The LinkedIn Checklist.

Well if you are new here, I suggest you take a look at my previous post and come back here(will make more sense, maybe?).

According to google, over 90% of recruiters and nearly every industry uses LinkedIn as a source for their hiring needs. The era of using traditional job portals like Naukri and Monster is almost extinct. So your profile being just another online record makes no sense, your profile must be a living, breathing record of your professional life. Now filling out your details is no big deal really but how much efforts you put in matters.

Here is a checklist for a well-structured LinkedIn profile.

• Profile picture(not a selfie) - use a current image.
• Name - always use your professional name.
• Headline - mention your designation/key skills. Get creative and use a catchy phrase to describe what you do.
• Location - always mention your current location.
• Profile Summary - a brief summary of about 50-100 words that speaks about your skills, motivation, and interests.
• Work experience - this is the most important part and I suggest you not to copy paste stuff here. Add some personality to your professional story - jot down all the responsibilities you handle/handled, challenges, actions, results, accomplishments, etc. Mention every work experience including all the internships and certifications.
• Education details - another DO NOT SKIP part of your profile. Your chances of appearing in a search is higher when you mention these details.
• Contact details - Provide accurate details and also make sure you customise your profile URL.
• Keywords - I am sure you know the most commonly used unique keyword to describe your work. Pick at least 5 important words that describe your job role and use them in your profile summary and work experience section.

I am sure you will end up liking how your profile looks after this makeover.

PS: There's a lot more to LinkedIn than just filling in these details. But first, go check off that list.