Making Your LinkedIn Profile Unforgettable

Just as the typewriter had it's time, so did paper resumes... and it's safe to say those are, for the most part, in the past. 

Your digital resume and digital "business card" are the present, and in case you want to think ahead: video is the future. 

But for the sake of this blog post, let's focus on your LinkedIn profile. Here are some tips to make you stand out.

How would you describe your current profession?

This should be an easy question, with a short and simple answer. It should be located right under your name when you look at your LinkedIn profile. Think about how people are searching for your skills and be sure to include those keywords here. For example: Experienced Marketing Consultant, Web Designer and Information Architect, Visionary Entrepreneur and Investor

Don't pigeonhole yourself in just one job title either... think about all of your areas of expertise and choose the most important ones.  

The Most Important Part Of Your Resume Falls Under "Experience"

Your experience gives you your credibility. Make sure to include all the details from your resume and keep in mind the keywords that people are looking for when they are searching for someone with your experience. 

I shouldn't have to say this, but I will anyway: don't forget to double, nay, triple check your spelling and make sure everything makes sense before publishing to the online universe. 

Ask To Be Recommended

When it comes to your online resume, it is ideal to have your references recommend you on LinkedIn for all to view. This not only adds to your credibility, but it allows a prospective employer to get to know you a little bit better through the eyes of your previous employers. Ask people to recommend you - it's so simple and makes a huge impact on your LinkedIn profile. 

Personal Branding

Your profile photo and cover photo are an important window into who you are and what you do. Make sure that you use a professional photo as your profile picture and a cover photo that tells us something about you and what you do. Are you passionate about your job/industry? How can you show that in your cover photo? Maybe a photo of you speaking at a conference/meeting/event. If you're a real estate agent, you might want to put a photo of your sign in front of a house that says SOLD! There are so many ideas and options, the important thing is that you use this visual to tell a story about you. Stock photos don't really tell a story about you.

Other Things To Note:

Be specific about your skills and accomplishments.

Use the summary area as your Elevator Pitch... include the things you really want future employers to know about who you are and what you do in case they don't get a chance to continue to scroll down to the rest of your work. It can also be the reason that someone decides to continue reading more about you, so make it interesting! 

Don't forget to update your information as you gain a new certification, skill, award, etc. You're always learning, so keep that in mind when thinking about new skills and accomplishments. 

Review your profile as if you were a future employer, or better yet, ask a friend you trust to review your profile for you. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can catch things we may have missed.

Good luck out there my fellow LinkedIn connections! 

-Stephanie    |     Social Media Consultant    |    www.stephsandyconsulting.com