8 Things Your LinkedIn Profile Needs

LinkedIn isn't just another social media platform to add to your repertoire and then ignore. This platform can have a huge and positive impact on your career if you use it correctly!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Don’t underestimate the importance of LinkedIn in your job search or how having a profile can highlight your achievements and show credibility in your industry. The communities and networks you can connect with on LinkedIn can open doors and lead to opportunities you might otherwise not have had access to.⠀⠀

The advantages and benefits of having a profile can open up doors to opportunities that wouldn’t have otherwise existed. Your profile is your first impression to recruiters and hiring managers who are looking for someone to fill that perfect position. However, not having a completed profile or an unprofessional one can have negative effects on your ability to find a job. It would be the same as having an incomplete or unprofessional resume. LinkedIn is your online resume. 

If you have a profile and it needs an update or if you don’t have a profile yet, there are steps you can take to make your profile informative and professional that will attract the attention of recruiters for your dream job.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Professional Profile Picture

Using the selfie that you took while hanging out with your family is not the best picture to present on LinkedIn. Your picture shouldn’t be an old picture of you and definitely shouldn’t be a picture of someone else. Ask a family or friend to take a picture of you or you can hire a professional to take a headshot of you. Your picture is a representation of you. If you are looking for a corporate job, then you need to display a picture befitting of a corporate job. A good picture helps you stand out from the crowd. 

It’s human nature to have a reaction when you see a picture of someone and even when you don’t. What do you normally think of accounts on social media without a picture? They are probably fake accounts. It’s hard to take someone seriously when you can’t put a face to a name. Recruiters will think the same. With no photo, your profile can easily get put in the “no” category.

Eye Catching Personalized Heading

Your picture is the first thing recruiters will see and your heading is the first thing they’ll read. The headline is right below your name. You have two immediate opportunities to make a good impression so make sure your headline helps you to stand out even more and makes recruiters want to click on your profile. You can use the headline to highlight your specialty or an amazing benefit you’ve provided to your current or past employer. Using just the headline you can tell your job and what you bring to the table. Make sure to use targeted and relevant industry keywords in your headline that will make you easier to find when recruiters are searching for professionals in your field or industry.

All Sections Completed

A completed profile puts you in a better position for success. The more complete your profile is, the easier you will make it for recruiters to find you on LinkedIn. The probability of getting opportunities for recruitment are greater and you’ll be more likely to appear in search results.

Cross check your profile with your up-to-date resume to make sure you didn’t miss any information. 

Custom background image or on-brand color

The custom background image on your profile can speak volumes for you and your brand. It should complement your headshot, and not be too distracting as to draw all the attention away from your face. You can use tools like Canva to create a custom background image. Choosing the right background image can give your profile a boost that can make it stand out to recruiters.

Recommendations from colleagues and bosses 

Recommendations are another way to boost your profile, impress recruiters, and get more interviews. Recommendations give you credibility. LinkedIn is your online resume and recommendations serve as your references.

You must be proactive and ask your colleagues and/or bosses to write recommendations for you. When you ask, make sure to be courteous and professional and pay it forward by offering to write a recommendation for them as well. Give them context as to what you are looking for it to include. For example, you can request a recommendation that includes feedback about key skills required of the position you’d like to get.

There are two opportunities to ask for recommendations. You can ask while you are currently employed. A good time to ask is during a performance review. Another opportunity to ask is when you leave an employer on good terms. Just as you would ask for a reference, you could also ask for a LinkedIn recommendation. 

Share industry-relevant articles or write your own

One key LinkedIn activity you can do to show recruiters and hiring managers you’re up to date on latest happenings and trends is sharing posts that are relevant to your industry. Sharing articles positions you as a thought leader and also keeps you informed of your industry.

You can also write articles. Writing your own articles is a great way to showcase your expertise, industry knowledge and raise your visibility to recruiters. 

Use sharing or writing articles as a way to engage with your connections on LinkedIn. Just like on other social media platforms, the more engaging you are, the better the relationship you build with your connections.

Share achievements, awards and certifications 

To increase the likeliness of appearing in more narrow searches, add relevant achievements, awards and certifications to your profile. You could be found in searches that focus on specific honors and achievements and it’s another opportunity to showcase your expertise and qualifications.

Strong summary statement of your experiences

First, never leave the summary section blank. The summary statement is searchable through keywords. A strong and  well-written summary will help your profile appear more often and a key way to stand out amongst a sea of other potential candidates. 

The summary statement is the first thing a recruiter reads when they go to your profile and it is your opportunity to state who you are professionally and why someone should hire you.

Don’t use the summary to try to tell your life or entire career history. This should be a short, straight-to-the-point summary of your accomplishments and skills. 

Make those first few sentences count. Since LinkedIn only shows the first 300 letters of your summary, make sure your first couple sentences are interesting enough to hook the recruiter and make them want to read more. Include industry keywords so your profile will show up in searches. 

Be authentic. Your profile summary should tell who you are, what you stand for, and it should speak to the position for which you want to be considered.

Finally, proofread your summary before posting it to make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors.  It’s ok to ask someone you trust for feedback.

A great summary makes a great first impression and sets the tone for the rest of your profile.  

The takeaway

LinkedIn is a powerful resource that is being underutilized by many job seekers. It’s usually the first place recruiters go to when looking for the best person for an open position. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, use the tips provided to create a profile that will provide the best visibility to recruiters. 

If you already have a LinkedIn profile, audit your account to make sure you are using it to its full potential.

Did you know that if you're a part of my Success Blueprint Vault Community, I will do a LinkedIn profile audit for you to ensure that your profile is as impactful as possible?

Visit https://success-blueprint-vault.mykajabi.com/SBV to learn more.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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https://success-blueprint-vault.mykajabi.com/optimize-your-linkedin