How to Make LinkedIn Work for You

It's a tool that requires a plan. Do you have one?

Jul 15, 2025

A reminder that these posts are based on podcast episodes from my podcast, Careers at the End of the World which you can listen to on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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As you know, I’ve been working on giving the idea of “a personal brand” a bit of a makeover.

This week, I want to share a bit more about how you can use LinkedIn to improve your visibility and deepen your connections.

First, a friendly reminder

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a job seeker, business owner or freelancer.

When you experience setbacks, struggles, and or slow times, it’s easy to withdraw.

The urge to retreat and lick your wounds in private is real.

But I want you to know this: withdrawing and suffering in isolation is damaging to your goals.

Take a break when you need to, of course, but showing up, staying engaged, sharing your work, and being connected is going to make generating opportunities and creating possibilities a lot easier (and more likely!).

LinkedIn: You need a plan, not just a profile

Having an up to date profile is a great start - but it’s not a plan.

You may want to consider what you hope to get out of your time on LinkedIn:

Do you want to use your profile to find and connect with new people in your target field?
Do you want to use it to stay up to date in your field?
Do you want optimize your chances of being found for your target roles by recruiters?
Do you want to reconnect with former colleagues?
Are you looking for jobs and/or freelance work or clients?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, having a profile, logging in, and scrolling probably isn’t going to be sufficient to helping you reach your goals.

Ruthlessly Curate Your LinkedIn Experience

People often talk about LinkedIn feeling phony, overwhelming, or self promotional.

One of the tips that I dole out most frequently is to ruthlessly curate your LinkedIn feed.

Unfollow, block, or mute anyone whose content is not compelling or helpful - or who just annoys you.

It’s your feed and it should help you meet your goals.

Then, seek out people and organizations who share content that’s interesting, useful, or inspiring. (Consider professional development organizations, conferences, research centers, etc!)

Repeat as often as necessary!

Have a Goal Every Time You Log In

Do not just log in and (doom)scroll.

It will chip away at your entire day (and your sanity).

Instead, log in with a purpose:

Look for jobs or opportunities (set a timer!)
Comment on a handful of posts from people you respect (set a timer or number of posts to comment on)
Search for upcoming events or trainings in your field (share what you find in a DM or in your feed!)
Message a colleague or past client with something you found helpful (reconnect organically!)

Sure, if you do these things once or twice a year, you’ll see pretty limited results.

But if you do these things once or twice a month (or a week, perhaps?!), you can expect more - and deeper - connections.

Become a Trusted Resource (Not a Billboard)

Believe it or not, I don’t think self-promotion is a bad thing at all.

But there’s more than one way to do it.

And it’s up to you find tactics and strategies that resonate with you and help you reach your goals.

My favorite way is to focus on being a resource.

Share insights or other people’s content that genuinely help or interest your connections.
Repost events, articles, or job postings with a few thoughts about why you found them valuable.
Send relevant things directly (and privately) to people who might benefit. Tag friends or colleagues in posts where it’s appropriate.

My own plan includes all of the above!

LinkedIn: Tending to Your Professional Eco-System

You may already know that I prefer building a professional eco-system to networking.

And for me, that makes LinkedIn a physical representation of the people and places that I am responsible for tending to.

In that sense, LinkedIn is an incredibly useful and efficient tool.

Sure, you can show up with a megaphone (and I do create content there!).

But you don’t have to create with the goal of virality.

I create with the intention to build trust, offer support, and create deeper connection.

There are opportunities to do this every single day.

I celebrate people’s wins. I comment thoughtfully. I reach out to folks doing work you admire. I connect people who should know each other.

Over time, these small actions open doors.

How to Make LinkedIn Work for You: Recap

Ruthlessly curate your feed. Unfollow noise, and instead, follow the thinkers and peers who inspire you.
Optimize your profile. Make sure it’s up-to-date and clearly communicates who you are, what you do, what you’re looking for, and what you care about.
Engage with intention. Comment, like, and share things that align with your interests and values. (This should get easier as you curate your feed!)
Send thoughtful DMs. Forward resources or opportunities privately; make introductions; check in.
Post (if you want to). Resharing a post or offering a short thought once a month makes you more visible than 95% of users. (This can be as easy as sharing an article or an event. Don’t over think it!)
Use LinkedIn’s search functions. It’s a goldmine for researching companies, finding connections, and learning who can help you get your foot in the door. (My clients know that I am *very* nosy! This is one of my favorite features!)
Don’t stress about “content creation.” If posting original content feels daunting, don’t worry. You can improve your visibility without becoming an influencer - I promise!

Quiet Visibility = Quality Over Quantity

Quiet visibility isn’t about chasing followers, “going viral,” or being the loudest in the room.

It’s about taking responsibility for your goals, getting curious and creative - being present, consistent, and useful.

It’s about depth and time, not volume

Don’t like hustle culture or clickbait? Me either.

Seek out and support the more thoughtful, niche, or values-driven creators on the platform. Let their presence remind you that you don’t have to play by the same rules as the “marketing bros.”

You can show up as yourself, on your terms.

Your experience on LinkedIn can be so much more effective. It can be transformative!

But it’s up to you to make that happen.

Consistency and intentionality will help you build trust and opportunity over time.

It won’t be instant - but it is absolutely possible, and worth it.

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