Most mid-career women think theirs is fine. Their profile is one of the reasons they are not hearing back.
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You have spent years building a career. You are good at what you do. You know you are ready for something different.
But your LinkedIn profile is not telling that story.
It is anchoring you to where you have been — not positioning you for where you want to go. And in a world where recruiters make decisions in under ten seconds, that gap is costing you opportunities you will never even know existed.
✗ You are applying for roles but not hearing back
✗ Recruiters are not finding you — or are not reaching out when they do
✗ You are not sure how to present a career change without it looking like confusion
✗ Your profile looks fine to you — but you are not a recruiter
✗ You are doing everything you were told to do, and it is still not working
Most mid-career women are not failing because of a lack of experience or ability. They are failing on LinkedIn because of five specific, fixable mistakes — mistakes that are completely invisible to the person making them, and immediately obvious to the recruiter reading the profile.
I built this checklist to give you the recruiter's view of your own profile. Not the version you get from a career coach who last worked in recruitment a decade ago. The view from someone who is still in the room, still making those decisions, still sourcing candidates every week.
Section 01 — Profile Foundations
Photo, headline, URL, and contact details. The first five seconds of any profile review happen here. We cover all nine foundational actions that determine whether someone clicks through — or keeps scrolling.
Section 02 — Your About Section
Nine actions to transform your About section from a CV summary into a compelling professional narrative. Includes a career changer template you can adapt immediately.
Section 03 — Experience Section
Nine actions covering how to frame roles for impact, address employment gaps confidently, and position transferable skills so a recruiter in your target sector can immediately see why you are relevant.
Section 04 — Skills and Endorsements
Seven actions to audit and strengthen the section of your profile that directly determines your visibility in recruiter searches. Includes the keyword test I use myself.
Section 05 — Visibility and Activity
Eight actions including a minimum viable LinkedIn activity plan — just 20 minutes per week — that will compound into meaningful visibility over 90 days. No dancing on video required.
Section 06 — Career Change Framing
Eight actions specifically for women navigating a pivot. How to present your transition as a strategic move rather than a departure — and the exact language that works.
Also included:
Profile Strength Scorecard — assess your current profile against all six sections and get a clear score with guidance on exactly where to focus your energy first.
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You are a mid career professional woman who knows her next move needs to be intentional, not reactive
You are making a career change and are not sure how to present it without raising red flags
You have a LinkedIn profile but suspect it is not doing the work it should be
You want the perspective of someone who is actively recruiting — not just coaching about it
You are ready to treat your job search as a strategy, not a lottery
This is not for you if...
You are looking for a shortcut that requires no reflection or effort
You want generic career advice that could apply to anyone — this checklist is specific, direct, and written for women navigating real career transitions
You are not yet ready to make a move — bookmark it for when you are
Who put this together
I am Katie Howard — Global Senior Talent Acquisition Leader, certified career coach, and founder of Bloominity.
I have spent over two decades in global executive recruitment. I have reviewed thousands of LinkedIn profiles, sourced candidates across industries and seniority levels, and sat on the other side of hiring decisions most career coaches have never experienced first hand.
I built Bloominity because I kept seeing the same thing: talented, capable mid career women being overlooked not because of their ability, but because of how they were presenting themselves. This checklist is the most direct way I know to close that gap.
I am not going to tell you to "build your personal brand" and leave you to work out what that means. I am going to tell you exactly what I look at when I open a profile — and exactly what you need to change.
"The candidates who move fastest through the process are the ones who can immediately answer three questions on their profile: what I do, who I do it for, and what difference it makes."
— Katie Howard, Bloominity
IT IS FREE. IT IS PRACTICAL. IT IS WRITTEN BY A RECRUITER.
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