Don't let your LinkedIn headline default to your job title and your job title only. Optimize it by packing your LinkedIn headline with intentional keywords.  Incorporate your top four to five hard skill sets that directly support the service you provide, and then separate each skill with a vertical line. 

This will make it very easy for recruiters and your connections to see where you add value.

Be sure to include any jobs that you deem relevant to where you want your career to go, and use two to four interesting and impressive bullet points for each job you include. Also, use engaging action words to show not just what you did, but what you accomplished in each position. The key is

to demonstrate the impact you've made, the change you've enacted, initiatives you've led, and the results you've delivered.

Keep your skills list focused and relevant to the network you are looking to interact with. In addition to your subject matter expertise, consider adding some "soft skills" as well. Condense your skills into the few most relevant and most attractive ones for people in your field who would be visiting your profile.

LinkedIn recommendations are essentially testimonials of your character and ability. They're a testament from a credible source saying that you're able to do what you claim you can. This is why they're essential to your LinkedIn profile.