What to prioritize
Recruiter lens: LinkedIn must match your resume. The fastest way to lose trust is inconsistent titles or dates.
Consistency
Make sure your LinkedIn and resume tell the same story.
Reachability
Keep headline and skills aligned with your target role so you show up in searches.
What recruiters look for
Recruiter lens: social screening is about credibility and consistency, not personality.
- •Matching titles, dates, and scope across resume and LinkedIn.
- •Evidence of work through posts, projects, or portfolio links.
- •Signals of professionalism in public content.
How to harden your online footprint
Recruiter lens: every surface should tell the same story about role level and impact.
- •Align profile headline with your target role and keywords.
- •Use the same role titles and dates everywhere.
- •Link to a portfolio or work samples when relevant.
Definition: social screening
Social screening is the use of online profiles to validate identity, evaluate professionalism, and confirm role fit.1
Limitations
- •Survey data reflects recruiter self-reporting, not controlled experiments.
- •Platforms used can vary by geography and industry.