Maintaining your online presence is more important than ever. If you want to be taken seriously by employers, clients, and other professional contacts, you NEED to give your LinkedIn profile a facelift.
Related: Can Your LinkedIn Profile Replace The Traditional Resume?
LinkedIn profile looking old and stale these days? Here are ten tips for giving your LinkedIn profile a much-needed facelift (no Botox required!):
1. Update your photo.
I know it’s tempting to use that *awesome* photo of you from that wild college party, but if you’re serious about your personal brand, don’t.
In many cases, your LinkedIn photo is your first impression. It’s the first thing people see when they search for you online. You want that first impression to be a good one, right?
Here are some quick tips for taking/choosing an appropriate LinkedIn photo:
- Use a current photo of yourself
- Don’t have other people/objects in your photo.
- Make sure your photo is well-lit and not blurry.
- Don’t use Instagram filters (c’mon guys!).
- NO DUCK FACES. JUST NO.
- Smile and make sure you’re looking at the camera.
- Don’t use a black and white photo.
(Watch this video for some LinkedIn photo FAILS!)
A word on selfies: Ideally, you would want to get your photo professionally done by a photographer. That said, it’s not always realistic. Instead of taking a selfie on your phone (please don’t - it’s too tempting to do a duck face), take a selfie from your computer. Go into a well-lit room with a nice backdrop and take a snapshot on your computer camera. It’s better than nothing!
Whatever you do, though, make sure you HAVE a LinkedIn photo. That stupid, faceless avatar won’t do you any favors.
2. Write a accurate, easy-to-read Headline.
Along with your photo, your Headline is one of the first things people see when looking you up on LinkedIn. You want to pack in as much relevant information about your skills and qualifications as possible.
Your headline should incorporate your key skill sets, traits, and industry (including niche skill sets). I like to include my company name, too.
Also, to keep it clear-cut and easy to read, separate your keywords with the | key.
Why are keywords so important? Having them increases your chances for showing up in a search (it’s SEO gobble-dee-goock).
Here’s an example:
Me Media Inc. | Content Marketing | Social Media Management | Blogging
If you don’t have a job and aren’t sure what to write in your Headline, think about your key skill sets, traits, and industry. With that information, it will be easy to craft a great Headline.
Warning: DO NOT say, “Looking for opportunities” if you don’t have a job. This is a huge turn off. Your Headline is a HIGHLY valuable piece of LinkedIn real estate, and by saying something like this, you’re not using that prime location to its advantage.
3. Craft a cohesive Summary that highlights your best stuff.
In this section, you should highlight all of your best skills, qualifications, and accomplishments. I also like to include a personal branding statement that gives you a personality.
Here’s an example:
Proud UNH Wildcat who’s passionate about helping students and 20-somethings kick start their careers - the fun way! See what I’m up to on Twitter @AriellaCoombs
Manage a team of 7 employees. Manage monthly writing accounts for 20+ paid contributors. 3+ years online content management and strategy. 3+ years social media strategy.
SPECIALTIES:
- Writing, blogging
- Content strategy
- Editorial management
- Social media strategy
Tip: Add in links or upload projects that showcase your skills/accomplishments to your Summary section to give it a visual aspect.
4. Spice up your work experience by peppering in numbers.
Quantify, quantify, quantify! You want to quantify your experience whenever you can. People like to see numbers. They like to see results, not just tasks.
Here’s an example:
- Managed team of 7 employees at CAREEREALISM Media
- Managed monthly writing accounts for 20+ paid contributors
- Selected, created, edited, optimized, scheduled, and published 30+ articles per week
- Created, implemented, and managed 2+ major content initiatives annually, notable initiatives including the Happy Grad Project, which featured 35+ top career experts and acquired 4,500 new email subscribers within 30 days.
See how that conveys results? Try it with your own work experience!
5. Upload major projects or achievements.
LinkedIn has a great feature that allows you to upload/add links to your notable accomplishments or projects. Take advantage of this feature! It adds a nice visual aspect that not only showcases your best work, but also breaks up your profile to it’s easier to absorb.
6. Update your Top Skills section.
Is your Top Skills section outdated? Add in any new, relevant skills you want to showcase. (Notice that I said relevant: You don’t want to dilute your profile with skills that don’t add value to your brand. Only add what’s necessary.)
7. Add your volunteer work.
Are you a regular volunteer? Showcase it on your LinkedIn profile. In most cases, it counts as unrelated work experience.
8. Add any professional/relevant organizations you’re involved in.
Are you a member of Toastmasters? Do you belong to a professional group? Add it to your Organizations section! Employers like to see that you’re involved, and dedicated to your career development beyond the office.
9. Don’t forget about the Honors & Awards section!
Have you received any professional honors or awards? Showcase them! These are especially helpful if they relate to your major projects.
For example, if you received an award at your job for a great project, make sure you showcase both the project and the award on your LinkedIn profile. It helps back up your skills and expertise in that area.
10. Give Endorsements & Recommendations.
Having Endorsements and Recommendations to showcase on your LinkedIn profile are important. They show that others are willing to back you up on your professional claims.
That said, if you want to get, you must give. Try to give out Endorsements and a Recommendation each week to connections who you can vouch for. People will often return the favor.
Need More Help?
Wheww! That was a ton of information. If you need more help improving your LinkedIn profile, check out LinkedIn Level + Up. You’ll get a full critique of your LinkedIn profile, delivered via private video from a CareerHMO expert, access to 25 short video tutorials, and so much more!
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