20+ Strategies To Build The Best LinkedIn Professional Profile
While there are a wide array of social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn has managed to emerge as the most promising professional networking hub of all. It is single-handedly responsible for maintaining 51+ million job and internship searches every week, worldwide.
With a whopping 59 million companies listed on this platform, it’s a no-brainer that LinkedIn can help you land your dream job for sure.
With that said, having a presentable LinkedIn profile is the very first step on this journey. If you are unsure about how to build a perfect profile that is sure to attract employers, I have got you covered. Keep scrolling to know it all…
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What is a LinkedIn professional profile?
Quite simply, your LinkedIn professional profile is how you portray yourself to be fit for a job role. It is your face and identity where recruiters can visit your profile to know about you. A typical LinkedIn profile would have one’s profile picture, summary, and other whereabouts like education, work experience, and more.
You can add your skills, interests to your profile and your achievements in those fields too. Your contacts can also give recommendations for you there. It is upon you to make the best out of your LinkedIn profile because you never know which opportunity might knock at your doorstep.
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Why is it important to build your LinkedIn professional profile?
If you are seeking employment or internships, LinkedIn is the place to be. Once notified, you get regular updates about recent job postings of companies on a regular basis. If you have any specific companies in mind, you can always follow their pages to be aware of their vacancies.
For the record, LinkedIn is the first place where employer would look for aspiring professionals like you. So it is crucial to have a well maintained profile there. Moreover, recommendations from people you know will fetch you brownie points even before the interview.
If you already have an established business, LinkedIn will boost your brand recognition and clientele. You can get great contacts from all over the world.
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20+ Strategies To Build The Best LinkedIn Professional Profile
Here is my list of the top tricks to get yourself an attractive LinkedIn professional profile. Let’s dive in…
1. Put a good profile picture
Your profile picture is the first impression about you, so ensure that it is recent and your face takes up 60% of the space. Long-distance photos don’t do much that close-up ones do. Wear decent clothes that you would typically wear to work while you get your photo clicked for LinkedIn.
2. Upload a meaningful cover photo.
The background doesn’t have to be your picture necessarily. You can upload something that tells more about you. Go for anything that will make visitors on your profile remember it.
3. Make your custom profile URL.
LinkedIn will assign you a chunky profile URL. You should get a name-only URL to make it look presentable while sharing. You can go to “Edit Public Profile & URL” on the profile page. Click on the edit pen button sign and enter the “[First Name] + [Last Name]”.
4. Add a perfect headline.
A short and crisp headline is a must. While people usually mention their job titles in this section, you can take a step ahead by writing a few words about your work and achievements. Don’t make it too lengthy and remember to include keywords.
5. Let your summary speak for you.
The summary is the next big thing that tells a recruiter a bit more about yourself. Don’t make it a typical boring summary that only talks about your job description and achievements. Instead, use it to connect to your potential employers emotionally by writing your story and what it took to reach here.
6. Use keywords everywhere.
Make sure your entire profile contains keywords relevant to the interests you have and the kind of work you are looking for. This will help employers to find you in a jiffy. For instance, if you are a digital marketer, include keywords like advertising, content marketing, and so on.
7. Mention your skills.
You can search for skills relevant to your line of interest and mention them in the skills section. Make sure the skills you highlight are related to your body of work. Don’t dump too many skills in a bid to get more points. List a few, but the important ones.
8. Highlight your licenses and certifications.
There is a section for licenses and certifications where you can list any achievements or courses you have pursued. You need to mention what it is about, which organization awarded you, and similar details.
9. Sync your LinkedIn profile.
People sync their LinkedIn profiles with their email address books to get more out of the platform. You must have prior permission if you are using your office email address. LinkedIn will then suggest connections with similar interests to you.
10. Highlight your work experience.
List down the organizations you have interned or worked with and the position you were assigned. This gives you an edge while seeking employment.
11. Make connections.
Follow pages you are interested in and send requests to make build a strong chain of connection. It’s a no-brainer that more connections mean more opportunities. So don’t hesitate to search for like-minded ones to make your network stronger on the platform by getting in touch with them.
