LinkedIn Featured Section: How to Use It to Showcase Your Best Work

Your LinkedIn profile is often a potential employer’s, client’s, or partner’s first impression of you as a professional. While your headline and About section provide crucial context, the LinkedIn Featured section is where you actively demonstrate your expertise, accomplishments, and value. This portfolio-style feature appears prominently near the top of your profile–right below your About section–making it one of the most visible real estate on your entire LinkedIn presence. Despite its prominence and power, many professionals either overlook the Featured section entirely or use it ineffectively, missing a significant opportunity to influence how visitors perceive their professional capabilities.

The Featured section transforms your LinkedIn profile from a static resume into a dynamic showcase that tells a compelling story about who you are and what you do. Whether you’re a job seeker, freelancer, executive, or content creator, strategically curating this section can dramatically increase profile views, generate qualified leads, and open doors to new opportunities. This guide walks you through everything you need to know about leveraging the Featured section to maximize your professional impact.

What Is the LinkedIn Featured Section?

The LinkedIn Featured section is a dedicated area on your profile that allows you to highlight your best work and accomplishments. Located below your About section and above your Experience section, it’s visible to everyone who visits your profile, regardless of whether they’re logged into LinkedIn or connected with you.

Think of it as your professional portfolio. Instead of forcing visitors to dig through multiple sections of your profile to understand your capabilities, the Featured section puts your most impressive and relevant work front and center. You control exactly what appears here, the order in which items are displayed, and when you update the content.

What Can Be Added to Your Featured Section

LinkedIn’s Featured section accepts several types of content, giving you flexibility in how you showcase your work:

• LinkedIn posts you have published – your own thought leadership and commentary
• Articles you have written – longer-form content published on LinkedIn or elsewhere
• External links – URLs pointing to your website, portfolio, case studies, or lead magnets
• Media files – PDFs, presentations, documents, and images that demonstrate your work
• Documents – slideshows and visual presentations that showcase projects or ideas

This versatility means you can create a curated narrative that goes well beyond what a traditional resume allows.

Featured Section Strategy for Different Professional Goals

How you use your Featured section should align with your specific professional objectives. Here are proven strategies for different career paths:

For Job Seekers

• Feature your best project examples that demonstrate relevant skills
• Include case studies showing measurable results and impact
• Add presentations or articles about industry trends in your field
• Showcase speaking engagements, awards, or certifications

Job seekers should prioritize items that directly address the skills and experience required for their target role. If you’re targeting a marketing director position, feature campaigns you’ve led that generated significant ROI.

For Freelancers and Consultants

• Display client testimonials and success stories
• Showcase portfolio pieces from notable projects
• Link to case studies demonstrating your expertise
• Include articles about your niche or services

For service providers, social proof is critical. Client testimonials in your Featured section build immediate credibility with potential clients who don’t yet know you.

For Executives and Business Leaders

• Feature your highest-performing LinkedIn posts
• Include media mentions and press coverage
• Showcase company news and leadership achievements
• Add thought leadership articles on industry challenges

Executives benefit from demonstrating thought leadership and visibility. Your Featured section should reinforce your authority in your industry.

For Content Creators and Educators

• Feature your most-engaged posts and newsletter
• Link to newsletter subscription pages
• Showcase your best educational content
• Include speaking engagements or webinar recordings

Content creators should feature items that drive audience growth and engagement, making it easy for profile visitors to access your primary audience-building channels.

How to Add Items to Your Featured Section

Adding content to your Featured section is straightforward. Follow these steps:

1. Go to your LinkedIn profile and click “Edit public profile” near your profile photo
2. Scroll to the Featured section (it appears below the About section)
3. Click the “+” icon to add an item
4. Choose your content type – select from posts, articles, links, media, or documents
5. If adding a link, paste the URL and LinkedIn will pull relevant preview information
6. If adding media, upload your file (PDF, image, presentation, etc.)
7. Add a title and brief description of the item
8. Click “Save” to add the item to your Featured section
9. Rearrange items by dragging and dropping them into your preferred order

You can add up to 10 items to your Featured section, though most professionals find 3-5 carefully curated items more effective than maxing out the limit.

What to Feature First: The Power of Order

The order of your Featured items matters significantly. The first item is what profile visitors see before scrolling, making it your most valuable real estate. Place your most compelling, impressive, or conversion-focused item first.

For most professionals, the ideal strategy is:

1. Lead with your strongest, most recent achievement or highest-performing post
2. Follow with supporting items that build credibility
3. Place lead generation assets (free resources, newsletter signups) third or fourth
4. End with evergreen content that remains relevant long-term

If you’re a job seeker, feature your most impressive recent project first. If you’re a consultant, lead with a powerful client success story. If you’re a content creator, feature your newsletter subscription link prominently.

Using the Featured Section for Lead