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A career coach shares how to build your LinkedIn presence into something greater than an online resume.
The initial findings from Convene’s forthcoming 2025 Salary Survey show that while only around 15 percent of meeting planner respondents are actively job hunting, around half said they would be open to new opportunities. Unfortunately, landing a new job may prove challenging in the current climate. According to JobScan’s ”State of the Job Search in 2025” report, 32 percent of the 442 job-seekers surveyed had been looking for a job for more than six months and three out of 10 said it’s hard to find jobs that suit their skills and qualifications.
In a tight market, testing the waters by filling in a few applications likely won’t be enough to get you hired. Sara Curto, a Burlington, Ontario–based recruiter turned career coach, warns job seekers against relying on their old job search strategy in 2025. She is the creator of the “Find Your Dream Job Guide,” a free online resource that addresses some of the most common roadblocks people face in their job search, and also helps individual clients develop actionable strategies to lock down their next role. “Both as a former recruiter and now as a coach, I see LinkedIn is a critical piece of the job search puzzle,” she told Convene.
A minimal or out-of-date LinkedIn profile can be make or break: Nearly three-quarters of the 384 recruiters JobScan surveyed for its 2025 report “always” or “often” evaluate a candidate’s LinkedIn profile against their resume. “Your profile doesn’t need to mirror your resume exactly, but it should tell a consistent story,” Curto said. “Conflicting job titles, dates, or roles can raise red flags.” But consistency is just the first step: She encourages her coaching clients to focus on building their LinkedIn presence into something greater than an online resume.
3 Key Steps to Find a Job Using LinkedIn
“If you’re job searching,” Curto said, “there are three simple but powerful steps you can take to build a strong foundation on LinkedIn — without spending hours a day on the platform.” Here’s what she recommends:
1. Update your profile frequently
A refreshed and optimized profile helps attract recruiters, build credibility, and — most important of all — convince LinkedIn’s algorithm that you’re active and ready to engage.
2. Log in daily — even for just five minutes
Another simple way to amplify your LinkedIn presence is to spend at least five minutes on the platform every day, and up to an hour if you’re actively searching for a new role. “At the same time, don’t overdo it. Too much time can zap your motivation and drain your energy,” Curto said.
3. Start engaging with others
She also challenges job-seekers to expand their LinkedIn activity beyond updating their profiles and hunting for new roles. “Liking and commenting on posts boosts visibility, helps ‘wake up’ the algorithm and curates your feed to align with your interests and personal brand,” Curto said. “Focus on content that reflects the work you want to be doing.”
Kate Mulcrone is Convene’s digital managing editor.