#4 What is Online Profile? Oh, You Mean LinkedIn Profile!

Did you know that the professional social networking platform, LinkedIn, has been around longer than the popular social platforms today? You need to keep in mind that these are more relevant than ever.

The reason behind this is that this platform accommodates over more than seven hundred million professional profiles. That only suggests an unlimited supply of job opportunities and network connections. LinkedIn is considered a vital part of becoming a full-fledged professional in any sector nowadays, whether you are sustaining your personal brand or looking for a new job.

One reason LinkedIn users are dynamic on this platform is for job employment efforts. You will not be surprised to discover that ninety percent of recruiters use the platform regularly, with over twenty million firms listed on the site as well as fourteen million jobs.

The research discovered that 122 million individuals got an interview through the platform. Not to mention that 35.5 million users are employed by a professional they just linked with on the network.

In the previous chapter, we have briefly discussed the importance of having a flawless LinkedIn profile. In this chapter, I will offer more tips that will help you land your dream job.

Below are the five core areas you need to concentrate on when creating your LinkedIn profile:

1.  Refresh Your Profile Picture

Your profile picture is present to prompt recruiters that there is a breathing person behind your persona. Various researches report that putting pictures of genuine individuals on your site, particularly their faces boost the trust of visitors. That same thing applies to your LinkedIn profile picture. Here are some do’s and don’ts to remember:

Do’s

Wear your usual attire

Consider what you wear at your work and the things that mirror your business as well as your values. Nonetheless, be cautious as patterns and fine lines could go wrong in images.

Pick the ideal expression

A hiring manager will be more “seduced” easily by an image of someone radiating a happy and warm aura rather than a serious-looking and stern individual.

Choose an updated photo

Ensure your LinkedIn profile picture was taken in the past few months. It must mirror how you look regularly.

Choose a headshot

Do not pick an image that is taken far away. You must present them with your professional potential, along with a glowing smile.

Look friendly

Professional does not mean looking serious. You must look genuine and not intense or serious.

Don’ts

Don’t add your hobbies to your profile

Do not utilize your LinkedIn profile as a chance to highlight your unique sides. You must keep it simple at all times.

Don’t crop a group picture

Choosing a cropped image at a party doesn’t look professional. Some of the profile photos I encounter even have 2 – 3 in the picture, I would not know which ones are you.

Don’t utilize filters

Stay away from filters at all costs. They will only detract from your picture that makes it difficult for recruiters to know who you are.

Don’t do selfies

Selfies are only for social media sites like Facebook or Instagram. KEEP THAT IN MIND!

2.  Update Headline, Summary, and Latest Top 3 Career Experiences

A hiring manager or anyone else performing a search in LinkedIn is going to see ten individuals on every page in the search results. They will then pick whom to click on according to a few pieces of information (as they have not seen your profile completely yet).

Your headline and your summary are the ‘major two’ they will see first. Therefore, what you need to do is to ensure your profile is amazing in those two aspects. The more likely you are to be noticed by recruiters if the more robust your profile is. Choose an industry, as recruiters often utilize that section to look.

3.  Change your LinkedIn Profile URL

It will be simpler to publicize your LinkedIn profile if you have a customized URL that is made specifically for you. But how can you get this?

You will notice a Public Profile URL on the Edit Profile screen located at the bottom of the gray window showing your information. Click the button Edit close to the URL. State what you would want your URL address to be. Click the Set Custom URL when you are done.

4.  Include Achievements and Keywords

You can take advantage of the accomplishment section to showcase the projects you have worked on and other accomplishments you have obtained. Hiring managers spend a huge amount of time searching for those high performers. Once they discover them, they will contact them immediately. With that in mind, you will serve well to advertise yourself as a high performer in your experience and summary section.

What’s more, you must determine the two to three keywords vital to you. For instance, you might be applying for an App Developer. Then you might like to have App Developer or Senior Programmer as your core keywords.

5.  Add your Skills

Do you speak Chinese? Maybe you have a human resource certification. Do you participate in volunteer events every weekend? Adding these “extra” profile features is an excellent way to highlight your unique and diverse skills, allowing you to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

You can utilize your resume, to begin with, a set of skills you like to add. Concentrate on the skills that showcase your powerful assets and are most valuable to your career goals.

6.  Ask for Recommendations

You must take your time to ask for LinkedIn recommendations. In case you didn’t know yet, these recommendations are similar to a reference in advance to a potential employer.

One way you could obtain some recommendations is to offer them. You’re attesting to their qualifications every time you recommend one member. They tend to reciprocate if you take the time to suggest them as well.

An awesome and powerful LinkedIn profile is necessary, especially if you like to cultivate your personal brand. Your LinkedIn profile is one aspect you cannot forget. The more you put effort into it, the more you will get out of it.

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Hey, thanks for reading this post up to this sentence. Now, I know you're probably wondering, "Why do you post this article?" 

Well, I first started my career journey as a headhunter and the reason why I jumped into recruitment is that I didn't know what I want back then. I thought the best thing to do is to interview thousands of people, understanding their roles and industries. With this exposure, I was able to understand the mind of the recruiters, hiring managers, and years later had the privilege to be in various roles with top global companies.

I am forever grateful to all the people that came into my life and showed me that I have what it takes to pursue my goals. Today, I am on a mission to help driven & ambitious people to get in front of global leaders & world-changing companies.

If you think you have benefited from this sharing, I hope you can pay it forward by sharing this article and connect with me to always inspire each other. Stay tuned for more brewing on #rioslab. God bless!