Why Recruiters Aren’t Finding You on LinkedIn (and How to Change That)
Some of the best placements I’ve made were people who weren’t looking. They were happy where they were and hadn’t thought about moving until I called about a specific opportunity. Many went on to a higher salary, better projects, a stronger employer or a more senior role that recognised experience their existing practice had overlooked.
That only happens if the recruiter can find you. In architecture and design, we’re usually searching for something very specific: a project sector, a software package, a level of seniority, a stage of project experience. If your profile doesn’t say what you do, you are less likely to appear.
Here’s what to check.
Use a recognised job title and a useful headline
Where possible, use an industry-standard title (Architect, Architectural Technologist, Interior Designer, BIM Coordinator, Landscape Architect) rather than an internal one that means little outside your practice.
Then use your headline to add detail. Instead of:
Architect at ABC Architects
try:
Architect | Residential – BTR & PBSA | Revit | Project Delivery
That one line tells a recruiter your sector, software and focus, and includes terms they’re likely to search.
Name your sectors and software
This is the most common omission I see. “Architect” tells me very little. Practices ask us for people with experience in sectors such as:
- Large-scale residential
- Education
- Healthcare
- Commercial
- Hospitality
- Retail
- Heritage
If that’s you, say so, ideally within your role descriptions rather than as a keyword list:
Worked across medium and large-scale residential projects including BTR, PBSA and affordable housing, from planning through to technical delivery.
The same goes for software, whether that’s Revit, AutoCAD, Archicad, Vectorworks, Rhino, SketchUp, Enscape, Lumion or the Adobe suite. Don’t assume everyone knows you use Revit. If a practice needs Revit experience and the word isn’t on your profile, you’ll be missed. Add your main packages to the Skills section too.
Explain what you actually do
Under each role, add a short description of your responsibilities. You don’t need your whole CV, but give enough to show your level. Useful things to mention include:
- Running projects
- Client liaison and consultant coordination
- Planning applications
- Technical design and detailing
- Site experience and contract administration
- Mentoring or team leadership
- BIM coordination
- Which RIBA Work Stages you’ve worked on
An Architect who has mostly worked at concept and planning stages is a very different candidate from one who has taken projects through technical design and onto site. Your profile should make that clear before a recruiter has to ask.
Where confidentiality allows, add project context. You don’t need the client’s name, but sector, size, value, stage and your role are valuable:
Project Architect on a £140m, 250-unit residential development, responsible for coordinating RIBA Stages 3 and 4.
That says far more than “worked on residential projects.” Just be accurate about your involvement. If you were part of a large team, say so.
Show your progression
If you’ve been with one practice for years, don’t collapse it into your latest title:
2016–Present – Senior Architect
Break it down:
2023–Present – Senior Architect
2019–2023 – Architect
2016–2019 – Architectural Assistant
The first looks like a decade without movement. The second shows growing responsibility, a clear qualification date and an employer that has backed you. It also helps me judge quickly whether your level suits a role.
Keep skills, location and “About” accurate
Skills: Use this section to reinforce what’s elsewhere on your profile, such as Technical Design, Residential Design, BIM, Planning or Construction Drawings. Relevance matters more than volume. List what you do and want to keep doing.
Location: Recruiters often search by area, especially for office-based roles. Someone looking for an Architect in London may never find a profile that still says Manchester two years after a move. If you’re open to relocating, say so.
About: Keep it short and specific: qualifications, level of experience, main sectors, software and the type of projects you’ve worked on. Skip phrases like “passionate and highly motivated.” Nobody searches for them.
Update it when things change
Most profiles go stale because people only touch them when they start job hunting. Take five minutes after a promotion, a completed project or a new sector or software skill.
A quick test
Ask what someone recruiting for your ideal next role would type in:
- Job title: Architect
- Software: Revit
- Sector: Residential, Education or Healthcare
- Experience: Technical delivery, RIBA Stage 4, Contract Administration
If those genuinely describe you and none of them appear on your profile, you’re making yourself harder to find than you need to be.
You don’t need to turn LinkedIn into your CV or stuff it with keywords. A few small changes are often enough to start appearing in the right searches.
If you’d like a confidential conversation about your next move in architecture or design, or a recruiter’s-eye view of how your profile reads, get in touch with me.
Stewart Howl
