Peek-A-Boo, I See You! LinkedIn Profile Tips & Tricks
Put yourself in the lime light. LinkedIn is legit. It’s like sharing your resume with 875 million viewers. You need to stand out, get noticed and land that new role. Be the leader of the pack by using these tips and tricks to make your profile pop!
1. Build your brand. Your smile is where it starts. Make sure your profile picture is the first impression you want your future boss to see. Don’t forget the background photo too. Share something that stands out, shows a personal passion, it tells the viewer a bit more about you.
2. Create a billboard. Not a title, your head line. This is your chance to shout from the rooftop what you do. Use this space to spark interest, tell people about your role or even what makes you tick. Skip the “HR Manager @ XYZ Company” and be bold! Go with “Base hits score runs. Win the Hiring game when we knock it out of the park with the Talent we drive in!”
3. Tell your story. The summary is your chance to bring who you are to life. Don’t be boring. Be accurate. Don’t lie. Write, re-write and do it again. This is where creating personal content gets to be all about YOU! This isn’t your resume, no need for fancy words. Demonstrate your skills and history with words the same way you would in a dinner conversation.
4. Stay relevant. Skills can help solidify your story, but more may not be better in this case. Find and add skills that help endorse how fabulous you are, what experience you have and key nuggets about your expertise.
5. It’s all about networking. Your profile is perfect, now what? First off, privacy matters, but if you want to be found make sure you are “open to public”. Now it’s time to share, connect and grow the who’s who of your industry. The best way to get started is by simply synching with your email. Connect with those you already know and let LinkedIn do the work. The more people you connect with, and pages you follow, the more suggestions LinkedIn will recommend!
6. Share the love. Endorsements and recommendations are little love letters to accredit your skills and validate your story. This is two-way street, a little give and take. Don’t be afraid to endorse your contacts and give a genuine recommendation to your past boss or an old co-worker. Reach out to those same people and anyone else you have deep respect for and request the same. Ask and you shall receive.
7. Prove it. It’s easy to click the skills button and add to your profile. Make it matter by earning a verified skills badge for the skills you have listed. This shiny star will get noticed by recruiters and help put you in the spotlight. The proof is in the pudding.
8. What’s your handle? You’re the boss. When you created your profile, a random URL was designated. Take the bull by the horns and get fancy. Now is the time to make a memorable, relevant, concise link that people will take note of.
9. Steady Eddie. Take an active role on LinkedIn. Having connections may feel good, but it’s not adding any value to building relationships. Get out there! Share relevant posts, case studies, white papers or job posts. Comment on pages you follow or congratulate a connection on their new job. Follow the heavy hitters in your industry. Sharing your excitement through these activities will get you noticed.
Whew! You made it through.You read it, now do it. Take these tips, make the changes, do the work and finally, Ring the Bell!
Photo credit: Ben Sweet