CVs are important and I spend a lot of my time writing about them and helping clients to have better ones. However, another vital element of anybody’s professional presence and job search is LinkedIn and if you are going to be on there then you need to have an effective LinkedIn profile. So here are 11 tips to help you maximise your LinkedIn profile.
Use an engaging headshot photo It’s easy to take a quick pic with smartphone technology but putting some more thought into it will get better engagement with viewers. Remember, this will be the first thing that viewers and recruiters see so make a good first impression and make it count.
When you have the photo taken, stand in front of a plain colour background so there is no visual clutter in the shot. Lean against the wall with your shoulder, side on to the camera, fold your arms and tip your chin up a little. Smile. This pose creates shots with energy. When you upload it, centre your face and zoom in - don't hide!
Stand out with a dynamic header image Replace the default grey banner image that LinkedIn gives everyone with a new more dynamic and engaging one that reflects your industry or professional interests. Or if you can’t think of anything like that, some people like to use an anonymous image like a cityscape. You can download copyright-free images at www.unsplash.com or www.pixabay.com
Update your URL If you still have the default address that LinkedIn give you, namely the one with numbers at the end, change it to a personalised URL without numbers so you are easier to identify. It's also easier to send to people and use as a link. Use underscore and hyphens if your name is already taken.
For example, this could be http://www.linkedin.com/in/firstname_lastname or http://www.linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastnamecareercoach
Use your header text space to full effect Optimise your professional presence by using the text below your profile headshot photo to catch the viewer's attention. Include your current job title (if relevant) but focus the text on your targeted role and key attributes to make the most of keywords. Research what’s appropriate for roles that you are targeting. Job ads are a perfect source for these.
For example, someone looking for a Sales Manager role could have: Sales Manager | Revenue Optimisation | Leadership | People Management | Closing | Relationship Building
Or you could write a dynamic tagline to reflect the value you add and the impact you generate.
For example, Sales Manager | Recognised for delivering exponential growth across verticals
Either way, for optimal search and readability, use 120 – 160 characters including spaces.
Make the most of your About section One of the most important parts of your LinkedIn profile is the About section where you get up to 2000 characters of text (2600 on mobile) to sell your professional self to the recruiter and hiring manager. You don’t need to write lots of text, four short paragraphs is a good target to introduce yourself, show what you bring, give a summary of your career story and make a pitch. Make it accessible. Use bullets to highlight key areas where you have impact and/or have secured achievements. Pack in the keywords and remember to close on a call to action.
Tell your story using quantifiable results (where possible and keeping in mind privacy issues) which demonstrate what you achieved for the companies that you worked for. Unlike CVs which are written in third person, write your LinkedIn About section in first person. That way, it’s a much more personal approach to telling your career story.
Check dates and job titles on your CV and LinkedIn profile correspond This deserves a separate bullet as I see it five times a day. Your LinkedIn profile and your CV are your branding documents and as such, they need to be consistent, so double-check that the job titles and dates match. It may seem a minor thing, but it looks unprofessional and doesn’t give a good impression if they don’t. Plus, data shows that recruiters don’t like it. And we need to keep them sweet, don’t we?
Use the Featured Media section One of the most recent additions to the LinkedIn profile is Featured Media where you get the chance to highlight projects that you have worked on. You can include all kinds of things including PDFs, videos, website, reports, blogs and news articles, so make the most of it and remember to keep content relevant to the roles that you are targeting.
Skills and keywords Ensure you add all of your skills to the Skills section in your LinkedIn profile. Not only do they show what you can do, but they also work as keywords in recruiter searches. You can now have up to 100 (which is a bit excessive) but you can easily fill 40+ by the time you have included technical, business and interpersonal skills. Again, job ads are a perfect source for identifying these and remember to include the basics - communication, collaboration, relationship building and so on.
As with your CV (which you are of course optimising by using relevant keywords and targeting to each role you apply for), use appropriate keywords in your LinkedIn profile for the industry/role you are targeting and refresh them to keep them relevant.
Get other people’s help You’ve gone to all the trouble of having a dynamic and engaging LinkedIn profile, so give it a chance and put it out there by maximising your LinkedIn connections. Ask them for skill endorsements. And more importantly, ask them for recommendations which are essentially professional references that will always be on display when someone looks at your LinkedIn profile. These are golden nuggets of evidence to show what a great hire you would be.
Use lesser-used sections on your profile Most people focus on the About section and the Header sections. However to optimise your LinkedIn profile, add language skills (including fluency levels) and volunteering to your Accomplishments section.
Also, add professional qualifications and online ones such as LinkedIn Learning to your Licences and Certifications sections. This gives your profile more depth, variety and also indicates your professional interests and ambition to develop your career.
Grow your network Be visible on LinkedIn. As with all social media, like, comment, reply, connect and share. Be present. Don’t do what most people do and just ‘be there’. It’s vital that you engage to raise your profile as the more you interact with LinkedIn, the higher up search results you go.
Do you know your stuff? Show it. Help people who could be your future clients, colleagues and employers. Write posts and articles or at least comment on those you share. Get your name and your profile out there and the LinkedIn algorithm will love you all the more and your profile will get more exposure.
If you would like help to get the most out of your CV and/or LinkedIn profile, have a look at my other blogposts or get in touch for a free intro chat and let's see how we can boost your presence. Simply book a call by clicking on the buttons on the website or email louise@careertherapy.co.uk
And take a look at my LinkedIn profile - let's connect! Header photo by Souvik Banerjee on Unsplash
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