Jessica Pierce

How to Make the Most of Your LinkedIn Profile

Making the most of your LinkedIn profile could be the difference between being searched and being found. This is not to say being an active job seeker isn’t important. It is to say that while you are networking or working on job seeker activities your LinkedIn profile can be working for you. Recruiters and hiring managers are recruiting active as well as passive candidates from a variety of social media sites including LinkedIn.

Here are tips for how to make the most of your LinkedIn profile: 

1. 100% Complete: Making your profile complete illustrates to a prospective client or employer that you can get the job done. No one wants to hire someone who can’t finish a project or task. Show them you can get things done!
2. Headline: Many people include their last or latest position as the headline of their LinkedIn profile. Consider your area of expertise instead. For example, my headline is, “Engaging Career Transition Expert, Speaker and Trainer.” Having an expertise headline will get you noticed – and faster – by employers looking for your experience.
3. Summary: Along the same lines as having your expertise in the headline, make the most of your LinkedIn profile by having including skills and experience in the Summary. Consider highlighting a project or results. A résumé writer can help you craft a summary that will get you noticed by the employers for whom you want to work.
4. Recommendations: Part of your reference process should be requesting and obtaining a LinkedIn recommendation. Make suggestions of what you would like them to highlight – maybe a particular project or position. Illustrate to a prospective employer or client that you have a robust network that values and can speak to your work. Additional tips can be found in this References & Job Search post.
5. Professional Headshot: Stop using vacation or family photos as your LinkedIn profile photo and get a professional photo! You want prospective employers and clients to view you as a professional so show them you are a professional. Additional tips can be found in The Importance of Professional Headshots post.

Making the most of your LinkedIn profile can be the difference that gets you the job you want at the company you desire. Connect with me on LinkedIn and here’s to you landing the career of your dreams!