Your visual presence is the first and fastest signal of your brand's professionalism. The goal: every element on your LinkedIn profile should feel like it belongs to the same intentional identity as your resume and portfolio.
Use a clean, well-lit headshot with a neutral or simple background. Business casual or smart-casual attire. Confident expression — approachable but not overly casual. Your photo should look like someone a hiring manager would trust to run a research session.
Create a 1584×396px banner that reflects your brand. Recommended: Rich Black background (#111111), your "MR" monogram or wordmark, a thin Deep Burgundy (#7A1E2C) rule, and your headline or specialty in Playfair Display. Canva or Figma both work well for this.
If creating graphics (banner, featured section images), use #111111, #7A1E2C, and #4A4F55 consistently. This visual consistency reinforces your Research Authority Minimal brand across every touchpoint a recruiter sees.
Open Figma or Canva and create your LinkedIn banner now using the brand colors. Export at 1584×396px. Feature the MR monogram, your name in Playfair Display, and "UX Researcher & Designer" in Inter.
LinkedIn's headline is 220 characters and is shown in search results, connection requests, and messages — it's often the only text someone reads before clicking your profile. It should summarize your brand in one scannable line.
UX Research & Design Student at MSOE '27 | AI for Emerging Apps Cert. | Seeking UX Internship or Consultant Role | Accessibility | Usability Testing | Front-End Developer |
The current headline is comprehensive but slightly dense. Here are two improved versions:
UX Researcher · Qualitative Research | Accessibility Evaluation | Conversational AI | MSOE '27 | Seeking UX Internship
Research-Driven UX Designer | Field Observations · WCAG Accessibility · Conversational AI | MSOE '27 | Open to Internships
Why these work: They lead with your core positioning, use keyword-rich terms that recruiters search for, and stay within character limits. The "·" separators are clean and professional. Including "MSOE '27" signals your timeline clearly.
LinkedIn gives you 2,600 characters for the About section. Use the first 2–3 lines to hook — they appear above the "See more" fold. Write in first person, reflect your voice, and make it scannable with brief paragraphs or line breaks.
The best product decisions start with going directly to the user — and that's the mindset I bring to every project. I'm a UX Researcher and Designer at Milwaukee School of Engineering (B.S. User Experience Engineering, '27), also completing a certificate in AI for Emerging Applications. I specialize in qualitative research, accessibility evaluation, and conversational AI design. What I bring to teams: Research: Field observations · Semi-structured interviews · Usability testing · Affinity mapping · Competitive analysis · Thematic synthesis Design & Accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA/AAA evaluation · Conversational AI design · Inclusive design · UI design systems · Figma Technical: HTML · CSS/SCSS · Python · Git/GitHub My research mindset isn't just academic. As a Branch Manager Intern with College Works Painting, I ran a residential painting business — conducting door-to-door homeowner interviews, reading client reactions in real time, managing full project lifecycles, and leading a crew of 20+. That's field research: going to the user, identifying needs, and delivering outcomes. As Lead UX Designer for MSOE's Rocket Club, I build and maintain the club website while leading cross-functional design and accessibility work. Open to: UX Research Internships · UX Design Internships · UX Consulting · Freelance Accessibility Audits Let's connect: mikeromanek04@gmail.com | mikeromanek.github.io/portfolio
Each experience entry should lead with a strong, keyword-rich description and use measurable outcomes where possible. Ensure all MSOE project roles are listed as separate positions under "Milwaukee School of Engineering" so they're grouped and visible.
| Entry | Priority Update | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| COVE Space Research | Add keywords: "affinity mapping," "field observations," "mixed-methods." Add the insight about proximity-driven behavior — it's a strong, specific outcome. | High |
| WCAG Accessibility | Keep "WAVE, AXE, screen readers" — these are searchable terms. Mention the specific standards (AA/AAA) and the deliverable (prioritized report). | High |
| College Works Painting | Frame as UX field research explicitly: "door-to-door homeowner interviews," "real-time stakeholder communication," "data-informed proposals." This bridges entrepreneurship → UX research. | High |
| Rocket Club UX | Add "component library," "cross-functional collaboration," and "accessibility evaluation." These are strong team leadership signals. | Medium |
| Tom's Watch Bar / Mecca | Keep brief. Frame as: real-time user empathy, communication under pressure, cross-functional team coordination. No need for extensive bullets. | Medium |
The Featured section sits high on the profile and gives you visual real estate. Curate it to 2–3 high-quality items that immediately demonstrate your work.
LinkedIn allows up to 50 skills. Pin the 3 most important to the top of the list — these appear without scrolling. Prioritize skills that recruiters search for and that match your target roles.
1. UX Research 2. Accessibility (WCAG 2.1) 3. User Interviews
Qualitative Research · Usability Testing · Affinity Mapping · Field Research Figma · Wireframing · Prototyping · Design Systems · Inclusive Design Conversational AI Design · Human-Computer Interaction HTML · CSS · SCSS · Python · Git WAVE · AXE · Screen Readers
Seek endorsements from: your MSOE professors (especially UX Research and Inclusive Design faculty), classmates from project teams, and supervisors from current/past work. A personalized message asking for a specific skill endorsement has a much higher response rate than a generic request.
Written recommendations from credible sources are among the highest-trust signals on LinkedIn. Aim for 2–3 strong ones from different relationship types.
Your UXD 3010 or UXD 2010 instructor can speak directly to your research methodology, academic rigor, and the quality of your deliverables. Ask for something specific — your affinity mapping work, your accessibility audit approach.
The MSOE Training Assistant coordinator or a manager from Tom's Watch Bar / Mecca who can speak to your reliability, communication, and cross-functional collaboration.
A teammate from the Rocket Club who experienced your cross-functional leadership, design process, or accessibility work firsthand.
When requesting a recommendation, give your contact context: share your resume and a 2–3 sentence summary of what you're seeking (UX Research internships). Suggest 1–2 specific things they might mention — it makes writing easier and the result more useful to you.
Run through this checklist to confirm every channel reflects a unified brand.