How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn is a social media website that you should take advantage of for your career or business!
LinkedIn is a professional networking social media platform that allows you to build your personal professional profile online and connect with colleagues and businesses.
LinkedIn has a number of benefits for job seekers:
Benefits for Job Seekers
Job Search Function
LinkedIn has a very strong job search function that allows you to search job opportunities in your area using your location and key words such as the job title, skills required or the industry. You can also set up job alerts so that LinkedIn notifies you when jobs are posted that meet your search criteria.
Through LinkedIn, you can conduct research on different companies and find some of the people that work there, allowing you to find out what the company is all about and the positions that they offer. You can learn a lot about what it takes to be successful at a company by looking at the strengths of their current employees.
Access to Industry News
LinkedIn allows you to tap into industry news and conversations. If you are interested in a particular industry, you can stay up to date on the latest news by following companies and by looking at the LinkedIn News page.
Platform for an Active Resume
LinkedIn provides an excellent platform for users to compile an extensive work history and details about your education. For those of you who find it difficult to keep your resume up to date, LinkedIn offers an easy way to make updates on the go and through the mobile app. In your profile, you are even able to include links to outside sources to things like your online portfolio, your website or even relevant articles.
Networking Tool
LinkedIn is a very powerful networking tool! It is a great way to learn more about your colleagues and identify leaders in a variety of industries. You can connect with others through thought-provoking conversations on posts or through direct messaging. You can easily stay up to date on milestones in the lives of your connections, such as promotions or work anniversaries.
When looking to strengthen your LinkedIn profile, there are 6 key elements to address:
6 Key LinkedIn Elements for Optimization
Images
Your LinkedIn profile photo should be a professional photo. Using selfies like you would see in Instagram simply look unprofessional and out of place. If you don’t have the ability to take a professional headshot, then take a photo with a neutral background that is not too distracting. Make sure that you take the photo in a well lit area and watch out for shadows on your face!
Many people forget about the background banner photo. The banner photo is an extra opportunity for you to showcase your personal brand, or tell the viewer a little more about who you are. When selecting this photo make sure that this photo is aesthetically pleasing and not too distracting, because the main focus should be on your profile photo and headline.
Headline
Your headline is the very first thing that people read when viewing your profile, so make it count! Instead of using your headline to simply list your job title, keep it interesting and demonstrate the value that you offer.
For example, instead of setting your headline to your job title as “Business Development Manager”, you could try to incorporate what you are skilled at and passionate about such as “Growth Aficionado, Business Strategist”.
Connections
LinkedIn is not about having the most connections, it is about building a network of meaningful connections. Connect with people you have worked with, people you want to work with, people who share relevant or valuable content, or leaders in the industry you are interested in. When you are making new connections, it is recommended that you add a personal note, introducing yourself, identifying the reason you want to connect and opening the door for conversation.
Endorsements and Recommendations
Endorsements from your connections are a credible way to identify your best skills. Take the time to strengthen your network by endorsing your connections for their best skills and politely asking them to do the same for you. You can also manage which endorsements appear on your profile, so that you can showcase the skills that are most relevant to your career and capture the eye of potential employers.
Recommendations are personal testimonials that provide details on your work ethic, attitude and skill. Recommendations are a very strong element to have on your profile and they should be earned. If you decide to ask for recommendations, it is best to ask for recommendations from those for whom you have created significant value.
Sharing & Conversation
LinkedIn is a very powerful networking tool, so take advantage of it by joining the online conversation! There are many ways to participate online including, sharing content that is relevant and interesting and providing feedback to your connections. The more active you are online, the more memorable you will be in the minds of your connections. This is important because, if they happen to come across an opportunity that is suited to your skills, they will be more likely to think of you and reach out!
Following
Follow relevant companies and individuals that operate in the industry that you are interested in. By following different companies and individuals, you will see all their updates in your timeline, stay informed about their activities and also potential job opportunities.
As you can see, LinkedIn is a great career tool, whether you are seeking new employment, looking to change your industry, or expand your professional network. Like anything in life, take the time to improve your profile and online networking skills, because the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.
