General

How to Optimize Your Profile and Build a Developer Network on LinkedIn

Jessica Wilkins
8 min read
How to Optimize Your Profile and Build a Developer Network on LinkedIn
This article was written over 18 months ago and may contain information that is out of date. Some content may still be relevant, but please refer to official documentation for the latest information.

LinkedIn is a social network where you can connect and build relationships with other professionals in your field. A strong developer profile can lead to potential job opportunities and more connections in this industry. But how do you go about optimizing your profile and building a developer network on LinkedIn?

In this article, I will walk you through each of the sections for a LinkedIn profile and show you the best ways to optimize them. I will also share tips on how to build relationships with other developers on Linkedin.

Table of contents

What title should you use on Linkedin?

A lot of people will say that titles don't matter, but in reality titles do play a role in our society whether we like it or not. If you are currently working as a software developer, then your title can say Software Developer or Software Engineer at XYZ company. If you are a lead, staff engineer, senior, etc., then put that in your title.

If you are looking for your first job, then use "Software Developer" and list the technologies you are comfortable with. You want to avoid titles like "Aspiring Developer" or "Soon to be Developer" because that may disuade potential employers from looking at you before they are given an opportunity to understand what you have accomplished as a web developer despite not yet finding a formal role.

How to Optimize Your Profile and Background Images

When it comes to your profile picture, it is important to remember that you are interacting with other professionals in your industry. You want to choose a clean head shot that would be acceptable in professional settings.

Avoid using pictures of you partying in college, or pictures that don't even show your face.

You don't need to spend tons of money on professional head shots. You can even have a friend or family member take a head shot of you wearing a nice shirt.

Is it Ok to Not Include a Profile Image?

If you want to optomize your profile, it is very important to include a profile image.

A lot of hiring managers and recruiters are actively looking for developers and your profile image helps put a face to the skills and experience listed. By omitting that image, you might get passed over for potential opportunities.

Do I Need a Background Image?

A clean and simple background image can help your profile standout. Canva is a free design tool that you can use to create a Linkedin banner. They have dozens of free templates to choose from that you can customize and apply to your profile.

Here is what my LinkedIn profile and banner image looks like. Jessica Wilkins Linkedin profile image for article

How to Create a Custom Linkedin URL

Linkedin has a feature where you can customize your profile URL making it easier for people to find you. To learn how to create a custom URL, please read through this Linkedin article.

When it comes to naming your URL, I would suggest keeping it short and simple. I would suggest using your name and occupation like this: Jessica Wilkins Linkedin custom URL for article

How to Optimize Your About Section

This section is your opportunity to provide a short background on who you are professionally. It is best to talk about the types of projects you have worked on and tools/languages you are most familiar with. It is also good to talk about how you are involved with the community. For example, you might want to highlight your participation in open source projects, or your experience as a content creator.

Here is my current "About" section:

"I am a classically trained musician turned software developer who enjoys building solutions to unique business problems. I primarily work with React and TypeScript to provide clean efficient solutions to build better software products. I am actively involved in giving back to the community by participating in open source projects like freeCodeCamp. I have also written over 100 technical articles on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python and career development."

How Long Should the About Section Be?

I personally like "About" sections that are a few sentences long. You can also have 2-3 paragraphs for your "About" section. However, I don't think it should be any longer than what can be read in a minute or two because the goal is to provide a brief overview of who you are, not a complete autobiography.

What is the Features Section on Linkedin?

This is a section on your Linkedin profile where you can show off some of your recent projects and articles. In my opinion, it can act as a small portfolio, and is often underutilized by software developers.

Here is a screenshot of my features section. jessica wilkins features section linkedin

I chose to list my Black Excellence Music Project and a couple of my top performing freeCodeCamp articles. This is a visually appealing way to show potential employers and recruiters your top work.

How to Optimize Your Experience Section

This section should be reserved only for work experience. There are other sections in your Linkedin profile where you can add volunteer experience or education.

Just like on a resume, you would place your most recent jobs first. Try to focus on highlighting significant contributions you made to the projects.

Here is an example from my experience section on Linkedin.

