An excellent LinkedIn profile has the potential to open new doors in the professional world. LinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals to connect, search for jobs, and post about employment opportunities.
LinkedIn has over 800 million users in more than 200 countries and territories, and thousands of companies use it to post jobs and hire talent each day. With your profile as one of 800 million, how do you build a profile that will get noticed by recruiters and hiring managers? How can you use LinkedIn to create a robust, active network of contacts and endorsements?
These LinkedIn profile tips can help you increase your visibility as you look for your next job.
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How Do I Create an Engaging LinkedIn Profile?
1. Improve Your Headline
By default, the headline states your present employer and title. Improve your headline by treating it as your concise advertisement. Use keywords for your career role, skills, and experience. Depending on your career field, your headline can even be fun and catchy.
2. Sell Yourself
Your profile’s “About” section is vital. You have 2,000 characters to give an expanded elevator speech or “Me-in-30 Seconds.” Write short paragraphs of two to four sentences each, using key words to talk about your strengths, skills, and experience. State the results of your work. (Example: Lowered unit costs by 20%.)
3. Feature Your Work Experience
Use “Add Position” to give details of your work experience. You may model this section after your resume, but make sure that for each job, you point out your skills, leadership, and work results.
4. Tell About Your Education
List your education with the most recent first. Be accurate. Use the Description field to mention important details about your schooling, including awards and recognition, leadership, clubs, athletics, service, and so forth.
How Do I Write a LinkedIn Summary?
A good LinkedIn summary is essential to creating an engaging LinkedIn profile because it is an introduction and an opportunity to show your skills to everyone on the platform. The goal is to state who you are, your professional identity, and what makes you unique in 370 words. This is where you have the chance to set yourself apart from others. Here are some ideas of what you can include in your summary:
- Hard skills
- Soft skills
- What motivates you?
- What are you passionate about?
- What kinds of experiences have you had?
What Is a Good LinkedIn Headshot?
Upload a professional photo of yourself: a headshot of you facing forward, smiling naturally, and dressed for the job you are seeking. If you can afford one, get a professional shot. Avoid selfies and casual snapshots. Make sure to upload a background photo that conveys your career interests, field, or abilities. A good photo is essential to telling an employer about who you are and what you want to accomplish.
What Should a Good LinkedIn Profile Look Like?
A good LinkedIn profile reflects who you are, your interests, and what value you have to offer to companies and employers. Use the following sections of your LinkedIn profile to make your profile unique to who you are and stand out to employers.
- Activity: Active profiles are the most visible. Share original insights, provide recommendations for others, and repost impactful articles. Do anything positive to help increase the likelihood that your profile will appear on others’ feeds.
- Skills: Don’t be afraid to highlight your skills. Doing so conveys what you can do well and allows your contacts to endorse you.
- Language: Some jobs require language skills, so identify any in which you are proficient.
- Volunteering: Adding volunteer experience is a great way to show that you enjoy giving back to the community.
- Courses: Add courses to show what you’ve learned and what skills you can bring to prospective employers. Listing several important courses also shows that you strive for continual improvement.
- Interests and Causes: Signal to others what matters to you most by showing your company, group, and school interests, as well as causes in which you are engaged. Your interests also give employers a better sense of how you will fit within the organization. Remember that recruiters see them, too, so keep them professional.
How Do I Add a Resume to LinkedIn?
Make sure you have finalized and updated a copy of your resume in a separate document that you can upload to your LinkedIn profile. Add the “Featured” section to your profile and upload your resume by uploading media to the section. Once the document is uploaded, it will appear on your profile, and your connections and potential employers can view it.
How Do I Expand My LinkedIn Network?
Once you have a professional profile, it’s time to start networking! Connect with colleagues, friends, and other acquaintances. Review your second- and third-level connections to identify any who might assist you in your job search. Do anything positive you can to elevate your profile and drive more traffic to your qualifications. Check out the article “How to Network Using LinkedIn” for more information on how you can use LinkedIn to find a job and expand your network.