LinkedIn Profile Guide for AI/ML & Data
Engineering Roles
To stand out as an AI/ML engineer or data professional, tailor every section of your LinkedIn profile with
concrete details, keywords and results (not generic buzzwords). Below are specific tips and examples for
each part of your profile:
Headline (Professional, Value‑Focused)
• Include key roles and skills: Use your headline to state your current role or goal along with top
technical specializations (e.g. “Machine Learning Engineer”, “MSc in AI”, “Data Engineer”).
Incorporate terms like “machine learning,” “deep learning,” “computer vision,” or “data pipelines” so
recruiters find you 1 2 .
• Highlight your niche or achievement: If possible, mention your domain or a notable result. For
example, “MSc AI Student & Software Developer | Building Scalable ML Pipelines in
Healthcare” or “ML Engineer | Built X-Ray Classifier with 95% Accuracy”. Including a
concrete outcome in the headline (e.g. model accuracy, performance improvement) instantly
signals impact 3 4 .
• Keep it concise and clear: Use simple, professional language (avoid clichés like “guru” or
“rockstar”). Focus on what you do and the value you bring. Example headline templates:
• “MSc AI Candidate & Software Engineer – Developing Production-Ready ML Systems with Python &
Spark.”
• “Data Engineer | Real-Time Streaming & MLOps | Django/React Developer.”
• “AI Research Assistant at INESC TEC | Python, Docker, TensorFlow | Passionate about Computer
Vision.”
(Tips from career experts: your headline is like an ad – use it to state who you are and what you do, with
industry keywords 2 1 .)
About Section (Concise Story, Technical and Authentic)
• Tell your story briefly: In 3–5 short paragraphs (or bullets) explain who you are and what you
do. Start with your current situation (MSc student and developer) and weave in key roles: e.g.
“I’m a Master’s student in AI at FEUP and a Software Developer at JuniFEUP. I build machine learning
and data engineering solutions for [industry]”. Show your motivation (e.g. passion for ML, data-
driven solutions) and end with what you seek next (ML Engineer roles, etc.). This narrative style
(“I build… I specialize in…”) is engaging and personal 5 6 .
• Highlight technical accomplishments: Immediately reference your strongest achievements or
projects. For example: “Developed an NLP model that improved client insights by 30%,” or “Deployed
automated ETL pipelines with Apache Spark and Docker, reducing data latency by 50%.” Wherever
possible, quantify impact (accuracy rates, time saved, user growth, etc.) to show real results 7
8 .
• Mention tools and teamwork: Name key tools and languages you use (Python, SQL,
TensorFlow, FastAPI, Docker, etc.) and any collaboration (e.g. “working with cross-functional
teams” 7 ). Briefly note your research assistant role or internships to validate experience.
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• Show authenticity (avoid fluff): Use plain language (first-person active voice). Don’t just say
you’re “passionate” – show it by describing what you built or learned. For example: “I’m committed
to applying ML to real-world problems, as demonstrated by my capstone project on image recognition
and my on-going research at INESC TEC”. This direct style is more compelling than overused
adjectives 9 6 .
Example (draft) About blurb:
I’m an [Link]. student in Artificial Intelligence at FEUP and a software developer at JuniFEUP,
where I build scalable ML and data solutions. In my current project I developed a convolutional
neural network (TensorFlow/Python) that diagnoses X-ray images with 95% accuracy, reducing
review time by 40%. As a research assistant at INESC TEC, I collaborate on ML-driven intelligent
systems and MLOps pipelines (using Docker, Spark, FastAPI) to deploy models in production. I
hold a [Link]. in Informatics and have interned as a Data Engineer (working with ETL and cloud
data warehouses). I am actively seeking ML Engineer or AI Software roles where I can apply my
full-stack AI skills to solve complex problems.
