How to Stand OUT on LinkedIn

I get asked this question often.

Usually, it is from those who are not on LinkedIn.

Or those who don't need it!

Why Use LinkedIn

There are over 500 million reasons... err, users on LinkedIn.

Data from 04/2017 shows staffing and recruiters, and human resources are in the top three "most connected industries" on LinkedIn. That means 100s of millions of them are looking for you. If only you stand out!

"Recruiters scour the world’s most popular professional networking site looking for the perfect candidate, but there’s a lot they do before they even get to your profile page. Some 93% of hiring managers search LinkedIn for recruits, according to a survey by career website Jobvite"

Networking Linked In

We've all heard that it's often not what you know but who you know. Well, what people have always said about networking is truer now - and on a global scale. Some takeaways from this post:

• "if you network for business then you will need to network online."
• "...how you use the platform depends on what you want to achieve and that varies widely. Businesses can use it to raise funds, for recruitment, to job search or for networking with peers, among other things."
• "Professionals need to look ahead and adapt the way they connect and communicate to keep up with this change."

Hopefully, you see the points. In brief, I'd summarize it this way:

LinkedIn is an online networking tool, that allows a lot more than just your résumé. It adds skills, endorsements, media and sharing that takes networking, job opportunities and learning to a whole new level.

How to Stand Out on LinkedIn

Now that we know why it is so important, how do we maximize LinkedIn? It starts with your LinkedIn Headline, the blurb right by your name and photo. Learn more about your Tagline, Talent, Target... YOUR Headline Job.

Use the following post, my key excerpt and four steps to fix your LinkedIn profile... right now!

The following key excerpt sums up the above article well:

"LinkedIn... while it doesn’t necessarily replace the paper version [of a résumé], it’s the first place most people are going to look at when you apply for a new job, and the place where recruiters and headhunters are most likely to come across your profile. It’s important to do whatever you can to ensure you’re found, but also to stand out and have visitors stick around to read about the great things you can offer.

In this context, it’s your headline that stands as the most important element — your key opportunity to make a positive  first impression and entice the reader to want to know more."

Here are four key steps to take full advantage of LinkedIn for your career:

1. Before you go further into this, make sure you are a full All-Star profile

WHY? The main reason to complete your Profile is to ensure that you will appear in LinkedIn search results. "If you don’t have a 100% complete Profile... you will be INVISIBLE when searched, game over."

Here are the Profile Sections you need to complete to get to ‘All-Star’ (100%):

• A profile photo
• 2 or more positions you’ve held, along with descriptions of your roles (including a current one)
• 5 or more skills on your profile
• A summary
• Industry
• Postal code
• Education
• 50 or more connections

2. Your Full Name

This is is the first thing people see, especially in searches.

It should be the real name you are known by, like Chuck instead of Charles.

You can add a suffix or certifications to your Last Name. You might even add a trademark symbol since there is no other field for these.

3. Update Your Headline

By default, LinkedIn puts your current job title in there. Yet, you can change this to lure viewers in! See Tagline, Talent, Target... YOUR Headline Job for more information. You've got to keep it short, sweet and professional.

You've got 120 characters. Make full use, but remember some viewers may only see 32 characters.

You've got to give them a brief reason to read the rest of your profile. "A good headline tells others what you do and what benefit they get from working with you. It represents your core values, expertise and personal branding."

4. Update Your Summary

Research shows that you have 6 seconds to make an impression and there are 6 areas of a typical résumé (and profile) that people want to know.

Put an elevator pitch and your key 5 data points at the top of your Summary. Perhaps consider it a 30-second value proposition statement you would make to your most important potential customer or the CEO, followed by the 5 remaining areas from the 6 in the post above, since your name is already covered.

Then use as much as you can - up to 2,000 characters - to relevantly describe yourself, professionally, like a story, but with no fluff. We're not talking chock-full. You need some whitespace and blank lines.

How effective is this?

You could get a job in 2 weeks using this approach. (Think I am kidding? Check out the article!) On the flip side, here is a great summary of common LinkedIn mistakes people make.

How has LinkedIn been working for you? I would love to hear about it in the Comments! There's a lot more that can be done with your Profile - and even more posts on the subject.

You really should also have good content in as many sections of your profile as possible. More on that for another post...

For now, STAND OUT - so you can get the job that's right for you and make a difference in the world!

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