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LinkedIn profile and if you’re not careful, your account will be just another one in the crowd.
The go-to tool for business-related social networking, LinkedIn provides a forum for both hiring personnel and job-seekers alike to post vacancies and source job opportunities. The home of digital résumés, cv’s, and profiles from people all around the world, this site is worth its membership in gold- and employers treat it thusly. With a few simple clicks, a potential employer can quickly retrieve all the information you provide on work history, accreditations and accolades, business affiliations, and photographs. It’s so convenient and in-depth it’s a little scary but don’t be afraid – with these simple steps you’ll be the boss of your profile and find yourself with more jobs offered to you than you ever thought!
LinkedIn is the Facebook of the corporate universe and anyone who is anyone has an account. Therein lays one of its biggest challenges – everyone has a LinkedIn profile and if you're not careful, your account will be just another one in the crowd.Click To Tweet1. Head’s Up:
Your heading is the first thing you have to concentrate on – not too hard though because too much is just too much. Let a few concise words be your guide and let them highlight the stuff you’re good at and the area you’re interested in. Don’t try to summarize a life’s worth of you into that empty space; it looks cluttered and disorganized. There are 120 characters at your disposal, use them wisely and highlight your expertise.
2. Educate With Your Education:
You don’t need to let your audience know that you aced 3rd-grade art class – keep this section up-to-date and relevant to your specialties and what you want to be known for. This portion of your profile should include High School & College / University information complete with your areas of study and awards you received. This is key in networking at this level; members of your alumni will be able to connect with you and who knows? They might have some inside information on a job you could be interested in.
3. Work It:
A lot like your education information, where you have worked and currently work are facts that people who use LinkedIn want to know. Use this to concisely show where you started and the progress you’ve made during your career but don’t forget to be relevant. The lackluster wall of text itemizing every little thing you got paid for over the past 10 years is not going to impress or interest anyone. Your career is what you’ve contributed to substantially over time and that’s what people want to know about.
4. If You Like Me, Tell Everyone:
LinkedIn has a nifty little space for recommendations and whenever possible, get your associates to use the heck out of it! Now, if you’ve had your account for a couple of years and you’re still rocking your very first shout-out…maybe it’s time to do some spring cleaning. People read recommendations and take them seriously, so these need to be as recent as possible…potential employers aren’t moved by that one great thing you did that one-time eons ago.
LinkedIn Unlocked is a social selling roadmap that will help you generate a consistent flow of quality leads.
5. Activate Your Activity:
If you don’t actually use the networking site to…network…your profile will go stale and sink into the abyss of lost profile souls. A little dramatic, we know, but true! You can post statuses, update your pictures, join groups, START groups, comment on threads – all these lets your viewing public know that you’re alive, kicking, and eager. Someone that’s active is more likely to be viewed and taken a lot more seriously who just throws some stats up and lurks.
Use these tips and we promise you a fruitful AND fun LinkedIn experience. Doesn’t get much better than that!