  • Implemented a light/dark theme solution for the This Dot Labs website
  • Performed accessibility audits for the This Dot Labs website and provided solutions for increasing performance and accessibility scores
  • Performed extensive smoke testing for client applications and reported bugs and feature requests to the rest of the development team
  • Built out several UI examples for a client's documentation page

If you have freelance experience, talk about the types of projects you built for them, and how you added value to their business.

Should You Show Unrelated Tech Experience on Your Linkedin Profile?

If you are a career changer like myself, there is nothing wrong with showing your previous work experience from another industry. That shows potential employers that you have worked in a professional setting before and have been gainfully employed for the past few years.

As long as you place your relevant tech experience at the top, then you will be fine.

How to Optimize Your Education Section

If you have a college degree, even if it is not in computer science, definitely list that on your Linkedin profile. If you have certifications, like the AWS certification, then list those as well.

There is some debate about whether or not to list certifications from online courses like Udemy. In my opinion, there is no harm in listing those, but it won't carry as much weight with employers and recruiters as AWS certifications, bootcamp certificates, or computer science degrees will.

Should You Have Recommendations on Your Profile?

Yes!

When people can vouch for your work, it goes a long way with future employers and recruiters. This will be especially helpful for those looking for their first full time software job who have done contract work or freelance work in the past.

Should You Take Linkedin Skills Tests?

There is a section on Linkedin where you can take different skills tests in areas like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc. If you pass those tests, then you can list them on your profile.

These skill tests don't hold a lot of weight with recruiters or potential employers because they will provide their own skills tests during the interview process. There is no harm in taking them if you want to, but doesn't add a whole lot to your profile.

Exploring Other Sections of the Linkedin Profile

We have covered all of the core sections of the Linkedin profile, but there are additional sections you can choose to add.

Here are some sections you might consider exploring:

  • Volunteer experience
  • Projects
  • Organizations
  • Publications
  • Courses

You can find all of these additional sections when you click on the "Add Profile" button at the top of your Linkedin profile.

For more information and suggestions on how to optimize your profile, I suggest you watch Danny Thompson's Linkedin series on YouTube.

How to Connect With Other Developers on Linkedin

There are many ways to build out your network on Linkedin. One common way would be to send a connection request to another developer.

If you have been following someones' work online, or previously connected through a conference or online meetup, it would be a good idea to connect with them on Linkedin too.

Here is a sample message you can send along with your connect request.

"Hi, this is Jessica Wilkins and I enjoyed talking with you at the last Women in Tech meetup. I would love to be able to connect with you here on Linkedin too."

Now, when that person receives that connection request with a personalized message, they will be more inclined to accept. If you just send a connection request to a complete stranger without a personal message, then you will most likely be ignored.

Another way to connect with developers, is by commenting on and sharing others' posts.

If someone is sharing an article or posting a hot topic, feel free to jump in the conversation. If you really enjoyed the article, then share it and/or reach out through personal message letting the author know you enjoyed it.

Those small gestures will go a long way to build connections over time.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed that article on optimizing your Linkedin profile and building connections with other developers. Linkedin is a very powerful tool and can help you advance in your career.

If you are interested in connecting with me on Linkedin, then please visit my profile.

About the author

Jessica Wilkins

Jessica Wilkins

Software Engineer

Jessica Wilkins is a classical musician turned Software Engineer. Prior to joining the tech industry, she spent her time running her own sheet music company (JDW Sheet Music) as well as performing and teaching in Los Angeles, CA. She enjoys working with React and TypeScript. She is also a prolific technical writer for freeCodeCamp.

@codergirl1991@jdwilkin4

Keep reading

You might also like

View all posts →

How to Avoid Common Pitfalls and Ace Your Take Home Assignment

During the interview process, you might be asked to complete a short take home assignment consisting of building out a small project with required tasks. But what is the best way to approach a take home assignment?...

Jessica Wilkins6 mins
Career

How to Write a Strong Resume That Will Be Read by Hiring Managers and Recruiters

Applying for software jobs can be stressful and time consuming. One of most stressful components is writing a resume. A lot of people struggle to write strong resumes and end up paying the price by getting passed over for tech interviews....

Jessica Wilkins7 mins
Career

How to Build and Grow Your Career Through Networking

What does it really mean to network, and does it actually work? How can you build out a network, and how does it help to grow your career? ...

