Brooklyn College · February 10, 2026
11,000 per minute. 45% surge year-over-year.
Tools exist that fire off 1,500 applications a day — without reading a single posting.
The chaos creates an advantage for anyone willing to build a real professional brand.
If your profile says "I build web apps" but never says "Software Engineer" — you don't exist in their search.
Keyword Priority Order
LinkedIn's AI Hiring Assistant now pre-filters before a human sees you — recruiters review 62% fewer profiles. Your keywords must survive the machine.
If you can't authentically discuss and demonstrate everything in your application during a live, unassisted interview — you've crossed the line.
Illinois HB 3773 (effective Jan 1, 2026): mandatory AI disclosure in hiring.
EU AI labeling: August 2, 2026.
What makes you, you?
Prompt → "I'm a [major] student at Brooklyn College. I've worked as [jobs]. Ask me 10 questions to identify my unique professional strengths."
Make your profile work 24/7
more opportunities with an optimized profile
more views from a strong headline
more weekly views with complete profiles
Install Careerflow (free) → get your score → fix suggestions → use LinkedIn's AI writer → rewrite in your voice.
Role | Skill | Impact | Credibility
Study of 1,600+ profiles: 2.4x more recruiter replies
Student at Brooklyn College
Aspiring Software Engineer
Passionate problem solver
CS @ Brooklyn College | Python, React, AWS | Built apps serving 5K+ users | Seeking SWE Roles
Marketing Grad | GA4 & HubSpot | Grew campus org 3x | Open to Analyst Roles
Accounting @ CUNY | QuickBooks, Excel, SQL | Managed $50K club budget | CPA Track
Kill list: "Aspiring" · "Passionate" · "Ninja" · "Rockstar" · "Thought Leader" · ALL CAPS
First 300 Characters = The Hook
Only this shows before "See more." If the hook doesn't land, nobody reads the rest.
Para 1: Who you are + one compelling fact
Para 2: What problems you solve + tech stack
Para 3: Key achievements with real metrics
Last line: Your email address (recruiters without Premium can't message you)
First person. Specific tech names. Tell a narrative, not a resume dump.
Write it messy first. Use AI to refine. Then edit it back toward your voice.
Show up consistently
Post once a week.
That's it.
Use Grammarly's free post generator for a draft. Then make it specific — a real project, a real number, a real opinion.
THE ALGORITHM REWARDS
Expertise signals
& dwell time
NOT
Polish
What It Promotes
Comments — 3x more reach than likes
Dwell time — how long people read your post
Original expertise — real insights, not reposts
Authentic voice — real experiences, even failures
What It Suppresses
External links — 60% less reach
Engagement bait — "Comment YES" is detected
AI-generated text — algorithm and readers spot it
>1 post/day — your posts compete with each other
The first 60 minutes decide everything. Post when your audience is active. Reply to every comment immediately.
Format Rankings (2M+ posts analyzed)
Carousels / PDFs +596%
Video (<90 sec) +84%
Images +72%
Text-only baseline
Posts with links lowest
Content Pillars for Students
40% Learning journey — what you're building, debugging stories
30% Technical showcase — project walkthroughs, code breakdowns
20% Career insights — industry takes, job search transparency
10% Community value — free resources, error solutions
You don't need expertise to start. "Just started learning React" is a valid post. Document your journey, don't lecture.
From r/LinkedInLunatics (853K members) — a catalog of personal branding gone wrong.
Fabricated Stories
"My toddler told me to stop overthinking and scale my startup globally"
"A janitor taught me the true meaning of leadership"
Performative Vulnerability
Turning personal tragedy into a business lesson
Humble-brags disguised as gratitude
Crying selfie thought leadership
Hustle Porn
"I wake up at 2:30 AM"
"Synergize our paradigm shift"
"Agree?" at the end of every post
If you wouldn't say it to a colleague over coffee — don't post it.
Free 12 months via Microsoft student offer. AI writing, InMail, salary data.
⚡ Expires Feb 28 — 18 days left
Chrome extension. Profile score 0–100. Section-by-section optimization. 20 minutes.
Grammar, tone, clarity. Post generator. Check CUNY for Premium access.
Resume tailoring + job tracker. Paste posting → get keywords → tailor in minutes.
Content creation, scheduling, analytics. Know what works.
Tier 1 alone puts you ahead of 80% of students.
No network?
LinkedIn Alumni Tool + InMail → your 1.1M CUNY alumni network
English isn't first language?
AI as "professional translator" → write naturally → refine → edit back to your voice
Short on time?
Optimized profile works 24/7. One hour this week → passive job search engine.
Imposter syndrome?
Careerflow score: not "am I good enough?" but "I'm at 34, here are 7 fixes."
Microsoft student offer. Free for 12 months. 5 minutes. Expires Feb 28.
Install → scan → fix top 3 suggestions. 20 minutes.
[Role/Aspiration] | [What You Do] | [What Makes You Different]