From students looking for a part-time gig to start-up founders looking for new blood, LinkedIn is a great place to get lots of opportunities and network.
This business-oriented networking website can aid you greatly if you’re building your own personal brand. But with so many other people using this platform, it can get quite hard for you to get noticed. So to help you out, below is a list of tips to make yourself look good on LinkedIn. Also included are a few mistakes to avoid while you’re updating your profile.
Upload the Right Profile Picture
Your profile picture basically serves as your superhero landing on LinkedIn. And to make a great first impression, you need to stick it on the first try. So better upload your best mug shot on your profile. There are several ways for you to pick the right photo for your LinkedIn account. All of them have several things in common: they’re all recently taken, your face takes up around 60% of the space, and they wear their best attires and smiles. Make sure yours follows this pattern, too.
Turn Your Job Title Into a Headline
Most people simply put their job title beneath their name when making a LinkedIn profile. While there aren’t any rules banning you from doing the same, you should still not settle for a simple job title for your profile. Instead, turn yours into an eye-catching headline. Tell viewers more about what you do, as well as the roles you want to pursue. By sprucing up your job title, you’ll make an even better positive impression.
Tell Your Story in the About Section
People love a good story, so better write yours on the About section to make your LinkedIn profile stand out. By doing so, you’ll bring life to your LinkedIn profile, and it will make your skills matter more to the people you’ll potentially work with. The best part is, most LinkedIn users neglect this field in their haste to list their skills. Invest time and effort to write this part, try using different drafts, and read them to people you know. That way, you can find the best one for your profile.
List All Your Relevant Skills
Additionally, you should list all your relevant skills on your LinkedIn profile. Doing so helps add substance to your headline and story. It also helps other Linkedin users to endorse you to others. Now the keyword to successfully pulling this off is relevant. Even if you have a long list of skills, it won’t help if none of them are related to the job you’re looking for. In fact, it can make your profile look unwieldy. So best list only the skills you’re going to use in the job you’re applying for.
Grow Your Network
Another easy way to improve your LinkedIn profile is by connecting with the right people. So sync up your profile with your email address. That way, you can easily add any of your contacts who’s on LinkedIn, as well as enable the platform to suggest new people to connect with. Now while doing this, remember not to span people with messages and requests. Otherwise, you might end up getting blocked.
Take Those Skills Assessment
It’s not enough to just list your abilities on LinkedIn; you also need to demonstrate that you actually have them. To do this, you need to take the skills assessments provided in the platform, then display the Verified Skills badges on your profile. According to John Jersin, you’re 30% more likely to be hired on LinkedIn if you have verified skills. It goes to show how displaying proof of your skills can strengthen your personal brand.
Request Endorsements and Recommendations
Through endorsements, people checking out your LinkedIn profile can get a glimpse of the value you can add as an employee or employer. Meanwhile, recommendations help viewers get an illustration of what it would feel like to work with you. You need both to make your profile stand out. So best request them from the people you previously worked with. List the people whose recommendations and endorsements will be highly valued on the platform. Then approach them with personalized requests.
Mistakes to Avoid When Updating Your LinkedIn Profile
Through the tips above, you’ll be able to spruce up your LinkedIn profile and promote your personal brand. But while you’re out following them, you should strive to avoid a couple of mistakes some users make. These include:
Relying Too Much on Buzzwords
A lot of LinkedIn users use buzzwords in an effort to attract more people. Notable words used include ‘specialized’, ‘experienced’, ‘passionate’, and ‘certified’, among other things. While these words can help you improve your presence on LinkedIn, you shouldn’t rely on them too much when building your personal brand. Instead, you should convince viewers by demonstrating these qualities.
Spamming Other LinkedIn Users
One of the reasons why users end up blocking people on LinkedIn is so they won’t have to deal with spammy messages and friend requests. Spamming is ineffective when reaching people out, and it’s a surefire way to ruin your reputation. Plus, it’s illegal! So don’t spam people on LinkedIn. Send requests and messages if you want to work with them. But don’t overstep your boundaries.
Posting Too Much Personal Information
It’s easy to assume that LinkedIn is like Facebook and Twitter, especially given their similarities. But as a potential employee and employer, you need to remember one crucial thing: LinkedIn is an online professional network. So refrain from posting too much personal information in your profile. Just include what’s relevant and needed for you to land a job, notably your profile picture, your list of skills, and what-not. That way, you’ll retain your credibility and people will perceive you as a good professional.
Wrapping Up
LinkedIn is an excellent platform to hire or get hired. If you want to boost your chances of landing your dream job there, your profile needs to stand out. By following the tips above, you can accomplish that and more.
