Today, it is common for employers to look at job candidates’ digital footprint on top of screening their hardcopy CVs.
Your LinkedIn profile is part of your professional brand, and it’s worthwhile investing time every now and then to ensure that you make the most out of your LinkedIn account.
Whether you’re a final year student, fresh graduate or professional with years of experience under your belt, LinkedIn is a great way to showcase your skills, connect with like-minded professionals and explore job possibilities.
Here are 7 tips to make your LinkedIn profile stand out to attract potential employers or business partners to your doorstep!
Use a high-resolution photo of yourself for your LinkedIn profile. If you have the budget for a professional photo shoot at a studio, that’s great. But if you don’t, fret not, a mobile phone camera will be good enough if you follow these guidelines:
Keep it clear. Due to the space limitations for LinkedIn profile photos, the photos appear as small thumbnails. Ensure your photo shows your head, neck, and possibly the top of your shoulders. If you include your entire body, your head will appear too small, hence head shots are most appropriate. Remember to use a photo with a good resolution.
Keep it professional. Since LinkedIn is a professional platform, make sure your photo depicts you in a manner appropriate for your field. This usually means a collared shirt for men, or a nice blouse or dress for women. If in doubt, a suit always works for either gender. Choose solid colours and avoid busy prints and patterns. Whatever colour you choose, ensure that it contrasts well with the background – aim to stand out, not camouflage yourself.
Avoid wearing a strapless dress, top, or anything too revealing that will make you seem naked. Also avoid too much makeup or jewellery.
Keep it Simple. Your photo should be of you, and only you. Do not include objects, pets, or children. Avoid busy backgrounds. It’s best to stand against a solid-coloured, light background.
Keep it current. Do not include a dated photo no matter how young and attractive you look. Use a current picture, so people aren’t surprised when they meet you in person.
Keep it consistent. When developing your professional brand, consistency is key. Therefore, use the same photo for all your professional and social networking profile pictures. This will make you more easily recognizable.
Complete all parts of your profile. Be clear and comprehensive. A detailed profile is stronger because it gives a thorough view of who you are.
It is essential to update your profile frequently because you never know who views your profile. These days recruiters commonly use LinkedIn for their candidate search activities, by keeping your profile updated, you’ll attract the right opportunities without having to hunt for them!
Use targeted and relevant keywords as they increase your profile’s visibility.
LinkedIn works like a search engine for recruiters – when recruiters are looking for potential candidates for a position, they filter millions of candidates using LinkedIn filters. There are filters for geographical regions, companies, seniority level specific keywords etc.
By weaving in good keywords into your profile (and also keeping it updated, See Tip #2), you increase your chances of being found.
Not sure what keywords are good for your field? Browsing through job postings is a great way to discover good keywords specific to your industry/function/field.
To boost visitor traffic to your LinkedIn profile, insert these keywords into your Job Titles, Headlines, Skills and Summary section.
Making your LinkedIn profile public makes you more searchable.
To make your profile public, do this:
1. Login to LinkedIn.
2. Click on “Me” in the top right hand corner to see the drop-down menu.
3. Click on “Settings & Privacy” in the drop-down menu.
4. Go to “Edit your public profile”.
5. You will see a series of sections, including your Headline, Articles & Activity, Experience etc. You can adjust the settings for each section accordingly and see a preview right away.
Instead of a string of randomised numbers and letters, create your own customised LinkedIn profile URL which you can readily share on your CV or to your professional connections.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Login to LinkedIn.
2. Click on “Me” in the top right hand corner to see the drop-down menu.
3. Click on “Settings & Privacy” in the drop-down menu.
4. Go to “Edit your public profile”.
5. You will see the section called “Edit your custom URL”. Click the edit button to customise your LinkedIn URL.
LinkedIn is an excellent place to gain exposure to world views and insights, in addition to being a job search platform for its users.
You can join group debates or read interesting content shared by your connections. The LinkedIn platform is a fantastic tool for those seeking to gain industry and company perspectives, learn the recent industry updates and trends, or even follow developments at individual businesses.
You can build your professional brand by being an active member, sharing content and posting your thoughts on topics related to your profession. Doing these will help you gain recruiters’ attention.
You can easily share your professional portfolio on LinkedIn. This is where your LinkedIn profile surpasses the traditional CV which allows only textual content.
From presentations to videos, you can upload your best works and your potential employers can access them via your LinkedIn profile. Instead of saying what you can do for prospective employers, let your work speak for itself.
