Need to spruce up your LinkedIn profile? It’s Lucky 8 Top Tips Time…

As we’re sure you know *hard stare*..our 2019 LinkedIn Profile competition has just launched. See us on Facebook for more info on this. Seems like a good time to roll out some key advice on how to show yourself at your absolute LinkedIn best. Without further ado…

 

Students and recent graduates are currently LinkedIn’s fastest-growing user group. You can’t afford *not* to be involved, but you need to make sure you get it right.

Here’s our 8 top tips covering everything from the absolute fundamentals to the final polish. You’re welcome…

Use a professional-looking photo
Look like part of the culture of the industry/business you’re aiming to enter. Cultural fit is increasingly a factor in recruiters’ decision making.

Key words are…key!
Your headline should use key words based on who you want your profile to be seen by, and what for. Do a key word search and look at the top-ranking profiles. What can you learn from them?

Know why you’re on LinkedIn – and get the message across
Your summary should focus on what you want to do, and why – recruiters need a reason to keep reading your profile. What is your interest in this kind of career/industry?

Keep it relevant!
You don’t have to list all your experience. Choose jobs/volunteering/activities that add value to your profile. Highlight things that you’re proud of, and that you’d like to show up in searches.

It’s all about your skills
Recruiters are now able to search LinkedIn profiles by skills, so it’s essential you include these. Tutors, employers and peers can tag your profile to confirm that you have the skills you’ve listed.

Recommendations are LinkedIn gold!
These are comments written by other members – don’t be afraid to ask for them. If you get good feedback from an employer, tutor or work experience/placement contact, ask for a recommendation.

It’s a multimedia platform – so get multi with your media
Make your content engaging and interactive where appropriate. Use attachments and presentations. Post an elevator pitch video on You Tube and embed this in your profile. Be brave!

Make yourself searchable – and shareable
Default LinkedIn urls are *not* pretty. Create a (free) personal url for your profile. Use your name, a job title or other keywords – and you can change it later if you need to.

…Howsat for starters?

For more detailed advice, including how to leverage your shiny new profile to make connections and get yourself known in the LI community, check out our page on Using LinkedIn.