Are you getting the most from your LinkedIn profile? Many people don’t realize how often recruiters and other professionals use LinkedIn to find talent! According to this article from LinkedIn, over 90% of recruiters use the platform for searches. You might have a profile and some links with current and former colleagues, but you probably don’t pay enough attention to the factors that can help your profile make a real impact.
According to LinkedIn, your profile is 40 times more likely to be viewed when it is complete. This means having an attractive, professional-looking photograph of yourself, a description of your current position and at least two past positions, your location, your education, at least three listed skills, and fifty or more connections. If you don’t have those items checked off your list, get cracking! Have a friend with a nice phone camera take a close-up (not full-body) photo of just you in front of a neutral background. And smile! Set aside some time to be sure you’ve accurately and completely filled out each section.
Most people use their LinkedIn headline, the 1-3 lines below the profile picture, to list a current job title. In addition, try using that space to highlight the skills you offer to viewers. “Digital Marketing Expert” doesn’t offer to the viewer the same attractive benefits it does with the addition of “Helping clients deliver targeted digital strategies to increase position and revenue.” This article discusses the technique in more detail. At one glance, a viewer will know what exactly you can offer to them!
Additionally, the “summary” section in the profile is often underused. This is the space to showcase your story and what makes you unique. It’s helpful to think about it as a space for your elevator pitch—something that feels personal and conversational, while also conveying your skills and accomplishments. LinkedIn statistics show that someone is hired on LinkedIn every six minutes! Your summary can make a powerful first impression and could lead to new opportunities! Including keywords from your industry that highlight both hard and soft skills that employers and recruiters may use in a search can help you pull ahead of the competition. More helpful suggestions on how to write a great summary can be found here.
Don’t sleep on the skills section! LinkedIn allows people to select up to fifty skill tags for their profiles. Highlighting the hard skills associated with the kind of jobs you want to have will improve your search performance. Be sure you’re researching what keywords are important in your field and observing what skills are listed on job descriptions that pique your interest. Even better, LinkedIn now allows colleagues to endorse your listed skills! Put your network to use and carefully endorse others’ skills (be sure you mean it!), so that they may return the favor!
And speaking of your network, how do you get more connections? Take some time and be sure you have linked with those you already know. When you’ve had networking opportunities in person or remotely, be sure to follow up with your new connections on LinkedIn while you are still fresh in their mind. Interact with existing connections’ content to increase engagement with your own. A simple “like” or one-sentence comment is all it takes. Additionally, the more active you are in posting your own content—both visual and written—the more you invite engagement with your profile and open new opportunities to connect. Are you a teacher with great suggestions? Post them and find other teachers with similar interests! Have you streamlined a process in your work as a healthcare administrator? Post about it! You’ll soon find yourself moving in a network of peers and making new connections within your field or area of expertise. More information available on this here.
Overwhelmed and not sure where to start? All You Branding to the rescue! Book a consultation with us today to discuss our brand-new LinkedIn optimization services. We can help you optimize your LinkedIn profile to help you find new opportunities for you to be your best self!
