Leverage LinkedIn for Your Return-to-Work Journey

Returning to work after a career break? The first action you might naturally think of is "I should update my LinkedIn" - well that thought be second to updating your resume. At first both tasks might seem daunting.

Why? Your gap seems glaring and unrelated to your career aspirations. Your past skill terms may seem outdated, your prior connections have moved on, and you may even suffer imposter syndrome (did I do those things?). 

LinkedIn is your most powerful tool to research opportunities, establish your professional presence, and connect with the right people. Whether you’re just starting to explore the platform or looking to enhance your profile, here’s how to leverage it to maximize your visibility and get to your potential.

Understanding the Algorithm

LinkedIn prioritizes recency—meaning the more active and up-to-date your profile, the better visibility you’ll have. UNTAPPED POTENTIAL INC offers ongoing engagement opportunity with both peers (fellow #returners) and mentors (those "in' industry). These opportunities keep your profile current and relevant, helping you stay on the radar of recruiters and industry professionals.

Getting Started: Build Your Professional Presence

1. Measure Your Comfort Level – Start by using LinkedIn as a research tool, then work toward actively engaging with content and connections.

2. Optimize Your Profile Title – Ensure your title (220-character max) highlights core skills, industry reach, and a branding statement (e.g., "I help A do B").

3. Create an Engaging ‘About’ Section – Use first-person voice to introduce yourself authentically, as if you were at a networking event. This is where you can use your crafted Elevator Pitch.

4. Leverage Skills & Endorsements – LinkedIn is shifting toward a skill-based platform. List both technical and soft skills in your profile and assign them to specific roles.

5. Customize Your Profile – Change your LinkedIn URL to your name for easy sharing. Update your banner image to reflect your career aspirations.

Free vs. Premium: What’s Best for You?

The free version of LinkedIn supports job searches and networking, while Premium provides added benefits like direct messaging to non-connections and enhanced profile insights. Choose based on your needs.

Networking Strategies: Growing Your Connections

• Reconnect with Past Contacts – Reach out to former colleagues, classmates, and industry peers.

• Engage with Groups – Join industry, company, and alumni groups to stay informed and expand your reach.

• Be Active – Comment with substance (rumor is the algorithm likes 12+ words), share valuable insights, and like posts that resonate with you.

Overcoming the Career Gap

Highlight your transferable skills and active involvement in professional communities. Be strategic to position your current status in a professional light. Check out Regina Miller’s profile for a great example of positioning experience post-career break. Another standout example is Jessica Cushing, who effectively showcases her core skills, broadens her reach with diverse industry attributes, and highlights her unique strengths—adding that extra edge to her professional story. They both demonstrate their professional role and that they are seeking professional engagement. Use your About section to craft a compelling narrative, leveraging your elevator pitch to confidently present your skills and experiences.

• Mastering LinkedIn Engagement

We encourage you to do what you are comfortable with and to engage authentically as appropriate for a professionally-oriented platform. You can tune into Groups for your industry, skillset, or alumni from school or past companies. If you have a point of view and it aligns to your aspirational role then engage. Here are notes on how your engagement is valued.

• More... if the teaser in a colleague's post intrigues you, click on the "click more... " that has value to the author.

• Comments (12+ words) > Likes – Thoughtful comments boost engagement more than simple likes.

• Shares (with insights) > Comments – Adding your perspective to a shared post increases its impact.

By commenting on those things of interest to your industry, skillset or even values will impact what you see in the future. LinkedIn’s algorithm favors repetition—key skills and industry terms which appear more frequently in your profile - or in the posts that you engage in - will carry a greater weight in curating your future feed.

Stay Connected with UNTAPPED POTENTIAL INC

We’re here to support your journey back to work. Join our Return-to-Work for Women Series. Grab your spot for Industry-focused Event—buy one, get one free! Use offer code UPGUEST for your second event. More details at www.upotential.org/events.

REMEMBER Your LinkedIn presence is a reflection of your professional brand. Keep it fresh, stay engaged, and let your skills shine!