Experience Descriptions (Action Verbs + Metrics)
• Use bullet points (2–4 per role): For each position (JuniFEUP developer, INESC TEC RA,
internships), write concise bullets starting with strong action verbs (e.g. “Developed,”
“Implemented,” “Optimized,” “Led,” “Architected”). Highlight what you did and the result. For
example:
• “Developed an automated Selenium testing pipeline in Python and FastAPI, cutting QA time by 50%.”
• “Built a real-time data ingestion system with Apache Spark and Kafka, handling 1M+ records/day;
reduced ETL latency by 30%.”
• “Co-authored a research paper on reinforcement learning; implemented algorithms in PyTorch
achieving a 20% improvement over baseline.”
• “Improved CI/CD by containerizing ML services with Docker and GitLab CI, increasing deployment
frequency from weekly to daily.”
These bullets should quantify impact where possible (accuracy gains, performance improvements,
savings) 7 10 . This proves your contributions rather than just listing duties.
- Be specific about technologies: Within each bullet, name the technologies, frameworks and methods
you used (e.g. Python, SQL, [Link], TensorFlow, FastAPI, AWS). This signals your technical breadth to
recruiters.
- Focus on outcomes: Emphasize how your work helped the team or project. For example, “reduced
computation time”, “increased model accuracy”, “enabled real-time analytics”, etc. According to LinkedIn
experts, each experience entry should show the impact you made, not just tasks 10 7 .
(Tip: Don’t just copy your resume. LinkedIn allows more space, so you can elaborate projects and successes.
Use crisp bullets and concrete numbers 10 7 .)
Skills Section (In-Demand Tools & Keywords)
• List top technical skills: Include the most relevant skills for ML/AI roles. Key ones are: Machine
Learning & AI (e.g. “Machine Learning, Deep Learning, NLP”), Programming (e.g. “Python, SQL”),
Data Engineering (e.g. “Spark, Hadoop, ETL, Kafka”), MLOps/DevOps (e.g. “Docker, Kubernetes, CI/
CD, AWS/GCP/Azure”), and Data Analysis (e.g. “pandas, NumPy”). Also list any web/Dev skills you
have (e.g. “FastAPI, [Link], Git”). According to LinkedIn data, top 2025 skills include AI/ML, cloud
and MLOps, and data engineering tools 11 12 .
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• Add soft skills sparingly: You can include a few soft skills (e.g. “Problem-solving, Collaboration”),
but focus on technical ones. Endorsements on these skills add credibility 13 .
• Use all 50 slots if useful: There’s space for up to 50 skills. Fill it with a wide but relevant set
(don’t just five generic keywords). This ensures recruiter searches find you for varied
combinations of keywords (e.g. “Python”, “Machine Learning”, “Data Engineering”) 13 11 .
Example list (unordered): - Machine Learning & Deep Learning (TensorFlow, PyTorch) 1
- Data Engineering (Spark, Hadoop, Kafka, ETL) 14 13
- Programming (Python, SQL, Pandas, NumPy) 13 11
- Cloud & MLOps (AWS/GCP/Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, MLflow) 12 11
- Web/API Development (FastAPI, [Link], [Link])
- Tools (Git, Linux, Jenkins)
- Soft Skills (Problem-Solving, Collaboration, Communication) 13
Projects Section (Key Initiatives & Links)
• Feature major projects: Include a separate “Projects” section (LinkedIn allows this under
“Accomplishments”). List significant academic, personal or open-source projects that showcase
your skills. For each project, briefly describe the goal, your role, and the outcome. Emphasize the
technical tools and the result (especially any metrics) 15 .
• Showcase challenges and solutions: E.g. “Capstone: Smart Traffic Sign Recognition – Developed a
CNN (Python/TensorFlow) to classify road signs with 98% accuracy. Preprocessed image data, fine-
tuned a ResNet model, and reduced error by 15% vs. baseline.” This narrative (challenge → tech →
result) demonstrates both skill and problem-solving 15 .
• Link to code or demos: If you have GitHub repos, a personal website or demos, include links in
the project descriptions (LinkedIn allows URLs). This “brings your work to life” and provides
concrete proof of your abilities 15 .
