For those who dismiss the idea of LinkedIn’s importance, it might surprise you to know that there are more than 100 million LinkedIn users in the United States alone. You probably already have other social media accounts, but if you are serious about your career, it pays to invest in a good LinkedIn profile. Business networking is one of the most useful tools for career advancement and LinkedIn can make it easy to start building up your own personal network.
Head hunters and hiring managers often used LinkedIn as a source for potential employees. Additionally, many companies use the Apply With a LinkedIn feature on their job listing pages, which allows potential employees to use their personal LinkedIn profile as a resume. Obviously, a high-quality LinkedIn profile can be a crucial addition to your repertoire.
When creating your LinkedIn profile, there are several key elements that every profile should include. First and foremost, you need a photograph of yourself and not just a bland-looking selfie or a silly picture of yourself living it up at Coachella, but a professional quality picture. As resume services experts, we know that hiring managers are far more likely to look at LinkedIn profiles that include photos and are far more likely to consider employees that look professional and approachable.
When you set up your LinkedIn profile, you will want to add your full name as well as your location and a tagline that provides some basic information about your current job situation. Your location is very important, as many hiring managers are searching for applicants in specific areas. Be sure to use your full, professional name. For example, if your name is Katherine Smith, but everyone calls you Kiki, skip the nickname and simply put Katherine Smith on the profile. While Katherine might seem too formal to you, the goal on LinkedIn is to present yourself as a professional and not as Kiki, the girl that loves paddle boarding, puppies, and Downton Abbey.
The next step is to include a well-crafted tagline (also known as a job title or headline), which is something we can help with as part of our resume services. This is just a short, simple description of your current job status. Obviously, if you are currently employed, this can be fairly easy, but what if you are unemployed or perhaps just getting into the job market?
We believe that using dynamic keywords in this headline can be an excellent option. Rather than state that you are unemployed, you could simply use a headline that aligns with your employment goals. For instance, if you are looking for a marketing or sales position, words such as account management, marketing analysis, or contract negotiation might attract attention as well as marketing executive or senior sales manager.
The photograph, headline, and location are the first items that people read, but beyond that, a LinkedIn profile is filled with important information about your work experience, education, skills and goals. As a resume service, we recommend that you ensure that your LinkedIn profile is 100% complete. While a hiring manager might not initially look at every inch of your profile, they might on a second or third glance. Additionally, a complete and update profile simply looks professional. It states to the world that you take yourself seriously, pay attention to details and that you are enthusiastic about your career.
While our resume services team can help you build an amazing LinkedIn profile, it is important that you regularly update your profile and status. You can update your skills and education, if necessary, as well as work experience. You also can upload links to relevant videos or articles pertaining to your industry that others might find valuable. In addition, don’t forget to add links to any articles you have written, links to your professional website, and links to any presentations you have given. All of this can improve your impact on LinkedIn.