Whether you’re building your personal brand, looking for your next opportunity, engaging in business development, or simply looking to make meaningful connections, LinkedIn is an underutilized tool that you should be leveraging.
To help you build and maximize your LinkedIn profile, I’ve put together a checklist and a few best practices to help you stand out to recruiters and potential employers.
- Ensure you have a professional headshot with good lighting and a clear background. Remember, your potential employer isn’t swiping left or right based on your beach selfie or your last vacation down south. Save those gems for your personal life and opt for a professional headshot instead. You want to ensure your face is clearly visible and that the photo represents you professionally.
- Craft a compelling headline that summarizes your professional identity and expertise and makes you stand out. You should also include relevant keywords that recruiters might search for when looking for candidates in your field.
- Tell your story – highlight what sets you apart. Write a concise, engaging summary highlighting your unique value proposition and career goals. This is an opportunity for people to get a glimpse of who you are. Showcase your skills, experiences, and accomplishments to grab visitors’ attention to your profile.
- Provide detailed descriptions of your work experience, highlighting key responsibilities and achievements in each role. Ensure this is current — your resume should align with your LinkedIn profile. Use action verbs and quantifiable results to demonstrate your impact in previous positions.
- Include your educational background, degrees, and relevant certifications or training programs. Highlight academic achievements, honours, or extracurricular activities demonstrating your skills and commitment.
- What are you proud of? List relevant skills that showcase your expertise and proficiency in your field. Showcase your involvement in professional organizations, volunteer work, or leadership roles.
- Encourage colleagues and connections to endorse your skills to add credibility to your profile. Also, support others (the rule of reciprocity comes into effect)—Provide recommendations to others in your network to build relationships and strengthen your connections. Request recommendations from former colleagues, supervisors, or clients who can attest to your skills and professional abilities.
- Elevate your online presence by incorporating presentations, articles, videos, or portfolio links highlighting your expertise. It’s not just about saying, “Hey, look at me,” but rather, demonstrating your thought leadership and showcasing what you can do in an engaging and impactful way!
- Visual content can showcase your work and provide additional context to your skills and experiences.
- Stay engaged! Interact with your network by liking, commenting, and sharing meaningful content. Go beyond simple “congrats” and leave thoughtful comments that spark conversations. Join industry groups, participate in discussions, and connect with professionals with similar interests or goals.
Here are a few best practices:
Be Authentic: Ensure your LinkedIn profile accurately reflects your professional identity and brand.
Stay Professional: Maintain a professional tone and avoid including sensitive or controversial topics on your profile. You can be a little more creative; you have lots of options here, but consider moving the dancing videos to TikTok.
Seek feedback from trusted colleagues or mentors to fine-tune your profile and ensure it reflects your professional journey.
Monitor messages and connection requests closely, promptly responding to inquiries from potential collaborators to foster meaningful relationships.
With authenticity first and foremost, take the opportunity to build a LinkedIn profile that showcases what makes you unique and paints the picture of who you are and where you’re headed.
Let’s connect on Linkedin!
