Giving your LinkedIn Profile a Makeover

If you’re anything like me and in dire need of a haircut, or most importantly, taking care of those eyebrows, you’re probably impatiently waiting for salons to open up! I know I’ll be headed over for a full makeover once our shelter-in-place is lifted. But in the meantime, I’ve decided to give my LinkedIn profile a makeover! Here are my Top 5 Tips for revamping and making your LinkedIn profile more “approachable.”

 #1: Give me a picture to look at! Did you know that adding your photo to your LinkedIn profile makes you 36 times more likely to receive a message on LinkedIn? Profiles with a headshot profile photo receive 21 times more views than those without a profile picture. Similar to dating apps, would you swipe right on a profile with no pictures? Invest in a profile picture that is in focus and shows your face clearly to serve as the logo for your personal brand. Ask a friend with an upgraded smartphone with a great camera lens to do a photoshoot for you or bonus points for a professional headshot. And stay away from those snap chat filters!  

#2: What’s your recent work experience? Have you switched jobs and been too busy getting adjusted that you forgot to update your profile? Or, maybe you took on a few new tasks that your contacts should know about. Either way, make sure your current position is up to date with your title, location, responsibilities, successes and accomplishments. Don’t forget to include any important metrics and stats, too. After all, that’s one of the first things we recruiters and hiring managers look at on your profile. While you’re updating your recent experience, nix any experiences that are more than 10 years old. Pick and choose the jobs you listed so that they show career progression.

 #3: Education and Certifications – As a Recruiter who is constantly searching for candidates with specific certs and expertise, this is one of the first pieces of information we’ll look for on your profiles. Make sure you’re adding your current certifications and making sure the old ones are up to date and relevant with your recent work experience.

 #4: Customize your URL – Make your profile more professional and easier to find by customizing your public profile URL to your full name. For the most professional URL, try: https://linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastname. If that isn’t available, add your middle initial or industry (e.g., HarpreetBalRecruiter). Then, try to make sure all of your platforms and emails are consistent for one professional brand.

 #5: Follow the Right People – Believe it or not, LinkedIn goes way beyond your personal network. It allows you to keep up with people in your industry as well as successful people who inspire you. By following key leaders and influencers, your newsfeed will fill up with advice that’s relevant to you. Don’t forget to connect with co-workers and friends as well!

 Bonus tip – If you’re currently job hunting or interested in a particular company, look them up on LinkedIn and hit that “follow” button. By doing this, you’ll automatically receive all updates these companies are posting. Whether it’s job postings, relevant articles, webinars, and/or events that they’re going to be attending.

Double bonus - I guess I can provide one more tip! Make sure you have a summary/about me on your page. A great LinkedIn summary gives information about your professional background and abilities and helps get you noticed by hiring managers/recruiters. It’s worth it to spend some time to make your summary section informative and attention-grabbing. There are many tips on what you can include in your summary. For me, I’d like to see a brief summary of your skill set, certifications, and what your accomplishments have been in the past. Brag about yourself a little, or a lot, up to you! 

 Looking forward to seeing everyone’s LinkedIn makeovers! Cheers!