17 September 2017

8 Things you need to do if you want a Powerful LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is starting to be a highly preferred online environment for employers when they start scouting for new talents. If you want to increase your chances of being hired by the company of your dreams, you need to stand out in the crowd by using a powerful LinkedIn profile. A well-made profile is also essential if you are trying to run your own business and get the exposure you need. So if you want to prove that you are a real professional, you need to opt for LinkedIn, finding below 8 things you have to do for an outstanding profile.

Be very careful what picture you use

The photo you will use for your LinkedIn profile should inspire professionalism and a pleasant character. So forget about selfies, your beloved pet, or other images that don’t present your own person. The best picture you can use is the photo of your face while looking straight forward, just like when you’re taking photos for an official document, although you can slip in a slight smile.

The headline is crucial

The headline is the first thing people find out about you, so make sure you use all 120 characters available to compose a headline that is sufficiently descriptive. Also, do not forget about including relevant keywords in the headline, for a better marketing and visibility.

Invest time and effort into creating a good summary

In the summary of your profile, you have to allow people to truly understand what you can do and how you can help them out, making this section read like a bio or similar to the summary of your CV. It should start with a few captivating start sentences, to grab the attention of the reader, and definitely end with a call-to-action, encouraging people to contact you.

Do not forget to add your experience

Displaying your experience is more than important when it comes to your LinkedIn profile. You need to use everything you can to show people that you are a reliable professional. So, write down where you worked, for how long, what positions you occupied, and what were your responsibilities, letting them see your skills, experience, and expertise.

The content on your profile should be optimized

SEO and keywords must be integrated into the content of your profile so that the right people will find your profile when looking for skills and expertise you may have. How to find the right keywords? If you are interested in some employers, just visit their career page and see what keyword they are using.

Display your recommendations

Recommendations will provide credibility, so do not hesitate to ask for recommendations each time you have the chance. It would be great to have recommendations that cover all your skills, so do work on this part. Also, never forget to thank the person that wrote the recommendation and offer to do the same for them if they want.

Be part of relevant groups

You have to be part of as many groups as possible on LinkedIn, especially those that are relevant for the industry in which you activate. With the help of these groups, you will meet new people and build your network. And luckily, LinkedIn has an impressive number of groups and associations to choose from.

Do your best to complete your profile

If you have a complete profile it will show up 40% more often in search results than in the case of having an incomplete profile. How to achieve a 100% complete profile on LinkedIn? Make sure your profile contains your location, industry, your current position and a description of it, two of the positions you occupied in the past, education, at least 3 skills, a minimum number of 50 connections, and a good profile picture.