A LinkedIn profile is often used now as a professional resume and a way for employers to seek out potential candidates. Therefore, it is important to ensure that features and information on Linkedin is accurate and professional looking for today’s digital world standards.
Here are a few tips to help improve your LinkedIn profile and start getting noticed:
Name and Headline
First and foremost, ensure your name is spelled properly as this is how other people will be able to find and identify you on LinkedIn. You may also want to include any professional titles, accomplishments, or designations you have. (Examples below:)
As for the headline, this appears immediately below your name on your LinkedIn page and any search results associated to your Linkedin page. This line should entail your current position or job title and the company you work for.
Not only will this let others know right away your current employment status, but they will also know what you’re doing, what company you’re working for and potential employers will know whether you may be a match for the type of positions that they’re searching for on a basic first glance. (Example below:)
Profile Photo and Background Banner
Your profile photo is the first impression that you give other people, and you want to be shown in a professional manner. The best photo to include should be a photo of yourself either from the chest up or a headshot, and make sure you are centered. The clothes can give insight into what clothes you wear on a daily working basis. The most common clothes to be wore in this photo are business professional clothing.
The background banner is another way to make your profile page personalized and unique. Sometimes companies have a standard banner including their logo for all their staff to use to maintain their corporate branding. (Example below:)
And if you are looking just graduating from school, you may include the logo of the school that you attended; or if you’re in between jobs, you can use your creativity to come up with a banner that will showcase who you are.
Sometimes a missing profile photo or the generic Linkedin banner may give the impression that your account is not very active or up to date, and that you may not be using it regularly in a professional manner.
And to really show potential employers that you’re an active job seeker, you may even utilize the Linkedin feature , “Open to Work” which will place a banner around your profile photo letting employers that you are current seeking employment.
Summary
A summary can be used in several different ways, depending on your current role/position and employment status. You can hold critical information that pertains to your industry and experience for others to see.
Common and important uses for this section is to include a brief about your working experience including # of years, industry experience, and particular skills and expertise. (Example below:)
For positions that need to include more technical information, you may consider highlight all relevant technical skills, software, and related tools experience that would best describe your technical abilities.. By highlighting specific software and skills, it gives (Example below:)
Previous Experience
As mentioned at the beginning, a LinkedIn profile is often looked in replacement of a professional resume because it’s readily available online. It is very important that all work experience is included and for all the information to be correct.
The first employment record should be your current or most recent job title and employer and then the rest listed in reverse chronological order. When entering the dates of your employment, be sure to include the months and double check for accuracy of the information.
Most companies would have their own Linkedin company page, so make sure when entering the company name, you select the appropriate company profile to link your account to theirs. The benefits of doing this is that their company logo will automatically show up next to that employment record and people will be able to visit the company Linkedin page when clicking on the company name. (Example below:)
If your company does not have a LinkedIn page, including a link in your experience description will help employers location your company’s website easier and without a search.
Lastly, add a couple of key points regarding each role to showcase your responsibilities and any achievements that you may have in each position. A detailed explanation of your work experience will make it easier for potential employers to know more about you simply by reading your profile and consider you for matching opportunities all before ever speaking to you once. For current position experience, the tone should be in the present tense and for experience should be written in past tense. (Example below:)
Present Tense:
The hardest thing for Recruiters or Employers to do is guess what a potential candidate is working on by just going off a job title alone. Providing more detailed information will help them learn more about your skills, knowledge, and experience to match you for new opportunities accordingly.
Contact us today to speak with one of our Recruitment Specialists and let us help you find new opportunities for the next step in your career!