What to Do on LinkedIn When You’re Unemployed

Key Takeaways

• Optimize your LinkedIn profile with relevant keywords, skills, a strong headline, and an About section that clearly communicates your experience and career goals.
• Use LinkedIn’s Open to Work and Career Break features strategically to communicate your availability and provide context about time away from work.
• Stay active by following target companies, engaging with your network, joining relevant groups, and building genuine professional relationships.

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In today’s job market, creating a comprehensive online job search strategy is essential. LinkedIn remains an important part of that strategy, giving jobseekers a place to showcase their experience, skills, and professional brand while connecting with recruiters and potential employers. Those skills are becoming especially important in today’s hiring environment. LinkedIn research found that 93% of talent acquisition professionals believe accurately assessing a candidate’s skills is crucial to improving quality of hire. LinkedIn also found that companies conducting the most skills-based searches are 12% more likely to make a quality hire. That makes investing time and energy in an up-to-date LinkedIn profile especially worthwhile when you’re looking for work. Below are tips and advice for using LinkedIn when you’re unemployed, with input from Holly Leyva, Virtual Vocations’ own chief career maven.

Optimize

When asked what unemployed jobseekers should do on LinkedIn, Holly’s response is to focus first on fully completing and updating the information on your profile. “Make sure to have a well-written, engaging profile that speaks to your target audience.”

In addition, Holly advises, “Be aware of keywords that your target audience is looking for and incorporate those throughout the profile.” The best way to identify keywords is to study job ads for the types of positions you’re targeting. Then, review your profile to see whether those same relevant keywords and skills appear naturally throughout your content.

If you notice important skills or keywords are missing, add them where appropriate. Your Skills section is another good place to highlight the abilities most relevant to your career goals. LinkedIn allows you to list up to 100 skills, but focus on skills that accurately reflect your experience and align with the jobs you want.

LinkedIn Headline for Unemployed Jobseekers

The most important part of your profile is the headline. Holly’s advice here is, “Create a keyword-rich headline that includes your target job title(s) and brand.” There are two reasons for her advice. The first is to take advantage of the visibility LinkedIn gives your headline throughout the platform.

The second is to optimize the information recruiters can see at a glance when they come across your profile in search results and elsewhere on LinkedIn. Busy recruiters may not get much further than your headline if it doesn’t appear relevant to the type of candidate they’re looking for.

Headline Examples for Jobseekers on LinkedIn When You’re Unemployed

The key to a good headline is to lead with your target job title or the experience most relevant to the position you want. Then, add keywords that highlight your skills and expertise. LinkedIn gives you up to 220 characters for your headline, but you don’t need to use every one. Focus on making your headline clear, relevant, and easy to scan. Tips for selecting the right keywords include:

• Include keywords that describe more of what you did in the role that might be missed if recruiters only see the job title.
• Choose keywords that are relevant to your current career goal.
• Identify keywords that show hiring managers and recruiters why you are the right person for the position.

Check Out a Few of Holly’s Examples:

• Situation: You’re a career changer who wants to move from office administration into communications or marketing.
• LinkedIn Headline: Executive Assistant | Media Relations, Social Media Management, Corporate Communications

• Situation: You’re a Senior executive wanting to move into a C-level role.
• LinkedIn Headline: Senior Vice President | Strategic Planning, Business Transformation, Mergers and Acquisitions

• Situation: You’re a recent graduate with retail sales experience wanting to move into bookkeeping, accounts receivable, or something similar.
• LinkedIn Headline: Customer Service Associate | Cash Handling, Transaction Processing, Deposits

Photo/Cover Image

Another key element in making a good first impression is adding a current, professional photo to your profile. Your profile photo helps put a face to your experience and makes your LinkedIn presence feel more personal. You can also update your background photo with an image that reflects your professional brand, industry, or career goals.

When choosing a profile photo, make sure it is clear, recent, and appropriate for the type of work you’re pursuing. A professional headshot is a great option, but you don’t necessarily need to hire a photographer. A well-lit, high-quality photo with a simple background can work just as well.

About Section

If your headline catches a recruiter’s attention, your About section gives you an opportunity to tell them more. Holly advises, “This section should complement your resume but add additional value and insight.” Use this space to expand on the professional story your resume tells without simply repeating the same information. Keep paragraphs short and easy to scan so readers can quickly identify your experience, strengths, and career goals.

This section should also be written in first person. Try to engage your audience as if you are talking directly to them. Include facts about your experience and accomplishments, but also add context or brief examples that illustrate your strengths and what you can bring to an employer.

Finally, end your About section with a call to action. When using LinkedIn when you’re unemployed, this is a natural place to indicate that you’re exploring new opportunities and invite recruiters or other professionals to connect with you. You can also direct readers to your portfolio, professional website, or other relevant work samples.

