LinkedIn now has almost 760 million users worldwide and over 1 billion interactions every month, making it one of the largest platforms for professionals. This also makes it one of the most important platforms for jobseekers to get their face in front of thousands of hiring managers within their chosen industry. LinkedIn is the foundation of your professional career, your experiences, and your education. Having a killer profile will help you stand out and land you that job you have been searching for. Here are some tips on how to make a winning LinkedIn profile:
Use a Professional Profile Picture
It’s important when choosing a profile picture to keep it professional. It’s the first impression you make on someone when they visit your profile, so you want to start with a tasteful introduction. Use a recent photo and dress in something you would wear to an interview; about 60% of the photo should be of your face. Keep the background simple with nothing too busy or distracting (a solid color backdrop like white or gray works perfect). With a friendly and professional profile picture, you’ll be sure to stand out to recruiters who cross your page.
Find Your Specialty
Below your name you have a headline to create your title. Here is an opportunity to show employees what you do and how you can benefit their company. Be specific so recruiters can see the area you are strongest in. If you are an engineer, what kind of engineering? If you do marketing, do you specialize in SEO or digital marketing trends? Here is your chance to advertise where you excel best.
Write a Summary
Your summary should be more than a job description. Here is where you can tell your story. Bring your skills to life and explain how you have used them to make a difference in your previous employment. Highlight your strong suits and what makes you unique. Personalize it and talk about things you hope to achieve with your career. Take this as space to really brand yourself and how you want to be perceived.
*Here is what makes it a strong profile summary:
Can be skimmed in 30 seconds or less
A professional headline is below 120 characters, lists career focus and components of work
Includes industry-related keywords, core skills, strengths, talents, and interests
Professionally written, no spelling or grammatical mistakes.
Get Connections
Networking is a huge part of branding yourself. Get your profile out there and connect with people who share your same views. If you have friends or previous colleagues on LinkedIn, start by connecting with them. Having a strong connection shows you are interested in expanding yourself and linking with people to communicate, collaborate, and grow.
This Is Not Your Resume
Your LinkedIn profile is not your resume, so do not copy and paste it. Your resume can be dry and boring, your LinkedIn profile should be compelling, intriguing, and wanting people to get to know you more. Instead of talking about your history, talk about your future and what inspires you. Only include jobs that are relevant to where you want your career to go.
Add Visual Work Samples
Make your profile stand out by adding some previous work samples, or a creative background photo. If you have any websites or YouTube videos, LinkedIn allows you to connect them right to your profile for an easy visual of your work. Having a bit of creativity will demand attention but be sure to keep it professional and on brand to you.
Hope these tips are a gamechanger for your LinkedIn profile, and make that dream job come true! For more career advice, visit www.globalstaffusa.com and reach out to someone from our team.
For visual samples check out this article: LinkedIn Profile Tips: What the Best LinkedIn Profiles Look Like (linkedin-makeover.com)
* Credited to AVA Energy What Makes a Winning LinkedIn Profile (avaenergy.com)