12. Curate customized invites.
You can take a step ahead from the typical connection requests by replacing them with customized invites. These invites should have a gist of what your profile look like, what you’re here for, and for the other person to understand at a glance. Add a message saying why the connection is important for you, making it personalized.
13. Ask for recommendations.
Employers need reviews about you if they are thinking of hiring you. In that case, recommendations can work wonders in convincing them. Go to the ‘Ask for recommendations’ option on your profile and choose a list of people from your network whom you want to get feedback from. Send requests and hope they shower you with a bunch of good recommendations!
14. Be active on the platform.
Simply creating a profile doesn’t work. You need to maintain your profile by keeping in touch with your connections. You can post relevant content for your connections to see. You can also like, comment, or share others’ posts for greater effectiveness.
15. Switch to a public profile.
If you want your profile to be found easily, going public is by far the best way. Go to your LinkedIn profile and you will find the ‘Me’ button below the profile picture. Click on it and select ‘View profile’. Select the toggle for your public profile status under ‘Edit Public Profile & URL’.
16. Mention the services you offer.
If you are working as a freelancer or for a small business, you can highlight the services you offer to clients on your profile. Fill in the details in the ‘Services’ section, which can help people find you through search results.
17. Update your profile regularly.
As I said earlier, the mere creation of a profile will not fetch you good opportunities. If you want this to be lucrative, consider updating your information regularly such as your contact and location details. Also, keep posting relatable content and revert to the content posted by your connections.
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18. Mention that you are open to opportunities.
LinkedIn allows you to specifically highlight if you are open to work and other opportunities. Select the options to show your connections and potential recruiters that you are open to being approached for work. Click on “Get started” and enter the details. If you don’t want your people at your current company to see your status, select “Share with recruiters only”.
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19. Get endorsements.
You can expect endorsements if you give endorsements. Go through your connections and give endorsements to a few. A polite message asking for a favor back also works. Getting endorsements for your skills will make your profile stronger.
20. Go for a skills assessment test.
This is an online test to assess the skills you possess, post which you can add a Verified Skills badge on your LinkedIn profile. This is naturally a great way to attract attention from employers as it is proof to show that you thorough with the skills mentioned on your page.
21. Check your profile strength.
A gauge on your profile shows the strength of your profile. It will keep increasing as you add more details about yourself to your profile. Follow the suggestions until you get an all-star rating.
How To Make Your LinkedIn Profile Look Attractive To Recruiter?
Creating an attractive LinkedIn profile is critical for attracting recruiters’ attention and establishing an appealing first impression. Here are some tips to help you stand out on LinkedIn.
- Craft a compelling summary: Use the summary section to provide a concise overview of your skills, experience, and professional goals. Focus on showcasing your achievements, unique strengths, and the value you can bring to potential employers.
- Highlight your accomplishments: In the experience section, use bullet points to emphasize your key accomplishments and quantify your results whenever possible. Focus on highlighting your contributions, projects you’ve worked on, and the impact you’ve made in your previous roles.
- Showcase your skills: Add a comprehensive list of relevant skills to your profile. LinkedIn allows you to feature up to 50 skills, so choose those that align with your expertise and the job you’re targeting. Request endorsements from colleagues or supervisors to validate your skill set.
- Request recommendations: Recommendations from colleagues, supervisors, or clients add credibility to your profile. Reach out to people you’ve worked with and kindly request them to write a recommendation highlighting your strengths and the positive experiences they’ve had working with you.
- Include multimedia and projects: LinkedIn allows you to showcase your work through images, videos, presentations, and links. Utilize this feature to provide tangible examples of your projects, presentations, publications, or any other work that highlights your skills and expertise.
- Engage with content: Actively engage with LinkedIn content by commenting, sharing, and posting relevant articles or industry insights. This demonstrates your knowledge and commitment to your field and helps you build connections.
The bottom line
We have learned that building and maintaining a professional LinkedIn profile can fetch you the best of opportunities. You might just end up getting a call for an interview if your potential recruiters find your profile worthy and impressive. After all, a LinkedIn profile is a great way to know about people professionally. So get all my tips on your sleeves and start working on your profile right away… all the best!
