Boost your LinkedIn profile in just five minutes!
LinkedIn, a professional networking platform, is a valuable tool that you should be using as part of your career strategy. Most people familiar with LinkedIn are aware of the need to create a profile and connect with other professionals, as networking is at the core of LinkedIn’s functionality. However, there are other elements that are critical to creating and implementing a successful LinkedIn presence. Investing five minutes right now to make sure you are making the most of LinkedIn will pay dividends in terms of your ability to leverage the platform for your professional gain. To do so, you will need to promote your brand effectively, create an impactful headline, and boost your credibility.
LinkedIn tells your story in a much more influential way that a resume, and an effective LinkedIn profile can bring your candidacy to life! Within your LinkedIn profile you can present an engaging summary, illustrate your skills and abilities throughout multiple sections in your profile, attach documents and images to visually express your work, integrate relevant keywords, and show how you truly understand and are connected to key players within your industry. This is all why you need to have a customized LinkedIn URL! LinkedIn is an important part of your professional brand, and you should actively build, cultivate, and promote your profile. You should include your LinkedIn URL at the top of your resume so a potential employer can refer to your LinkedIn account for a more complete picture of your candidacy. To customize your LinkedIn URL, follow these steps: sign into your LinkedIn account, click on Edit public profile & URL, click on the pencil next to your current URL in the Edit URL section, edit, and save. Your LinkedIn URL should consist of your name and a few other characters to distinguish you from others (if needed).
Your LinkedIn headline is very important and should be as impactful as possible! Your headline is what people will see right away when they come across your LinkedIn account. Create an engaging headline that reflects your personal brand, provides a summary of your professional ambitions, and catches the attention of readers. For example, rather than, “Student at University XYZ,” you should say, “University XYZ Business Major, Student Leader, and Aspiring Financial Analyst.” Keep in mind that as you send invitations to connect and request to join LinkedIn groups, many professionals and administrators will make the decision whether or not to accept you based upon your headline. That’s why it’s important for your headline to be professional and aligned with your career goals.
It’s common practice for employers to check references prior to hiring potential employees because past performance is an indicator of future success. I know I am always more comfortable extending an offer to a new employee if the candidate provides references that will back-up their claims of skills, experience, and character. The best scenario is when someone I already know and trust is willing to vouch for a candidate, because I have an established level of trust and respect with the reference. One way to be proactive and showcase that professionals will vouch for your skills and experience is to gain endorsements via LinkedIn. Select relevant skills that match your abilities and career aspirations within the Skills & Endorsements section. Proper etiquette dictates that if someone endorses you for professional skills, you should return the favor and endorse them back. When you endorse someone you are putting your professional reputation on the line, so only provide endorsements for people and skills that you have witnessed ad truly support.
You can improve your LinkedIn account by customizing your LinkedIn URL, creating an impactful headline, and gathering endorsements for your professional skills. These simple things can boost your online presence and even attract the eye of a potential employer. Wouldn’t you say that’s worth a five-minute investment of your time?