Jessica Wilkins5 mins
Career developmentCareer

My Career Roadmap

Every developer has their own unique roadmap. I love hearing these stories as they’re constant reminders that there is no right way. Anyone can become a successful developer as long as they have the passion for it. I’ll be sharing my roadmap in hopes that someone also realizes that there are multiple ways to be part of the programming world. My journey started when I attended a junior college in an effort to complete the prerequisites for a Biochemistry degree. I actually got far enough to start taking Organic Chemistry courses. However, my heart wasn’t in it. I found it boring and dreaded anything related to those science classes. I did find it cool that I could recognize some of the fancy ingredients in a shampoo. It just wasn’t what I connected with. I knew that something had to change. I was on track to transfer to a four year university in less than two years. I was always interested in computers and thought about programming. I still don’t know why I was drawn to that: maybe social media made it look cool? The dilemma was to either continue or take a risk by starting a whole new career. I didn’t want to spend more time at junior college, so I needed to make a hard decision: either continue with Biochemistry or drop it completely to pursue programming, but still transfer within the estimated year. I probably would have chosen to experiment with both at the same time if I had realized this a couple of years prior. However, I ended up changing majors within a week. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. My first programming class felt a bit scary. The building was run down and cold. The room was cramped. There were only two females (including myself). The course wasn’t hard or discriminating against genders but it probably felt that way due to being completely new to the field and not knowing anyone. It didn’t discourage me from programming. In fact, I still remember typing up my first Hello World program. It was the feeling of writing code that made me realize that I was on the right track. Luckily, the junior college had opened up the new STEM building a year later. This really made the place more welcoming. It was actually pretty cool. There were outlets everywhere! A dream for programmers that we take for granted. One of the courses that I took was Internet Programming. This was a turning point for me. My professor recommended that I participate in the local hackathon that was coming up soon. He suggested forming a team with the two other females in class. I never once thought he was discriminating. I honestly believe that he saw potential in all of us but we were lacking confidence in a male dominated world. We participated in the hackathon as a female group. It was my first time working with a team and presenting our project to the public. We didn’t win any awards, but it provided some of the confidence that I was lacking. I finally understood that it didn’t matter what gender you are. I found a love of programming and wanted to be one of the best. I ended up getting recruited for a local internship through the hackathon. I was able to learn about realistic expectations when building a project for a client. The lead developer was also very open to teaching a complete newbie. This is where I learned the basics for web development. It was this type of support that helped shape my career. I graduated from junior college with an associates degree in Chemistry and transferred the next semester. The one regret that I do have in my career is the university that I chose. It didn’t have the best resources for the Computer Science students. The classes were boring and most of the professors didn't seem to care. If you weren’t on the game research cohort, you were just another student passing through. During this time, I got a chance to be part of a research team. However, I decided to accept an internship instead. It was another difficult decision as both had great opportunities. I still think that the internship was the best route as it helped me later on. The internship only lasted for the summer. I learned Polymer during this time. The project was my first deployment and it was used by the city. It was also another great confidence booster. I returned to school with the goal to find my first job before graduation. Truthfully, it was very discouraging, even with my internship experiences. Most companies wanted developers with years in programming. They really don’t make it easy for junior developers. I’m almost positive that I placed over 100 applications. When I did get a response, it was a decline. I also attended the career fair that the university organized. That’s where I found the company that gave me a job offer. I started working for them after graduation. This led to web development in the Drupal world for a little over 2 years. It was a small company but provided development growth. I learned the importance of quality assurance and time management. I also acquired the skill to advocate for higher priority tickets. The most important lesson was that a project can only thrive with a unified team and proper documentation. However, the company had a tremendous downsize due to the pandemic. I was once again on the job hunt. Fortunately, the connections I made during the summer internship helped me find a job at This Dot. There was still an interview process, which I passed due to all the career choices that were made. I’m very excited to be here. I’m working with LitElement projects and more structured work environments. It really is a big difference from a very small company. I’m now pursuing the path of being a mentor, a dream that I had since my first internship. I’m working on improving a mentorship program and making sure my mentee has all the support she needs. I barely have a bit over 3 years of work experience. The time went by very quickly and I’m still excited to be programming. I can’t wait to see where my roadmap will be in the next upcoming years. Tweet me your favorite moment in your roadmap!...

Maria Loza4 mins
CareerMentorship