LinkedIn Profile Tips to Build Your Network in Canada

A LinkedIn profile is vital for professionals who want to build their brand, expand their network, and find the perfect job. These LinkedIn tips help newcomers create a professional profile to showcase achievements, highlight international experience, and connect with others in specific industries. Get tips on creating a personal profile address, using endorsements, and adding a professional LinkedIn photo to propel your job search in Canada. 

We spoke to BCCA-Integrating Newcomers, a government-funded, free, nationwide employment coaching service for eligible skilled immigrants looking to transition careers into Canada’s construction industry. This program is available to construction professionals immigrating to Canada and Permanent Residents who have recently arrived in Canada.

10 Tips to Craft a Professional LinkedIn Profile

The BCCA-IN team specializes in helping newcomers plan for and achieve employment success. When looking for a career, BCCA-IN provides tips for using LinkedIn effectively.

1. Create or Update your About Section

Your LinkedIn profile represents your brand. Therefore, a professional profile is the best way to project your unique brand and positive image.  

The About section combines your career biography and value pitch to potential employers and contacts. Be concise so the reader does not have to click the ‘More…’ button. It will take time to get this right, so write, proofread, and rewrite it several times. 

Once you have it right, you can add to it and reuse your pitch on your resume, in networking conversations, interviews, etc. The key things you should describe are:

• Your profession e.g., Civil Engineer, Accountant, Business or Project Manager, etc.
• Education level
• Industries you’ve worked in, e.g., construction, healthcare, logistics, etc.
• Size and scope of projects you’ve been involved in (quantify them)
• Membership with a relevant professional association in Canada
• Legal status in Canada, e.g. “Canadian Permanent Resident”.

You can also list if you are acquiring or ‘challenging’ credentials with a relevant professional body in Canada.

2. Use a Professional LinkedIn Photo

Adding a professional LinkedIn photo to your LinkedIn profile will make you more visible to employers searching for people with your skills and experience. According to LinkedIn, members with a high-quality profile photo receive up to 21 times more profile views than those without one.

3. Write a Concise Headline

Keep your LinkedIn profile headline shorter than 120 characters. Include relevant keywords used in your profession. This will allow potential employers to find your page with ease.

Ensure your summary is short, concise, and interesting. A hiring manager will read hundreds of headlines, so make yours stand out!

4. Highlight Relevant Work Experience

Listing your experience is vital to your LinkedIn profile. However, some of your past experiences may not relate to the career you want to pursue in Canada. 

List past jobs that are relevant to your career goals. Focus on the workplaces, experiences, and credentials that directly relate to the jobs you want to pursue.  

It’s also vital to update your current position. For example, did you receive a promotion, win an award, publish an article, or complete an innovative project? If so, update your profile to reflect these achievements.

Showcase your professional career, growth, and accomplishments in the Summary and Experience sections.

Newcomers often apply for many roles and seniority levels to test the job market. It’s an understandable tactic and a valuable learning exercise, but don’t spread yourself too thin. Be careful about the range of roles you apply for. The ‘Experience’ section in your LinkedIn profile should support the roles you apply for.

“Less is more” when listing ‘Experience’ details. It’s better than providing too much information. Include three to five bullet points that sell your unique achievements, seniority, and technical skills.

5. Update Your Professional Skills

Certifications are eye-catching. So add notable certificates, skills, or abilities that you possess. Many training programs or skills will have badges to add to your LinkedIn profile.

Update this section regularly or whenever you learn a new skill. These skills could be terms that the LinkedIn algorithm will pick up and help recruiters search for and find you. Delete outdated skills and skills no longer relevant to your career interests.

6. Update Your Location

Providing your location is vital when building your LinkedIn network.

We live in an era of increased remote work possibilities, but listing your home country as your location will hinder rather than help you. Recruiters, employers, and professionals in your industry want to connect with ‘local’ peers, so the more local you seem, the more relevant you are.

If you have not yet landed in Canada, you can:

• List ‘Canadian Permanent Resident’ or other relevant legal status on your profile (in the Name/Title section)
• Change your location to the city and province you are moving to, or
• State you are “Relocating to X” if you feel that more accurately reflects your location.

7. Ask Others for a LinkedIn Endorsement

A LinkedIn endorsement makes your profile come to life. It’s persuasive when your network endorses and recommends you.

But you should only ask people who know your work well to endorse you. Otherwise, you risk putting people in your network in an awkward position. If they don’t know you well, they won’t be able to give a strong recommendation that reflects your experience. The same applies to you when others ask you to provide recommendations.

Prepare to write a factual recommendation and approach a past manager or colleague to see if they would be willing to post it on your LinkedIn profile. It’s easier if you write a recommendation that they can edit and use.

For recruiters, a LinkedIn endorsement indicates the truth in a candidate’s resume. It can take time to gather endorsements, so the sooner you invest energy to get them, the better!

8. Create a Personal LinkedIn Profile Address

By default, LinkedIn will give you a URL that can be clunky. However, you can edit this to make it cleaner. For example, you can use your full name if someone else hasn’t used the same URL.

If your full name is already in use, add your middle initial. You can add your personal LinkedIn profile address to your Canadian-style resume and online job applications. To edit your profile address:

• Click the ME icon at the top right-hand corner of your profile
• Click View Profile
• On your profile page, click Edit Public Profile and URL
• Under Edit URL, click the Edit icon
• Type the last part of your new custom URL in the text box
• Click Save.

9. Engage and Share Content to Build LinkedIn Relationships

LinkedIn helps you network and build relationships with peers in the location or industry you want to enter. You can share, learn, and connect with others by:

• Making meaningful and polite comments on articles
• Adding positive comments to other people’s comments
• Using the Like icons on posts or articles.

LinkedIn is a professional forum, so avoid getting involved in political debates, opinion snowballs, or contentious conversations.

10. Know How to Connect with Others on LinkedIn

When you add someone new to your network, add a message to explain why you would like to connect with them. People will likely ignore your request if you don’t know them and only send a default request to connect.  

Your message does not need to be long or detailed. Adding a personal touch ensures the person will see value in the connection.

When requesting to connect with a recruiter about a job, summarize why you’re a solid fit for the role they’re advertising and ask, “If it’s possible to connect to learn more”.

Sample LinkedIn Connection Requests

Hi <insert first name or contact>, I am moving to the area and would value some local industry insights. Any thoughts?

Hi <insert first name of contact>, it looks like we share similar project experience. Look forward to connecting. Thanks! 

I’m impressed by your career trajectory. Would you be willing to share two or three tips on what you did or didn’t do that’s helped you most? I’d value your advice.

An effective LinkedIn profile will help you create your professional brand while you conduct your job search. These tips will also propel your job search and build your network in Canada.

Learn More about BCCA-IN

*The BCCA-Integrating Newcomers program is a government-funded, free, nationwide employment coaching service for eligible skilled immigrants looking to transition careers to the construction industry in Canada. Services include one-on-one career guidance, resume and cover letter, LinkedIn advice, and an in-depth skills and education assessment to help newcomers focus on the best career, credentials, and connections activities.