Almost every professional has a LinkedIn profile, but having a presence on LinkedIn is not enough to land you your dream job. Your LinkedIn profile should be up to date and optimized to attract the attention of recruiters or potential clients. A stand-out profile can build meaningful connections for you and put your name in the limelight among thousands of professionals in your industry.
Here are 7 ways you can make your LinkedIn profile stand out:
Upload A Headshot
You only get one chance to make a first impression. It is quite challenging to make a good impression with a faceless profile. Recruiters and potential clients want to put a face to the person they are about to hire and entrust with their business. Upload a good profile picture to add a face to your name.
Catchy Headline
Your headline is the first text visitors will read when they view your profile. While LinkedIn’s default headline includes your current position, you can edit and customize it to your advantage. With the 120 characters provided for the headline, you can mention your specialty and how businesses and clients can benefit from your services.
Spend Some Time On The Summary
The summary is a good place to continue where you left off in the headline. LinkedIn provides you with 2000 characters to give the reader your career story. Make it captivating enough to make the reader want to know more about you. However, while your summary should be catchy and paint a vivid picture of what you can offer, it should be short to avoid putting off some potential clients. It is advisable to keep it between 1000 – 1250 characters.
Experience Is Key
Include previous jobs or projects that match your career goals. Three to five precise and engaging bullet points for each job or project do a great job in highlighting your experience and expertise. Additionally, use action words and figures to show your accomplishments.
Make Connections
More connections translate to increased visibility. The more connections you have, the easier it is for recruiters and hiring managers to find you. Reach out and connect with other LinkedIn users, including people you have worked with, friends, professional contacts, and those in your city and industry. It is important to note that once you have over 500 connections, LinkedIn shows you have 500+ connections, implying you are not a newbie.
Seek Skill Endorsements And Recommendations
You seem more credible when other people, besides yourself, sing your praises. Recruiters and potential clients are interested in what others think about your work. When asking for recommendations and endorsements, consider your former clients or employers, colleagues, customers, vendors, and others that can speak to your work and professionalism.
Incorporate Visuals
LinkedIn allows you to upload a background banner photo that helps strengthen your profile. You can also add YouTube videos, PowerPoints, and infographics. Use these tools creatively to create an attention-capturing LinkedIn profile.
Thousands of people land their dream job on LinkedIn. You can use the tips we have provided above to make your LinkedIn profile stand out among millions of candidates.