Professional Experience

In addition to keeping your work history current, make sure your Experience section reflects the skills and keywords you identified as important when reviewing your target job ads. Focus on relevant responsibilities and accomplishments that show employers what you can do and how your experience aligns with the positions you’re pursuing.

But what should you list as your current company if you’re unemployed? If your previous position has ended, update it with an accurate end date. You don’t need to create a new position simply to advertise that you’re looking for work. Instead, use your headline, About section, and LinkedIn’s Open to Work settings to communicate your career goals.

One exception is if you are actively doing freelance, consulting, or contract work. In that case, you can add that work to your Experience section using an accurate title, such as “Marketing Consultant” or “Freelance Writer,” along with the appropriate employment details.

Should You Announce You Are Looking for a Job on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn’s Open to Work feature lets you signal that you’re interested in new opportunities. You can choose to make your status visible to all LinkedIn members, which adds the green #OpenToWork frame to your profile photo, or limit that information to recruiters using LinkedIn Recruiter.

Which option you choose comes down to your comfort level and job search strategy. Holly recommends the “Recruiters only” setting for jobseekers who prefer a more discreet approach. However, if you’re comfortable making your job search public, the #OpenToWork frame can let your broader network know that you’re looking and potentially lead to referrals, introductions, or job opportunities.

Whichever option you choose, be specific about the types of roles and opportunities you’re interested in so recruiters and your network have a clearer idea of what you’re looking for.

What to Put on LinkedIn When You Are Taking a Break?

Career breaks are a normal part of many professional journeys. Whether you stepped away because of a layoff, caregiving responsibilities, professional development, relocation, or another reason, providing context can help employers better understand the gap in your work history.

LinkedIn allows you to add a Career Break directly to the Experience section of your profile. You can select the type of break and add a description explaining how you spent that time, including any relevant skills, experience, or professional development you gained along the way.

To add one, select “Add profile section” from your profile, choose “Core,” and then “Add career break.” Adding a Career Break is optional, but if you want to explain a gap in your work history, it can be a useful way to provide context and keep your professional story up to date.

Network

Now it’s time to leverage your optimized LinkedIn profile by building and engaging with your professional network.

• Ask for recommendations. Holly advises jobseekers, “Be thoughtful about who you ask and let them know what you’d like them to focus on.” Consider reaching out to former managers, colleagues, clients, or others who can speak specifically about your skills and accomplishments.
• Make a list of target companies and follow them on LinkedIn. Follow company pages to stay informed about updates and opportunities, and look for employees, recruiters, and other professionals you may want to engage with. Commenting thoughtfully on relevant posts can also help you become more visible and build relationships over time.
• Join relevant industry and professional groups. Participate in conversations, share useful insights, and connect with people in your field. Focus on contributing value rather than simply announcing that you’re looking for a job.
• Stay active in your existing network. Engage with posts from former colleagues and professional contacts, congratulate people on career milestones, and reach out personally when it makes sense. Networking is often most effective when you focus on genuine relationships rather than asking for a job right away.

Make LinkedIn Work for Your Job Search

Using LinkedIn when you’re unemployed can help you stay visible, strengthen your professional brand, and connect with people and opportunities that can move your job search forward. Keep your profile current, be intentional about networking, and make it easy for recruiters to understand your skills and the type of role you’re looking for.

Ready to find your next opportunity? Explore Virtual Vocations’ hand-screened, fully remote job openings and start your search for a role that fits your experience and career goals. And if you want more support with your LinkedIn profile, click the button below.

FAQs

1. What should I put on LinkedIn when I’m unemployed?

Keep your profile current and focus on your skills, experience, accomplishments, and career goals. Update your previous position with an accurate end date, strengthen your headline and About section, and use LinkedIn’s Open to Work settings if you want to signal that you’re looking for a new role.

2. Should I say I’m unemployed on LinkedIn?

You don’t need to put “unemployed” in your headline or create a position announcing that you’re looking for work. Instead, use your profile to highlight the type of work you do and the opportunities you’re pursuing.

3. Should I use the #OpenToWork frame on LinkedIn?

It depends on your job search strategy and comfort level. You can make your Open to Work status visible to all LinkedIn members, which adds the green #OpenToWork frame, or choose the Recruiters only setting for a more discreet approach.

4. What should my LinkedIn headline say if I’m unemployed?

Focus on your target job title, professional brand, and relevant skills rather than your employment status. Use keywords that recruiters are likely to search for when looking for candidates in your field.

5. How can I explain an employment gap on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn’s Career Break feature allows you to provide context about time away from traditional employment. You can include the reason for your break and highlight relevant skills, experience, or professional development you gained during that time.

Are you looking for a job? How do you leverage LinkedIn in your job search? Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to share your thoughts and tips. We’d love to hear from you!