There is no denying the importance of a good LinkedIn profile. Whether you are a job seeker or an employer, being on LinkedIn can benefit you in a myriad of ways. LinkedIn is a great place to create your personal brand and attract more opportunities.
Your LinkedIn profile is like an elaborated version of your resume. It’s the first thing anyone comes across when you apply for a job. So make sure it’s impressive enough to help you land your dream job!
In this article, we will share with you all that you need to do to create a great, well-optimized profile on LinkedIn.
Why Does Having A Good Profile on LinkedIn Matter?
Having an impressive LinkedIn profile opens up a whole new world of possibilities for you. If you don’t have one, you are missing out big time! The advantages of setting up your profile on LinkedIn are as follows:
Create A Personal Brand
Let’s be honest, potential employers are going to look you up online. When they do, you have to provide them with a concrete reason to work with you or hire you. Personal branding on LinkedIn can amplify your skills and experiences.
Don’t just list what you have done, show it. Share how it helped a client solve a particular problem or grow exponentially. Share industry-relevant insights and future perspectives. Build your credibility and reputation in a certain field over time. Moreover, having your own website is a great plus to add to your personal brand.
Showcase Your Talent
Recruiters are going to hire you because of your skills. But you have to show them that you have got talent and you are the right fit for the position they are hiring for. Adding the right skills and relevant experiences to your LinkedIn profile has its own value, but it’s essential to supplement them with results in order to stand out.
Social media consulter advises individuals to consider their profiles as a digital portfolio where they can share all that they have done and showcase their talent to the world.
Expand Your Network
LinkedIn is a great place to connect with professionals and like-minded individuals. Whether you are a professional or a job-seeker, expanding your network is going to help you anyway. The ‘Connect’ feature on LinkedIn can be used to network with people within your industry and enhance your exposure.
Furthermore, staying active on your profile and actively engaging with people in your network through likes, comments, and shares can make a difference in your visibility across the platform.
Unlock New Opportunities
By expanding your network and interacting with professional recruiters and thought leaders in your industry, you can unlock a plethora of new opportunities that help you grow. You can come across new clients as well as potential talent to become a part of your company.
Moreover, the whole atmosphere of LinkedIn is very growth-centric where people share their learnings and experiences to support each other in their professional journeys.
How to Create a Strong LinkedIn Profile
We have explored why having a strong LinkedIn profile matters and how it can help you grow. Now let’s dig into how to actually create one.
- Upload A Professional Photo
LinkedIn is a professional social platform, unlike others. You can’t just use a picture of you smelling flowers as your display picture here. Upload a professional profile picture which could be a headshot with a solid background. The background picture could be an image listing your major skills and services.
- Write A Compelling Headline and Profile Summary
Your headline is used to describe your current position and job title. Make it compelling by adding something more to it. You could use a results-driven approach to showcase how your skills are impacting businesses in a one-liner.
Your profile summary doesn’t have to be boring as well. It should include your motivations and aspirations in a paragraph or two. If you don’t want to write long paragraphs, you could even use bullet points to summarize your expertise.
- List Your Services
There is a feature on LinkedIn called Services. It lets you list down the services you provide to make it easier for prospective clients to find the right people. Make a list of all the services you can provide and share it on your LinkedIn profile. It will be displayed at the top.
- Compile Your Experiences and Skills
LinkedIn is like an enhanced version of your resume. Add your education, skills, and experiences and describe them in detail. What you did there, what you learned, and how it helped you grow. You can also take a Skills Assessment on LinkedIn to emphasize your expertise.
Utilize the Projects section to share something tangible that you have worked on. Add any voluntary experiences as well. Don’t miss out on listing anything that you have done in your professional journey so far.
- Request Recommendations
Recommendations are like a positive review on your profile. Request recommendations from your clients and colleagues to add to your profile. It’s a great way to convince new recruiters of your talent and expertise.
- Connect With People
LinkedIn is a platform that thrives on networking. The algorithm also works to enhance your visibility if you are actively engaging with other people’s content. Connect with people from various walks of life to grow your network.
- Turn on Creator Mode
Turn on Creator Mode on LinkedIn to unlock a variety of features and tools available exclusively to creators on LinkedIn. Use them to polish your content and let more people follow along to grow your influence.
- Share Industry-Relevant Insights
Sharing industry-relevant issues and insights is a great way to build your authority and credibility within your professional field. Initiate healthy discussions that revolve around brainstorming solutions for ongoing problems and industry gaps. This will also boost user engagement on your profile.
- Publish Longer Content
It’s true that the world is moving towards shorter, bite-sized content, especially on other social networks. Publishing longer content on LinkedIn not only helps you stand apart from the crowd, it also adds to your credibility. Make sure you include carousel posts and articles on your profile.
