Knowing These 10 Secrets Will Make Your Linkedin Profile Look Amazing
Having the perfect LinkedIn profile goes a long way. LinkedIn is much deeper than just a social networking platform, it has more than 600 million professionals, which means nearly an excellent source of network connections and job opportunities. LinkedIn has become an important part of building a strong personal brand, connecting with full-fledged experts, and a great source for candidates to search for jobs.
In this article, we share 10 secrets that can help you revamp your profile on LinkedIn and make it look amazing.
How to use your LinkedIn Profile to get a job
While using LinkedIn, you can search for jobs according to your location and keywords, you can also set job alerts to receive the latest updates and turn on the “open to work” option for recruiters to find you. Moreover, Linkedin can help you build your personal brand by showcasing your skills, your experiences, and what you can bring to the table. So, before you start updating your profile, you need to turn off the broadcasting, otherwise, your connections will keep getting messages of all the changes you are making.
To do that, follow the below steps;
- In the top navigation bar, click on the “Me.” A drop-down menu will appear.
- Under “ACCOUNT”, click on “Settings & Privacy.”
- Once you get to that page, click on “visibility”. Under visibility of your Linkedin activity.
- Find “Share profile updates with your network “ and make sure it is set to No.
- If it is not, click on “Change” and set it to No. Now we can get started!
Secret 1: The picture of your LinkedIn Profile matters
Having a picture on your LinkedIn makes your profile 14 times more likely to be viewed by others. The ideal size for your LinkedIn profile picture is 400 x 400 pixels. Larger file sizes are also fine (although 8MB is the max), but try to avoid small, low-resolution images. Aim to have your face filling about 60% of the space. Choose a picture where you are smiling, this can help you look more approachable and avoid distracting background.
Secret 2: Your LinkedIn Profile headline is the key
By default, LinkedIn creates your headline based on your current job title and company but relying on the default LinkedIn headline is a wasted opportunity. LinkedIn is a search engine that is based on keywords, so you can easily use keywords related to your field and separate phrases by commas or vertical bars (|) to stand out.
Your headline is the 1–3 lines underneath your name (see examples below) and you have 120 characters to use including spaces. Your photo, name, and headline are the only items people see when they do a search. Smart candidates even update their headlines and skills frequently in order to match the job description of the position they would like to apply for.
If you are unemployed
Use the headline to target the specific job title you are searching for. For example, Social Media Manager| Creative Strategist. The headline should be geared towards specific roles recruiters are searching for. Refrain from using words such as “Unemployed,” “looking for a job” etc. These words have negative impressions.
What to write in the job title on LinkedIn when unemployed
Recruiters are likely to begin their search with specific job titles, and candidates with a matching job title in their headline and experience headings will appear higher in results.
Now, if you don’t have a current position in your LinkedIn experience section, it will make your LinkedIn profile incomplete and stop you from appearing in searches by employers. So, in order to solve this issue, the best and most recommended option is to put your targeted next role as (job title) in your field (company).
For example, under title start typing the role/position you are targeting. As you type it, it should autofill with the right option.
For the company section, you will now add your field (Finance, HR, Tech..etc). The window may try and autofill companies with similar names to your industry, ignore them, and just write your industry.
If you are working and would like to keep your current title, you can add more keywords to it. For example, Finance Manager at X company| Cost Management | Financial reporting | Budget Management.
Ensure to include your location. When a recruiter is looking for a candidate in the NY area, LinkedIn members who are in other locations are not visible, including those who are in “The United States.” Yes, NY is in the USA, but the important keyword for this search is “NY.”
Secret 3: The summary on your LinkedIn Profile tells a lot about you
Your summary is the text box at the top of your LinkedIn profile, just below your photo. It’s an open-ended space where you give an overview of your professional life. There are many paths to a great summary and you can find many examples to use. I suggest starting with your passion and opening up about what you love to do. Do not complicate it, put your job title aside and describe your personality and what you do in simple words. The summary is also a great place to collect your greatest accomplishments for additional impact.
Secret 4: Linkedin Profile optimization Tool
An optimized profile ranks higher in LinkedIn searches by recruiters and hiring managers, resulting in more job opportunities.
To understand how your profile is ranking, you can use LinkedIn-optimization tool, it will help you figure out the gaps and optimize your profile for better search.
Secret 5: Use the description under your job titles to include main keywords
When people are browsing on LinkedIn, they’re probably not looking to read your full resume. They are just looking to check you out and see who you are. If that triggers their interest, they will reach out and then ask for your resume. So, don’t put your full resume but use the space to include some important keywords.
Secret 6: Showcase your skills
LinkedIn recommends members to have at least 5 skills out of a maximum of 50. To ensure you’re using LinkedIn to find a job correctly, don’t leave anything out about your current skills and objectives. Use keywords in many different areas. If you have target employers, review their descriptions for the job you want, particularly the job titles they use as well as the skills, certifications, and use the same or similar keywords.
The Skills and Endorsements section is actually a very important part of your profile because of its importance in LinkedIn Recruiter. So, if you can get endorsements for your skills, it will be useful.
Secret 7: Languages
If you speak more than one language, make it clear and indicate your level of proficiency. To demonstrate your skills in multiple languages, create a LinkedIn Profile in other languages. It’s a great way to gain attention for jobs requiring people who can speak and write multiple languages.
Secret 8: Expand your LinkedIn Profile network
Unless a recruiter is paying to use LinkedIn Recruiter or doing a search for a person’s name, LinkedIn search results include only the people who are connected to the searcher first, second and third-degree connections inside LinkedIn. So, try to connect to as many people as you can within your field.
The more common connections you have with recruiters, the higher your profile will be in the results when they search words included in your profile. Your connections can increase your exposure and access to other connections.
Secret 9: Complete your education info
Forgetting to include your complete educational information could cause you to be filtered out of search results. Doing a search for your college or university is a great way to connect with alumni and also to expand your network.
Secret 10: Be active
Be active on LinkedIn. You can post, articles, videos, updates..etc. Share good information from solid sources and make polite and professional comments on the posts of others.
Last bonus: Personalize your URL
This is a bonus and can help you have a unique profile. You can customize your URL on LinkedIn following the below steps.
Originally published at https://jobsblend.com on March 8, 2021.
