4 Great Tips for Making the Most of Your LinkedIn Profile
ningcontentSo now you’re on LinkedIn and you’re wondering what to do next. Or maybe you’ve been on LinkedIn for a while and you’re wondering, “Why isn’t this working?” Here are four great ideas to amp up your LinkedIn experience and make the most of your profile:
ADD A PICTURE
Networking is personal; you are making a personal connection with another human being. Part of that is being able to “see” who you are connecting with. With so many spammers, fake profiles, etc. on LinkedIn, why not show them who you are and make that personal networking connection.
GRAB YOUR OWN URL
Instead of having the standard URL that LinkedIn automatically assigns you, customize your URL to you! My URL is http://www.linkedin/com/in/jessicaholbrook. If someone searches for my name they find me–right at the top. Make sure you’re making the most of your profile and that you’re easy to locate.
BRAND YOUR HEADLINE
Give yourself a professional headline. It’s there for a reason, and you should utilize it. It maximizes search results and is one more way to make it easier for people to locate you. If you’re an IT director be sure that it’s in your headline. Create a personal branding statement that paints a very clear picture for others about what you do and who you are.
BRAND YOUR PROFILE
Create a keyword-rich summary that showcases your accomplishments, expertise, and value. Don’t just tell them what you can do–“show” them what you can do by highlighting past achievements. Employers want to know how you can fill their need and bring value to their organization; give them the information they need in the career summary. You can always expand on your responsibilities under each career you’ve listed, but front load the career summary with the important and persuasive information that will keep them reading.
Implement these four points to start making the most of your LinkedIn profile and networking.
Jessica Holbrook is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter.
Courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities, and posted on I-CareerSearch.
