What Makes a Good LinkedIn Profile?
This article is packed full of FREE LinkedIn tips, written by a highly experienced LinkedIn profile writer dedicated to the art/science of professional branding, to help you get the views and responses you seek.
Whilst everything you do with LinkedIn is a matter of choice, there are things that you can do that will inescapably be of benefit. In all aspects of LinkedIn profile writing, bear in mind that on the Internet, content is king, and that recruiters use specialist systems to crawl for specific keywords.
Top Tip 1: Research the roles you would or may apply for by looking at job descriptions and requirements and find ways to incorporate these keywords and phrases throughout your profile.
Background picture
The background picture is certainly not essential to include, but the right one could be a catalyst for a recruiter hiring you. You want your profile to look finished, polished, focused and attractive.
Top Tip 2: Take your time to find a relevant, royalty-free picture that is both related to the work you do and that sits well on your profile.
Profile picture
The profile picture is both important to have and even more important that it's right.
If your LinkedIn URL is on your CV, the reader may well be checking your credentials. Therefore, aside from ensuring the content is fully up to date, it's important your profile picture gives off the right message.
The guidance on this is three-fold: head and shoulders, smiling, and in a work context - and not a selfie.
Tip 3: Get someone else to take a good picture of you. Or, go to a professional photographer, ensuring you're dressed professionally. And do try and smile - denoting approachability.
Title line
Many people miss a trick with the title line and only include their current job and workplace.
Winning CVs transforms these to be comprehensive advertising tools - with core skills and the implementation of well-chosen graphics to help you stand out amongst a sea of candidates.
Tip 4: You can do the same - why waste this opportunity to really sell yourself?
Open to / Job Preferences
If you're actively or passively seeking new roles, fill this section in.
Tip 5: Don't narrow down your area for availability - select your entire country and beyond if relevant.
Research the role titles you're open to and select five of the best.
About Section
Arguably THE most important part of your LinkedIn profile in its entirety, the About section is the place that Winning CVs exploits to the max. There is no set rule for how it's all laid out, or what goes in it.
Tip 6: Either spend time really maximising the space, or ensure you use a highly experienced LinkedIn profile writer that has spoken to you at length and understands your goals, to write it for you.
Using information drawn from an in-depth consultation, Winning CVs will:
- Explore all opportunities from notes taken to craft a profile that takes you to the next level.
- Ensure the About section reflects you, your successes, your experience, and the value you bring.
- Create a list of experiences and outcomes (where relevant) to showcase calibre.
- Maximise the space, using three or four paragraphs together with graphics in the place of bullet points (bullet points don't exist on LinkedIn).
- Ensure a strong mix of technical, leadership and people skills / experience to help the reader see how you would fit into their team / organisation.
Experience Section
It's important here to think about the crucial reader, the recruiter.
Tip 7: Give detailed examples of the experience you gained and value you brought - also termed as 'business benefits', 'successes' or 'achievements'.
Ideally, this is done via an intro paragraph (for context) and a few bullet-style points. Ensure not to give away sensitive / confidential information, and keep in mind your colleagues could be reading.
Education
Industry advice is to include degree-level education and above.
Skills Section
Tip 8: Try to input 50+ skills. Remember these will be crawled by bots, so it pays off to put the time in.
You can also request that contacts endorse you for these to increase credibility.
Recommendations
Top Tip 9: Ask your colleagues, clients or superior to write a recommendation. This is common practice and you could offer to do the same for them - an attractive offer! After all, it's all very well you saying how fabulous you are, but someone else saying it has much more sway.
There are many other sections on LinkedIn for certifications, projects, publications and volunteer work for example. Populate these of course as long as they are relevant.
Network Building
LinkedIn is first and foremost, a networking tool. Try to expand your network by connecting with as many ex-colleagues, friends and family as possible.
You are allowed to join up to 50 groups and you are encouraged to do so. It adds additional keywords to your profile to help with search engine presence and can help you to connect with similar professionals within your industry. Participate in industry discussions.
Tip 10: Finally, but importantly, try to make sure that spelling and grammar are tight. If writing is not your best strength, or you want a professional to take away the hassle or uncertainty, Winning CVs is here for you.
For a LinkedIn profile review or a dedicated, seasoned LinkedIn profile writer to maximise every opportunity to market you on LinkedIn, contact Becky on 07928 525 882 / becky@winningcvs.com