By Susan Hoffman
Contributor
Start a management degree at American Public University. |
For many professionals, having a profile on LinkedIn is now as common as having a resume. A LinkedIn profile allows you to easily demonstrate your expertise in your career field and your business value.
Unfortunately, however, people often leave their LinkedIn profile half-finished or don’t bother to update it. Here are five easy ways to improve your LinkedIn profile and become more impressive to people who seek to hire you or do business with you.
#1: Pay Attention to the Basics
First, review your current LinkedIn profile. Make sure that all of your information is up to date and includes at least three recommendations from other professionals. If you speak more than one language, make sure you mention that language in the “Languages” section.
If you are dedicated to a particular cause, add that to the “Accomplishments” section of your profile. This provides your readers with a more complete idea of who you are.
#2: Check Your LinkedIn Profile for Keywords
Like Google, LinkedIn is a search engine. Often, recruiters seeking candidates use LinkedIn’s search feature by putting in the terms they associate with a particular profession. Help people to find you more easily by making sure that industry keywords are included in your profile.
#3: Add Personality to Your ‘About’ Section
The “About” section of LinkedIn is a great place to tell your professional story and distinguish yourself from other job candidates. Aim to make this section a general overview of your career, and explain how you differ from other workers in the same industry. This section is an opportunity to go beyond the information in your resume and show how you’ll be a cultural fit for an organization.
You can even weave some gentle humor into this section. While you don’t want to come across to your readers as flippant, adding humor is another way to make your LinkedIn profile stand out from others.
Start a management degree at American Public University. |
#4: Add Media
LinkedIn makes it possible to incorporate various types of media in your profile. Add a professional picture that clearly shows your face and also include a background picture at the top of your profile to exemplify your professional persona. Ideally, the background picture should be 1,584 x 396 pixels.
The “About” section of your LinkedIn profile allows you to put in other visual media. For instance, you can add a link to a YouTube video you’re in or put in pictures that show you in action if you’ve ever spoken in public.
The “About” section is also a great area to showcase samples from your professional portfolio. If you’re a graphic designer or photographer in the creative field, for instance, add some examples of the work you’ve done. For those employed in more traditional industries, you have the option of adding your resume, a link to books you’ve written, or samples of other publications relating to your business expertise.
#5: Ask Business Associates to Review Your LinkedIn Profile
After you rework your LinkedIn profile, ask one or two business associates to review it. Have them give you their feedback on what they see, so you can be sure that you are presenting the right images and business story to readers.
Overall, take care to ensure that your LinkedIn profile expresses your business story in the best possible light. It should showcase the unique person you are and could make a vital difference when you’re seeking a job.
Comments are closed.