You may feel the need to hit the easy button when it comes to LinkedIn. Until the day when your circumstance tells you differently. For many of us, losing a job is usually when we wish we would have kept not only our resume updated but knew about these LinkedIn profile tips as well.
Today I am going to share with you my list of the 11 best LinkedIn profile tips. If you are a professional business person, I encourage you to take some time and update your profile with these LinkedIn profile tips. Choosing not to is a disservice to your career and could potentially hurt your career growth.
If a recruiter finds you, it is very important for them to know what skills you have, where you’ve worked, and what people think of you. Don’t get lazy and update only half of your profile. That will show through and get noticed as someone who does not have attention to detail. Both are not ideal qualities of a potential candidate.
1 – Choose a Great Photo
Linkedin profile tip number 1. Consider this your virtual resume. Choose a photo that feels friendly yet appropriate. One that shows just you, not your family member or friends. Take a peek at your network and see how they are showing up. Note those for your choice as well. Make sure the photo feels approachable in tone. A photo can go a long way in conveying energy, charisma, and passion. All the soft skills that are tough to write about.
2 – Make your Headline Splash
You don’t have to make your headline your job title. In fact, if you are job-seeking, leverage this area! Your headline is yours for the taking. This prime real estate space is where you can promote your personal brand statement. Do you have a specialty or a unique value proposition? Tell me why I should stop and take a look at your profile in this section.
3 – Get Creative with the Background Photo
This is the space behind your photo and above your profile. This is of this prime real estate space as your personal billboard. Head over to Canva and create a free image that speaks to your Who. Have a quote you like or an image that resonates with your field of interest? Add that in here to give your profile a bit of a facelift.
4 – Give Yourself a Custom URL
LinkedIn will default your profile with a very long, unappealing, URL of a combination of numbers. You can give yourself an easier one to remember by customizing it in your profile settings. Now when you add your LinkedIn address to your resume, it will look clean, crisp, and polished.
5 – Don’t Skip the About Section
Many don’t know where to go with this section, so they skip it. It feels like too much work! But this section is what most employers and connections read first. Ideally, this should be around 3-5 short paragraphs in length. Give the reader an easy-to-read section unfolding your work accomplishments, passions, key skills, unique qualifications, and a list of the various industries you’ve had exposure to over the years. Be sure to use numbers here where possible to show authority and organize your content with bullets for clear reading.
6 – Write in First Person and Let Your Personality Shine
Unlike your resume, your LinkedIn profile should be written in first person. “I help professional women reinvent their careers by stepping into work they love.” Use I statements, and don’t be scared to inject a little personality. Let people know who you are. Share your values, passions, and interests. You could even add a line about what you do outside of work in the About section.
7 – Add Links and Multimedia
You can add these items not only in the Featured section but also in the Experience section. Put yourself in the seat of a recruiter here and ask yourself how many times you have skimmed over photos or links and clicked. Likely quite a few! The saying “a picture is worth 1,000 words” is very relevant here! Showcase your work by sharing examples of presentations, videos, website links, or photos where available.
8 – Experience
When it comes to the experience section, keep it short and yet to the point and effective. Show your growth in a company if you have been promoted by outlining all positions. Be sure to share the results of your work and if you have a quantitative bit to add in, do so! Shine the light on the specific skill sets you know. Include project examples or articles you have written to help showcase your experiences and stand out from the crowd.
9 – Education, Licenses & Certifications, and Volunteer Experience
Be sure to complete as much here as you can. Employers, and prospective customers, want to learn more about your qualifications. If you are volunteering for your child’s PTO, add that in. If you are assisting with a conference, share away. All these pieces help paint the bigger picture of who you are and what value you bring.
10 – Skills & Endorsements
Many recruiters search for candidates by their skill sets. Identify your top three and ensure they are showing on your profile by pinning them. You can adjust these in the edit function of this section. Ask for endorsements on those skills. Show that not only do you feel you have these skills; others agree and acknowledge your value-add here.
11 – Adjust Your Privacy Settings
So many LinkedIn profile tips for you here, and this is likely one of the most important areas to know of its location. Are you looking for a new job, and you don’t want your current employer to see you are connecting with a career coach or recruiter? Doing an overhaul of your profile and want to keep it on the down-low? You can tailor your settings so that your boss doesn’t see your actions. The privacy settings are located just under your name in the upper right-hand corner.
It is easy to tell yourself it’s okay to ignore your LinkedIn profile and brush it off as something everyone else needs to have updated. But if you are a professional, you are doing yourself a disservice by not taking advantage of the platform and having your profile spick and span. You never know when you might be needing to find that next opportunity. So, make a checklist for yourself and knock out these LinkedIn profile tips ASAP!
Want help overhauling your profile? Not sure how to position yourself for that successful job search? That and many more areas are all part of my Design Your Dream Life program. Reach out and schedule a call. I would love to connect and learn more about you and where you are heading or hope to be heading in the near future.