The LinkedIn Profile Update You Need to Make Before January

26th November 2025

As the year draws to a close, many professionals begin reflecting on their career goals and considering their next move. January is often seen as the peak season for job searching, the preparation that happens in November and December can make a significant difference in how successful and stress-free that job hunt becomes. Updating your LinkedIn profile now ensures you enter January with greater visibility, a stronger personal brand, and a profile that stands out to hiring managers and recruiters.

Why is LinkedIn valuable to my job search?

With over 1 billion users worldwide and 38 million in the UK, LinkedIn remains the world’s leading professional networking platform, and it’s one you simply cannot afford to ignore.

Over 61 million companies active and 50% of recruiters confirming LinkedIn as their number one sourcing tool, it’s clear how essential the platform is. With 82% of recruiters reporting reviewing a candidate’s profile before interviewing them.

A strong, up-to-date profile dramatically increases your chances of being noticed and contacted. Also, updating your profile in November and December also helps you get ahead of the January hiring surge, placing you front of mind when recruitment budgets reset.

Beyond visibility, LinkedIn boosts your professional credibility through endorsements, recommendations, shared posts, and an active presence, while enabling you to build your personal brand by highlighting your experience, projects, and certifications. In addition, It remains one of the most efficient networking tools for growing a high-value network across the sectors you work in. With intelligent job alerts and a powerful algorithm that improves as your profile becomes more complete, LinkedIn also demonstrates to employers that you are proactive and serious about your career.

LinkedIn Jobs remains one of the most effective tools for finding your next role, with millions of listings updated daily and intelligent job alerts that match your skills, experience, and career goals. Likewise using features like “Open to Work” and a well-optimised profile helps you appear in more recruiter searches, increasing your chances of being contacted directly. For those wanting an edge, LinkedIn Premium offers added visibility, access to detailed applicant insights, the ability to message recruiters via InMail, and enhanced job-matching tools.

Here’s how to prepare your LinkedIn profile this December to maximise your opportunities in the new year.

Your LinkedIn headline is one of the highest-ranking elements in search results. Instead of simply listing your job title, instead consider incorporating the below:

• Key skills
• Sector specialisms
• Software & platforms experience
• Career focus for 2026

Example: Project Manager | Rail & Infrastructure | NEC Contracts | Delivering Complex Programmes Across the UK

Make sure to include the key terms found in job posts you would be interested in to ensure that you match for these. Small change can significantly improve your visibility to recruiters.

A professional, up-to-date photo helps create a positive first impression and increases the likelihood that recruiters will engage with your profile. Select a clear image with good lighting and a neutral background. Ensure you use a banner image, and consider one that reflects your industry, whether that’s rail, water, aviation, energy, buildings, highways, or construction.

Revise Your About Section With 2026 Goals in Mind

Your about section should provide a concise, compelling overview of who you are and what you offer. In December, it is useful to:

• Highlight key achievements from the past year.
• Update skills and certifications.
• Mention interest in January 2026 opportunities.
• Incorporate industry keywords to support SEO.

A clear and focused About section helps potential employers understand your experience, aspirations, and strengths.

Strengthen Your Skills and Core Competencies

Don’t overlook the Skills section, it plays an important role in LinkedIn’s search algorithm. Review your skills and ensure they reflect:

• Your current role
• Desired roles for 2026
• Sector-specific competencies.
• Technical capabilities, tools, or industry software

Recruiters often filter candidates by skill, keeping this section updated ensures you remain competitive.

Try listing responsibilities, that focus on measurable achievements. This helps employers quickly understand the value you’ve delivered.

Her is an example:

• Delivered multi-disciplinary design packages for a £20m infrastructure project.
• Implemented new QA procedures aligned with ISO 9001 standards.
• Reduced programme delays by 15% through improved planning and stakeholder coordination.

Adding quantifiable results makes your contributions more impactful and memorable.

Use LinkedIn Open to Work

If you’re preparing for a career move in early 2026, activating the “Open to Work” feature can increase your visibility. You can set this privately for recruiters or publicly for your network.

When you activate the open to work feature, specify:

• Job titles of interest
• Preferred sectors
• Location preferences
• Hybrid, remote, or site-based availability
• January 2026 start date.
• This helps recruiters match you to suitable roles more efficiently.

Request Updated Recommendations

December is an ideal time to request recommendations from colleagues, managers, or clients. Recent testimonials help reinforce credibility and provide external validation of your skills and achievements.

Two or three strong LinkedIn recommendations or LinkedIn endorsements can make a significant difference when applying for senior or competitive roles.

Last but not least, posting even once or twice a month can increase your visibility dramatically. Consider sharing:

• Project highlights
• Lessons learned
• Industry insights
• Professional achievements
• Reflections on your 2025 career journey

Consistent engagement helps position you as an active professional within your sector.

Top Tips When Posting To LinkedIn.

• Before you post, spend 10 minutes engaging and commenting on other LinkedIn users’ content (5-10 posts). This helps improve the LinkedIn reach of your post.
• Hook your audience in the first 1-2 lines and stop them scrolling.
• Use hashtags (3-5 hashtags max)
• Use short paragraphs.
• If you are adding a link, add it in the first comment.
• Tag people and companies where relevant (1-2 max)
• Respond to comments within the first 60 minutes or as soon as possible to get more views and keep the post visible.
• Use an image as well as text, text and image posts get 1.8x times more meaningful comments.
• Repost your post after 8 hours.
• The best time to post on LinkedIn are Tuesday to Thursday, 7:30 to 9:30am, 12pm or 16:00 to 18:00.
• Insert a personal touch, these more personal posts get 8.5 average engagement.
• Don’t use AI – AI-detected posts get a 67% reduction in reach.
• Videos, PDFs, carousels, and long-form content posted on LinkedIn performs the best.
• Don’t edit your post in the first hour.
• Engage with other posts after posting your content.
• Build a consistent posting time.

Taking time in December to refresh your LinkedIn profile creates a stronger foundation for your job search in the new year. With many job seekers waiting until January to begin their search, updating your profile early can give you a competitive edge and ensure you’re visible to employers actively hiring for early 2026 start dates.

Working with a specialist recruitment partner such as Advance TRS can further strengthen your job hunt preparation. Our team provides tailored guidance, insight into employer expectations and support with presenting your strengths and preparing for role-specific conversations. Our service is free to candidates, and we never share your CV without your permission. We act as your career partner, helping you identify the right cultural fit, prepare effectively, and negotiate the right offer.

If you’re looking for your next role across the rail & transportation, energy & renewables, water & environmental services, construction & infrastructure, highways & transport and the aviation sector, explore our live vacancies on the Advance TRS jobs page or reach out to our specialist consultants for personalised support.