Building The Best LinkedIn Profile for Job Seekers
Whether you’re looking for a job, hunting for leads, or building a network, a strong LinkedIn profile can help you get there. Filling out the basic details on the platform is easy. But you need to go that extra mile if you wish to stand out and get noticed. Here are five expert tips to spruce up your LinkedIn profile:
Upload a Professional Photo
Your photo is probably the first thing people will notice on your profile. Make sure it looks professional. Look sharp, clean, and professionally dressed — and don’t forget to smile! Kris Duggan offers a great example of what a professional LinkedIn photo should look like. We also recommend using a plain background, which is easy on the eyes and helps draw attention to your face.
Focus On the Headline
The purpose of your headline is to captivate your audience and entice them to click. By default, LinkedIn will set your headline to include your current job title and company name. For example, “Financial Advisor at ABC Company.” Don’t let it stay that way. Instead, write a unique headline that will instantly grab attention.
Highlight your skills and expertise, and talk directly to your audience, using phrases such as “Content Marketing Specialist” or “Motivational Writer & Speaker.” You can also use this opportunity to make your profile more searchable. Include keywords for your industry, like Marketer, Trainer, Web Developer, etc. to show up in search results.
If you are not quite sure how to stand out among the crowd, there are LinkedIn agencies like Social Selling Coach that can help you from A to Z with this process. If the job hunt is a stressful matter, then handing this offer to professionals might be a great idea.
Write a Great Summary
Your summary should offer quick highlights to your audience about who you are, what you do, and why they should care. First of all, remember to brag correctly. Don’t make it only about yourself, but rather focus on how your skills, experience, and expertise can help your audience achieve their goals. Also, remember to write your summary in bullet points. This helps break up the text and makes it easier to read. You can also upload a video to capture attention and introduce yourself better.
Be Relevant
Choosing what you share with people can put you in the driving seat. Tailor your LinkedIn profile to relate to your audience as much as possible. Don’t go overboard and list every single job that you have done in your career. It may not be relevant to what you want to do in the future. Make sure your listed job history is aligned with your goals. Also, focus on sharing industry-related content, whether it’s news and updates or your own articles relevant to your field. It will help you attract readers and get noticed more.
Recommendations
Recommendations help people find out how well they’ve performed in a certain professional role. Since they are largely based on personal experiences and relationships with other people, recommendations are a great way to build social proof around your personal brand and boost your credibility.
Get Noticed in Your Professional Network
Follow the tips above to create a killer LinkedIn profile that will get you noticed by the right audience. Let’s get started!