• Select relevance: Highlight projects that align with your target roles. For ML/AI roles, include
any Kaggle/work competitions, research code, or class projects using deep learning, NLP,
computer vision, or data pipelines. For example, a data engineering project might note how you
built a data warehouse or real-time ETL system.
Recommendations (Credibility Boost)
• Aim for quality (2–4 strong recommendations): You don’t need dozens of recs, but a few well-
written ones add legitimacy. Ideally, get recommendations from a manager/supervisor, a
professor or research advisor, and a colleague or teammate 16 17 . This mix shows different
facets of your work (leadership, technical skill, teamwork).
• Ask the right people: Choose those who know your contributions in the AI/ML context. For
example, a research advisor at INESC TEC, a supervisor from your software dev role, or a team
lead from an internship. [Link] advises asking people who saw you work closely (“treat it like
a letter of recommendation”) 16 .
• What should they say? Good recommendations mention specific projects or skills. For instance,
a recommender might note “X developed a predictive model that improved forecasting accuracy by
20%” or “Y’s strong Python and data skills accelerated our product development”. Avoid generic
phrases – detail the context. According to LinkedIn advice, recommendations carry real weight
for recruiters and should “speak to your technical expertise and work ethic” 18 17 .
• Reciprocity helps: Offer to write recommendations for others you’ve worked with. Often, people
are more inclined to reciprocate or write one after receiving theirs 17 .
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(Tip: Once you have recommendations, a line in your summary or experience can say “Recommended by
[Name], [Title/Connection]”, but don’t rely on it. The recommendation text itself will appear on your profile.)
Tone and Style (Authentic & Competent)
• Use clear, concrete language: Avoid buzzwords and vague adjectives (LinkedIn’s top overused
words include “specialized,” “experienced,” “passionate,” “motivated,” “expert,” etc.) 9 . Instead of
“passionate about AI,” show passion by describing what you built or learned. Use the first person
(“I”/“we”) or an implicit subject (“built”, “developed”) to sound direct 6 .
• Be factual, not boastful: Highlight what you did and achieved, not how great you are. For
example, say “increased data processing speed by 40%” rather than “rockstar data engineer.” Let
results speak for you. This professional tone comes across as more authentic and confident 9
6 .
• Keep it professional: Even though LinkedIn is social, it’s a professional network. Avoid personal
anecdotes or informal language. Write in present or past tense consistently. Break long blocks of
text into short paragraphs or bullets so readers can scan easily (bullet points for achievements
are ideal) 10 .
• Show your personality carefully: A well-chosen statement (e.g. “I thrive on solving complex
problems with data”) can humanize you, but avoid clichés. If you mention values (like ethics in
AI), tie them to your work (e.g. “advocate for responsible AI” with evidence like a relevant project or
certification). This balance keeps you relatable yet professional.
By combining a clear, accomplishments‑oriented tone with specific, quantifiable details, your
profile will present you as a skilled, results-driven AI/tech professional – not just a string of buzzwords
10 9 .
Sources: Advice above is drawn from current career and LinkedIn best practices (including expert
guides for AI/ML and data engineers 1 15 and profile-optimization articles 10 9 ) to ensure your
profile is up-to-date and targeted to recruiters in tech industries.
1 3 5 7 8 18 2025 LinkedIn Guide for Machine Learning Engineers - Headline & Summary
Examples
[Link]
2 4 13 2025 LinkedIn Guide for Artificial Intelligence Engineers - Headline & Summary Examples
[Link]
6 9 How to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile - [Link]
[Link]
10 17 10 ways to build your LinkedIn profile
[Link]
11 12 14 Top 10 In-Demand Skills for Data Scientists in 2025
[Link]
15 2025 LinkedIn Guide for Data Engineers - Headline & Summary Examples
[Link]
16 3 Rules of LinkedIn Recommendations | Career Advice - Vault
[Link]
