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It is used by more than 1 billion users in 200 countries around the world. LinkedIn is currently the largest professional networking platformThat’s why it’s more important than ever to customize and optimize your LinkedIn profile, whether it’s for professional networking or job hunting. As with advertising, visitors to your profile page are likely to spend a few precious seconds forming an opinion of you, so it’s essential that everything is clear, concise, and on-message. Luckily, LinkedIn has a robust feature set that allows for a lot of customization. Unfortunately, many people on the platform often overlook key parts of their profile, or sometimes don’t include them at all, and don’t optimize what’s there.
The basic goal to keep in mind when creating your LinkedIn profile is to clearly express four points in a concise and immediately understandable way: who you are, what you do professionally, what you have done so far, and what you are looking for (especially if you are a job hunter). Anything that does not contribute to any of these points should be removed.
Related: Learn how to optimize your LinkedIn profile to land your dream job
Here are six key considerations and configurations for optimizing your LinkedIn profile:
1. Profile picture
When you look at someone’s profile on LinkedIn, at the very top there is a background cover image. It’s surprising how often this important space is left blank. Upload a cover image, as it’s easily customizable. It’s better than nothing, but we highly recommend making the most of that space. Don’t put a monotonous image or pattern there. Take advantage of that key location and choose an image that demonstrates understanding and, ideally, approval ( myFor example, show an interview taking place) or at least convey some emotion about something that is important to you.
2. Get the verified checkmark
Check the verification box under your cover photo, next to your name. This is a free service from LinkedIn that proves to potential employers and partners (and recruiters looking for work) that you are who you say you are. Fake profiles are created frequently, so this verification gives visitors an extra layer of confidence that your profile is real. If you haven’t verified your profile currently, find a way to do so if you can (or verify it next time you can — even if you can’t now, it’s important for the future). Naturally, you may have privacy concerns, but the reality is that the same privacy concerns pertain to everything you do online, whether it’s via your desktop or mobile phone. Remember, this is a critical verification for your career.
3. Create a headline
Nearly everyone on the platform types a headline. Many of them need significant improvement. This is a small space to communicate very important information. Avoid extraneous words that are not relevant to the definition. Don’t use too many symbols. Avoid using broad and general words. Be concise and specific and use this space to clearly communicate who you are, what you do, and what you want.
4. Display your work on a “personal billboard”
LinkedIn has a Featured section that you can add, but many people don’t use it at all. Featured items can include posts, newsletters, articles, links, media, or featured content from your profile. You can also sort the list. This is essential because only the first 2-4 (depending on the viewing platform) of your featured items are seen by visitors above the fold.
5. List your skills and recommend those of your colleagues
LinkedIn allows you to list your key skills and allow others to endorse those skills. Many people have over 50 skills associated with their profile, some of which are endorsed. Did you know that only the top two on your list are visible to visitors to your profile page (unless they click to see more details, which most people don’t)? And did you know that you have the ability to sort the list? Sort your skills so that the top two reflect the most important things a business partner or potential employer would want to see.
Related: Learn how to optimize your LinkedIn profile to land your dream job
6. Share your experience
Of vital importance is the experience section, where you list each company you have worked for. The first mistake people make is using the company description in their description. Think of this page like a resume. This space is where you explain your role at the company. Of course, a line or two about the company is enough, but also consider highlighting in bullet points the key functions and accomplishments you have achieved during your time there. This is especially important for your most recent experience, or your last few experiences if your recent experience was brief. What is often overlooked is that you can associate skills with each experience definition. You can also add media such as press releases, white papers, interviews, and other media related to your involvement with the company.
By the way, if you subscribe to LinkedIn Sales Navigator, you can use the “Social Selling Index,“It’s a tool to measure your social selling efforts. The tool evaluates your overall brand, relationships, people and insights. The brand part of the index is relevant to your profile.
Some say LinkedIn is a replacement for your resume. We wouldn’t go that far, but LinkedIn is definitely an essential professional networking tool that’s worth the time it takes to set up and optimize. In some cases, it’s literally used to replace your resume. If you don’t tell the right story on your LinkedIn page first, you won’t even be asked to submit your resume. We encourage you to explore all the sections, try all the settings, organize your placeable listings to highlight your most important points, and be thoughtful about the images you use.
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