Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn has become the largest professional network on the internet. According to LinkedIn’s website, the site can be used for job searching, strengthening professional relationships, and to learn or enhance skills that are needed for career success. LinkedIn is a great place for employers and job seekers to connect. In fact, recruiters often use LinkedIn as a tool to source for talent. That is why increasing your visibility through LinkedIn can improve your chances of landing a job. 

Here Are 6 Tips That Can Improve Your LinkedIn Profile.

1.     Use a Professional Photo:  

Having a profile photo is one of the easiest ways to ensure that your LinkedIn profile stands out. According to LinkedIn, profiles that have a photo are 14 times more likely to be viewed than those without a photo. Your photo is often the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager sees while looking at your LinkedIn profile, so you want to ensure that you make a great first impression. Wearing professional clothing, great lighting, as well as smiling within the picture can really improve how your photo looks. You also want to ensure that the quality of the photo is good and that the banner behind the photo is not too distracting. The banner should essentially complement your profile photo. For additional tips on how to select the perfect LinkedIn photo please see this article published on LinkedIn titled 10 Tips for Picking the Right LinkedIn Profile Picture. 

2.     Use Key Words in Your Headline to Showcase Your Expertise: 

In the past, simply listing your current job title seemed enough for your LinkedIn profile headline. However, if you are looking for a job or simply want to boost your profile to build your personal brand, including key words which illustrate your expertise can help recruiters find you more easily as well as showcase your capabilities to your network. Although it is still appropriate to include your job title in your headline if you would prefer, you can opt to include key words with your job title or simply remove your job title and only include key words or phrases that showcase your skill set or experience. When creating your headline, you should think about how you want to appear in searches. 

For example, if you want to combine your job title with your skills/expertise it might look like this: 

Cyber Security Professional | Chief Information Security Officer at Bright Career Coaching | CISSP

If you prefer to only include key words in your headline, it might look something like this: 

Career Coach | Resume Writer | Recruiter

If you are a recent graduate looking for a new job yours might look something like this: 

Marketing Graduate | Looking for a Full-time Marketing Position 

You can get creative with your headline, but just remember that it is part of your personal brand, so you want to keep it professional. 

3.     Complete Your Summary Section: 

Your bio provides you with the opportunity to provide a summary about your professional career. As recruiters go through your profile, they will review this area to learn a little bit more about you. Make this section interesting to read. You could also include your areas of expertise within this section. Just ensure that your writing is clear, concise and that you don’t have any grammatical errors that could be off putting. 

4.     Complete Your Employment History 

Recruiters often review your LinkedIn profile to see whether your experience is a good fit for their open positions. Having a profile that is updated and complete will give recruiters a better understanding of whether your experience fits what they are looking for.

5.     Share Relevant Content

Sharing articles will increase your visibility on LinkedIn. Whether you share articles written by others, or write your own articles, sharing relevant content can be a great way to add value to your network and build your personal brand. 

6.     Request Recommendations: 

Having good recommendations on your LinkedIn profile can also improve your personal brand. You could ask people who are familiar with your work to write you a recommendation. LinkedIn gives you an opportunity to review the recommendation before it is uploaded to your profile, so be sure to review the recommendation before adding it to your profile.

We hope that you have found these tips helpful. If you would like a recruiter to review your LinkedIn profile and provide feedback, or simply need support in customizing your profile, please feel free to schedule a consultation. 

Written by: Bright Career Coaching