Having an impressive LinkedIn profile is crucial for advancing your career and attracting potential employers. With over 722 million users worldwide, LinkedIn is the largest professional networking platform and many recruiters use it to search for qualified candidates. There are several key things you can do to optimize your LinkedIn profile and make yourself stand out from the competition.
Complete your profile 100%
A fully completed profile has a much higher chance of appearing in LinkedIn searches compared to an incomplete one. Be sure to include a professional headshot, your industry and location, a summary section, work experience, education, skills, accomplishments, interests, and recommendations. Recruiters want to get a full sense of who you are as a candidate, so avoid leaving any sections blank.
Craft an engaging summary
Your summary section is prime real estate for showcasing your background and skills to prospective employers. Instead of just listing your work history, use it to tell your professional story. Share your motivations, passions, goals, accomplishments, and what makes you unique. Use clear, succinct language and customize it based on the types of roles you are applying for. A strong summary can capture a recruiter’s attention right away.
Highlight relevant skills and achievements
Make sure your skills section includes keywords that are relevant to your target roles. Recruiters and hiring managers often search profiles for specific hard and soft skills. Back up your skills with tangible examples and metrics that demonstrate proficiency. For example, instead of just listing “Social Media Marketing,” elaborate by saying “Developed and executed social media strategy that increased Instagram followers by 15% and Facebook engagement by 25%.”
Get recommendations and endorsements
Social proof in the form of recommendations and endorsements from previous managers, colleagues, professors, or classmates can give you extra credibility. Take the time to endorse connections for their skills and expertise as well. The more recommendations you accumulate, the more reassuring it is for potential employers.
Join relevant LinkedIn Groups
Joining industry-related LinkedIn Groups lets you connect with professionals in your field and stay on top of the latest news and trends. But avoid just being a passive member – try to actively engage by commenting on discussions or posting interesting articles. You can also join your university’s alumni group. Being an active part of relevant groups shows passion and initiative.
Follow influential companies and thought leaders
Follow companies that you want to work for, or influential professionals in your industry whose posts you find insightful. This keeps you in the loop on key developments in your field. Liking and sharing posts from these companies and thought leaders shows recruiters you are engaged.
Research the company before applying
Before applying for a job, take the time to thoroughly research the company by following their LinkedIn page, reading recent news articles, exploring their website, and checking for any connections you have that work there. This allows you to craft a tailored resume and cover letter that shows your interest.
Use advanced search filters
Take advantage of LinkedIn’s advanced job search filters to target opportunities that are the best fit for you. You can search by job title, company, location, when the job was posted, and other criteria. The more targeted your search, the higher the chance you have of standing out in the applicant pool.
Ask for recommendations from connections
Don’t be shy about reaching out to former managers, colleagues, professors, or classmates who can vouch for your skills and accomplishments. Many are usually willing to write you a recommendation if you politely ask. Be sure to write customized messages when asking for recommendations to jog their memory on projects you worked on together.
Follow up after connecting
When requesting to connect with someone, always customize your invitation and follow up afterwards. After connecting, send them a friendly message introducing yourself, explaining why you want to connect, and how you can potentially help them. Following up and maintaining connections makes a good impression.
Showcase volunteer work and causes
Highlighting any volunteer work or causes you are passionate about allows recruiters to get to know what is important to you outside of your career. For example, if you volunteer at an animal shelter on weekends, include that experience on your profile. Showing your personal passions makes you more relatable.
Edit your public profile URL
Your public profile URL initially includes a string of random numbers and letters. But you can customize this to be your name or another memorable word string. Having a professional, customized URL makes your profile look more put together when shared online or via email.
Follow company pages
Stay up to date on the companies you are interested in by following their LinkedIn company pages. This allows you to see relevant job postings, company news and announcements, key executives to network with, and gain useful insights you can reference during interviews.
Conclusion
Optimizing your LinkedIn to look as impressive as possible takes effort, but is well worth it. Completing your profile, highlighting the right skills, gaining recommendations, networking, and showcasing yourself professionally can significantly elevate your candidacy. By implementing these LinkedIn best practices, you will be on your way to landing more interviews and getting noticed by recruiters and hiring managers in your industry.