Crafting a successful LinkedIn profile

A polished LinkedIn profile is fast becoming as important as your resume. Make your job search easier with these helpful tips to refine your LinkedIn profile.

The internet has changed nearly all facets of our lives, including how we find, apply for, and interview for a new job. LinkedIn is another tool at your disposal to help you land that great new opportunity, but you need to use it correctly!

Look the part

Profiles that had a relevant and professional photo had 21 times more profile views than those that did not. That doesn’t mean you need to splash out for a glossy model headshot! You just need to make sure it’s a recent, clear photo of you in working attire with a plain background. If you can muster a welcoming smile and relaxed body language even better.

Your background picture and headline are also essential for first impressions. You want to keep the background clean and simple but capture their interest. Same tactic with your headline, keep it snappy but show personality.

Grab their attention

Your summary is the chance to give what salespeople call their “elevator pitch”. A brief persuasive pitch for visitors on you page to get an understanding of who you are and what you do. Make sure to stick to the point, keeping it to 40 words is ideal, but make it interesting!

Be a completionist

Don’t leave gaps in your profile. Fill as much of it out with relevant, up-to-date information, and don’t forget to include things like education and location. If potential employers come across your profile and notice little to no information, there isn’t much to grab their attention. Make sure to sell yourself in former positions but be honest about your experience and what you have to offer.

Embrace your passions

Do you volunteer at your local sports club? What about giving time to charity? These are all points of difference between you and the next candidate. Giving visitors to your profile a greater insight into who you are and what drives you goes a long way to getting your resume on the top of the stack.

This also goes for career awards and industry certifications. Showing you have been successful enough to be recognised is another big tick for potential employers. Evidence of your commitment to ongoing training, whether on the job or not, is another way to impress.

Network

Join industry groups, follow industry leaders, and share content. The more active you, are the more chance your profile will get noticed by a potential mentor or industry contact. Just remember LinkedIn isn’t like other social media platforms, it is not designed for sharing memes, however funny they are/

Don’t forget to utilise your existing network. Ensure you get your colleagues to confirm your skills and if you can get former bosses or direct reports to give you a recommendation even better.

These tips should provide you with the ability to really step up your online presence and give you a great shot at that next dream opportunity. So, what are you waiting for? Go and polish that profile and start networking!