Your LinkedIn profile is not just a reflection of your work history; it is a source of information that may not be found on your resume. Many people make the mistake of duplicating their resumes on their profile. While your resume will be the foundation used to craft your LinkedIn profile, there is so much more you can do with LinkedIn that you cannot do with a traditional resume.
An exceptional LinkedIn profile can make the difference between someone looking at your profile and someone contacting you for more information or perhaps an interview. So, how do you optimize your profile to make it exceptional?
- Determine the type of position that you want to get. Make sure that you understand what keywords are associated with that position. Keywords in the profile will trigger search engines and increase your chances of viewership by hiring authorities/recruiters.
- People will see your name, picture and headline first. Make sure that you are not using a nickname, your photo is professional and the headline is job specific. It’s not a good idea to be general in the headline. Stating that you are Senior Vice President of ABC Company is not as specific as saying that you are a sales and operations senior executive. This specific information tells the reader what your areas of expertise are immediately. You can narrow it down even more by adding an industry.
- Don’t hesitate to add publications, videos or images to your profile. Having these types of media added to your profile helps to solidify you as an “expert.”
- Add recommendations and endorsements to your profile. This can be character related or job related or a mixture of both. There is no need to go overboard with these, however, five to ten recommendations is a good goal. The best way to get recommendations is to give recommendations to others because people tend to reciprocate.
- Update your profile on a regular basis. Add in new accomplishments, industry appropriate news, items relevant to the type of work and viewership that you are considering. Adding updates and items increases your visibility and engagement opportunities.
Remember to consider who you want to view your profile and the type of career you want to target. Inserting keywords and skills appropriate for the positions that are viable to you will enhance your chances of increased viewership. These simple steps will allow you to love your LinkedIn profile.
