, and the competition in job market across the World is very very intense. I don't want to say that but you definitely have to work harder to get hired. So, here is the blog describing how you can create the best LinkedIn profile.

I am a software development engineer in test, and I think as a tech specialist it is important to showcase yourself on LinkedIn.

Normally, you may have noticed that when you meet someone, they often share their business card, which contains their contact details or job information. Similarly, an online version of this can be considered your LinkedIn profile—a digital business card that represents your professional identity.

Your LinkedIn profile is your digital handshake—make it strong, professional, and memorable.

What is LinkedIn?

It is a social media platform where people can connect with each other but from a professional prespective. Companies, as well as the individual professional can create accounts.

LinkedIn Account Categories

There are multiple account types offered by LinkedIn. See the list below:

Basic (Free) Account -- Allows users to create a profile, connect with others, and apply for jobs.
Premium Career -- Helps job seekers with features like seeing who viewed their profile and sending InMail messages.
Premium Business-- Offers advanced insights and expanded networking opportunities for professionals and businesses.
Sales Navigator-- Designed for sales professionals to find and connect with potential leads.
Recruiter Lite -- Helps recruiters find and reach out to potential candidates.
LinkedIn Business Account -- Used by companies to showcase their brand, post jobs, and engage with professionals.

Recommended Account Category for Beginners

If you are a beginner (individual), you should create a free basic account. However, if you have more than 3 years of experience, I would suggest creating a Premium Career account.

If you are a company and want to showcase your brand, you should create a LinkedIn Business account.

Why LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is an amazing platform because it hosts thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of companies and individual professionals. Companies post job openings, and people apply for them. In addition, LinkedIn hosts multiple events and provides a wealth of news about the latest market trends.

It is especially popular in the tech industry. Thousands of technology jobs are posted on daily basis. If you haven't created your profile then you cannot reach that jobs.

Another important point is that recruiters find candidates on LinkedIn. Most individual professionals or experts are reached by recruiters there.

How to Start with LinkedIn?

Before moving toward the professional profile, let's create a LinkedIn account first. Here are the steps:

Go to the LinkedIn sign-up page.
Enter your email address.
If required, create a password.
Ensure that your email is personal and not linked to a role or department, such as "[email protected]" or "[email protected]."
Click "Join now" and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the registration process.

List of Profile Sections on LinkedIn

Have a look on list of profile sections provided by LinkedIn:

Profile Header
About
Experience
Education
Skills
Licenses & Certifications
Projects
Languages

Let's go through each section in detail.

1. Profile Header

This is the first and most important section, in fact it is a first impression of you to others. It contains the following:

Profile Picture -- A professional headshot.
Background (Cover) Photo -- A banner image representing your experties or personal brand.
Full Name -- Your first and last name.
Headline -- A short description of your role, skills, or career focus.
Current Position -- Your latest job title and company.
Location -- Your city and country.
Contact Info -- Email, phone (if added), and LinkedIn profile URL.
Education - Your degree and the institute

Note: You should provide everything except the phone because it's upon you if want to add then you can.

2. About

The "About" section is where someone can learn about your goals, mission, vision, expertise, or background.

Let's suppose this is my LinkedIn "About" section:

Experienced Software Test Engineer skilled in manual and automation testing, with expertise in Cypress, Robot Framework, and Selenium. Proficient in API testing using Postman and JMeter for performance and load testing. Also experienced in backend and database development with Node.js, MongoDB, MySQL, and PostgreSQL. A fast learner with strong problem-solving skills, highly motivated, and driven to excel in Quality Assurance.

In the given example, you can easily identify the expertise and interpersonal skills from the sample "About" section.

3. Experience

For each experience it should include the following:

Organization
Job title
Start & End date
Location
Remote/Hybrid/On-site
Responsibilities or Job Duties

Recommended: Use the bullet points while describing the job responsibilities.

4. Education

For each education it should include the following:

School
Degree
Field of Study
Start & End date
Grade
Skills

5. Skills

Adding skills is very simple, you just select them from the available list.

Note: Skills are not limited you can use any skills, such as presentation, Python, or anything else.

6. Licenses & Certifications

This section is optional you can add if you have any Licenses or Certifications. For each license or certificate you must add the following:

Name
Issuing organization
Issue date
Expiry date (only if you have)
Credential ID
Credential URL
Skills (you learned with this license or certification)

Note: Credential ID and URL are optional. If you have them, you must add them otherwise, it's fine.

7. Projects

This is an important section as it showcases your value through the skills and projects you have completed. For each project you must add the following:

Project name
Description
Skills (learned while working on this project)

Note: You can also add the additional details like start and end date, contributors, and the company associated with the project, but these details are not mandatory.

8. Languages

This section is optional as well. You can add languages, and for each language, you need to specify the name and proficiency level.

Conclusion

LinkedIn is an amazing platform used by both professionals and businesses to showcase their expertise and services. It serves as a digital business card, much like an office card. Many people connect with each other on LinkedIn, companies post job opportunities, and you can apply for them. Recruiters also review candidates' profiles on LinkedIn.

There are multiple account categories, including Basic and Premium. You can use either one, but if you can afford it, you should opt for Premium. If you are beginner then Basic is a way to go.

The profile header is a very important section as it is the first thing visible to anyone viewing your profile. Make sure it reflects your skills, expertise, and current job title. The "About" section is another key part, where you can summarize your expertise, passion, and profession.

The most critical section is the Experience section, where you need to enter the job duties for each role, along with the company name, job title, and start & end dates. Keep it updated according to your skills and use it frequently to stay current with industry trends.

💡 Pro Tip: Optimize your LinkedIn like a digital resume—engage, update, and showcase your expertise consistently.