Blog, Career Advice, September 2026

Amina had spent nine years building a solid HR career, most recently as an HR Manager at a mid-sized manufacturing firm. She had every reason to expect recruiters to find her on LinkedIn — until she realised, after nearly a year without a single relevant message, that she hadn’t been found at all. When KETH reviewed her profile, the issues were common ones: her headline simply repeated her job title, her About section opened with ‘Passionate HR professional dedicated to people,’ and her experience section listed duties rather than outcomes. To a recruiter searching LinkedIn for someone with her exact skill set, Amina was effectively invisible.

Mistake #1: Your headline describes your job title, not your value

‘HR Manager at [Company]’ tells a recruiter almost nothing searchable — and it wastes the most valuable real estate on your entire profile. Your headline should communicate your expertise, the market you operate in, and the kind of value you deliver, not just repeat what’s already in your experience section.

Pro tip: Include your specialism and one measurable strength — e.g. ‘HR Leader | Talent Strategy & Retention | Scaled teams from 40 to 200.’

Mistake #2: Your About section says nothing recruiters can actually search for

Generic openers like ‘passionate professional dedicated to excellence’ add warmth but no substance — and no keywords. Recruiters and LinkedIn’s own search algorithm are both looking for specific terms: your industry, your core skills, your seniority level. Your About section should read like a short, confident case for why you’re worth contacting, written in the language of your field.

Pro tip: Open your About section with your specialism and years of experience in the first line, not a personality statement.

Mistake #3: Your experience section lists duties, not evidence

‘Responsible for recruitment and onboarding’ tells a recruiter what your job was, not whether you were any good at it. Every role on your profile should include at least one measurable outcome — a number, a scale, a result — that proves impact rather than simply describing responsibility.

Pro tip: Rewrite each bullet to start with an action and end with a measurable result.

After rebuilding her headline, About section and experience section around real evidence, Amina received two recruiter messages within the first month — more than the previous year combined. If your LinkedIn profile might be quietly costing you opportunities, KETH can review it alongside your CV, free of charge.

Reach out to us for a CV and Linkedin Review

Email: kethafrica@gmail.com or Call/WhatsApp: 0742118284 

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