Linkedin Profile Tips

Linkedin Profile Tips

06 February 2019 by Justin Rush

LinkedIn_Profile_Tips

Linkedin Profile Tips:

When you are happy in your current job and aren’t actively looking for a new one, it is very easy to ignore your LinkedIn Profile. You will still do the basics such as adding new contacts to your network and accepting new connection requests, but nothing much more than that. Everything else seems to be left behind with the excuse “I’ll do it later.”

Having your LinkedIn Profile up-to-date can only be seen as a benefit. Especially as you never know who may be looking at it (unless their settings are not set to private).

If you are actively seeking a new job you want your profile to get noticed by recruiters and hiring managers. You want to stand out from the crowd.

Below we have created a list of useful tips to help you improve your LinkedIn profile.

  1. Put in the time to make your profile shine.

Basically, the more complete your profile is the more likely it is for a recruiter or hiring manager to find it. Therefore, having a complete profile is important to make sure you can be found. You want your profile to be noticed by recruiters and you want them to click on your profile. When searching your profile, the recruiter is looking for your skills, your work history, any recommendations that you have and your professional qualifications. Meaning, that every section should be filled out. Don’t worry though, LinkedIn will let you know how complete your profile is.

  1. Create a custom URL.

Not only would it make your profile easier to find but it also looks a lot tidier when you are publicising your profile. Ideally, you would want the URL to read ‘linkedin.com/yourname’. This is really easy to do. All you need to do is click on the edit button on your profile and scroll to the section which says, ‘Public Profile URL’. Click this link and change your address to your name rather than the number combination that LinkedIn pre-generates for you.

  1. Choose your photo wisely.

Ideally, you would want to showcase a professional headshot rather than a selfie or a picture with a group of people. Remember, LinkedIn is a professional social media site that acts differently to others such as Facebook. A photo can attract recruiters to your profile or push them away.

  1. Sell yourself in your headline.

Usually, most people’s profile headlines would be their job title and what company they work for. This does not always have to be the case. If you are job searching, let recruiters know in this section. Showcase who you are and why they should choose your profile.

  1. Use job descriptions to your advantage.

When job searching, research the job applications of the positions that you are applying for. This will give you an idea of what keywords and skills recruiters are looking for. Doing this will allow you to hand pick the skills, words and phrases that recruiters are searching for which you can then pepper throughout your profile. This will help your profile appear in searches that recruiters are conducting when looking for candidates.

  1. Don’t waste your summary space.

You want to use this space to detail your professional qualifications, key skills, work passions and industries that you have worked in. You want this to be as easy to read as possible. Therefore, a structure is of vital importance. Ideally, you should write short paragraphs and use bullet points to ensure that it is easy to read and won’t be skimmed over by recruiters.

  1. Use numbers.

This is a given. Much like writing a CV, always include numbers to back up facts. This will help you establish creditability with recruiters and other professionals that are looking at your profile. For example, if you are a sales person who has hit 120% of your targets include that on your profile. Or, if you work in construction and completed a £40m deal, include it.

  1. Be welcoming.

You do this in your summary. Give professionals looking at your profile the chance to get to know you. This ties in with point 6. Your profile is the first impression that people will get off you if they haven’t already met you in person. So, make it as welcoming as possible and show off your personality.

  1. Avoid buzzwords.

It is best to avoid these as everyone’s profile will have them. If you want to stand out from the crowd be more creative in terms of wording and what words you use.

  1. Your profile is essentially your CV.

Treat it like one. Your profile gives you a chance to not only highlight your work history but also your achievements and accomplishments. Bulk out your experience section with examples of what you have done, how you did it and what impact it had.

  1. Use the first person and be personal.

It is good to use the first person on your LinkedIn profile. As it shows more personality when you use terms such as “I am” or “I have”. This is what your profile is for. It is essentially giving your CV a personality.

  1. Broadcast your achievements.

Make sure you have your achievements listed. Recruiters spend hours searching for the right candidate. Having your achievements on display could mean the difference of the recruiter contacting you or not contacting you.

  1. Always include your current role even if you are unemployed.

Recruiters are wary of career gaps, especially if you have no clear explanation as to why you have one. This is why it is important to make sure your profile is kept up to date. Even if you are currently unemployed as this could be down to a number of reasons. If you don’t feel comfortable including the title unemployed you could always use terms such as ‘Currently seeking new opportunities’ or if you are coming out of university or training course, you could use ‘Full-Time Student’ or ‘Developer in training’ for example.

  1. Add media to your summary section.

This is an ideal opportunity to showcase the work you have done. Like the saying goes “a picture is worth a thousand words”. In this section, you can add presentations, images or videos. This is very useful especially for roles which require you to present a portfolio of work.

  1. Add media to your work experience.

Much like point 14, you can add media to your work experience section. Add company Logo’s, websites and any projects you have worked on during your experience at the company. Having visuals can attract more attention than just written words.

  1. Request LinkedIn recommendations.

Having recommendations only strengthens your profile. Especially when the recommendation goes into the specifics or work you have done. This is essentially a review of you. For example, when buying a product, nine times out of ten you will read the reviews before you buy. Recommendations work in a similar fashion and could help attract a recruiter to your profile.

  1. Endorsements.

This is a quick and easy way for recruiters and hiring managers to assess your skills. On LinkedIn you will have the chance to update your profile with a list of skills that your connections can endorse. This shows that other people agree with you that you have that skill. While also showing a recruiter that other people have recognised that skill in you.

  1. Keep updating your status.

This is an ideal way for you to showcase your industry knowledge. You can do this by sharing articles and commenting on your opinions on them. Or updating your status with your own knowledge of your industry to get a conversation started. *** Don’t let your profile lie dormant as this will make recruiters overlook you in their searches ***

  1. Create your own articles.

A great feature of LinkedIn is that you can publish your own articles. Much like status updates, this allows you to share your views and opinions on the happenings in your industry. It is a great tool to help you get noticed.

  1. Join groups.

Joining groups on LinkedIn is not only great for your personal development or growing your connections but also can help you with your job search. Joining groups related to your industry will show that you are engaged with your peers and your industry. This will also connect you with others in your industry. This gives great scope for online networking.

  1. Grow your connections.

Having a small number of connections can be a red flag to a recruiter. This could be because they may think that you have left your profile dormant, you are afraid to make connections or you just don’t know that many people. Ideally, you should aim for a minimum of 100 connections.

  1. Avoid adding people you don’t know.

LinkedIn has created an algorithm in which if too many people reject your connection request, your profile will be shut down. So, we would advise against doing this.

  1. In a job and currently searching for a new one? Update your privacy settings.

LinkedIn is known to not be that discreet of a platform. It is quite easy to tell when someone is job searching. This could be down to a profile revamp, an increasing number of connections with recruiters or a large increase in connections. This is why updating your privacy settings could be beneficial as you can tailor the setting so that your employer can’t see that you are looking for new opportunities.

  1. Can your profile be found?

Don’t forget to update your contact details with your email address, social media profiles (the ones that you want to be found on though, such as Twitter or other professional social media sites.) and current contact number. You don’t want to make it difficult for a recruiter to contact you if you are currently on the job market.

If you are currently on the market for a new job contact the Abacus Careers Team for a confidential chat on 028 9031 3157 | [email protected]


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