CVs are important and I spend a lot of my time writing them and helping clients to have better ones. However, another vital element of anybody’s job search is LinkedIn. This is part 1 with six ways to help you get an effective LinkedIn profile. Part 2 coming next week.
LinkedIn is a professional platform, however it is also an opportunity to incorporate your personality to set yourself apart. Your CV is written in the third person, whereas your LinkedIn About section is in the first-person, so it can tell more of a story.
Think of it as a personal reflection on your professional personality.
1 Use an engaging headshot photo
This will be the first thing that recruiters see, so make a good first impression. You may be in your best outfit but an edited snap from a wedding doesn’t make the best impression. It’s easy to take a good photo with smartphones these days. Stand in front of a plain colour background. A selfie is fine. Smile. When you upload it, centre your face and zoom in to remove any background clutter.
2 Stand out with a dynamic header image
Replace the default grey banner image that LinkedIn gives everyone with a new more dynamic and engaging one that reflects your industry, professional or personal interests. Or if you can’t think of anything like that, some people use an abstract art image or their favourite cityscape. You can download copyright-free images at http://www.unsplash.com or http://www.pixabay.com
3 Update your URL
If you still have the default address that LinkedIn give you, namely the one with numbers at the end, change it to a personalised URL without numbers. For example, this could hypothetically be linkedin.com/in/firstname-lastname
4 Use your header text space well
Optimise your personal brand by using the text space below your profile headshot photo. Include your targeted job title if relevant and focus the text on your targeted role and USP to make the most of keywords.
Research what’s appropriate for roles that you are targeting. Job ads are a perfect source for these. For example, someone looking for a Sales Manager role could have: Sales Manager | Revenue Optimisation | Leadership | People Management | Closing | Relationship Building
Or you could write a dynamic tagline to reflect your personal and professional brand. What value do you add? Either way, for optimal profile and readability, use 120 – 160 characters including spaces. And if you get stuck, try AI. But always check and personalise the result before using it.
5 Make the most of your About section
One of the most important parts of your LinkedIn profile is the About section where you get up to 2000 characters of text to sell your professional self to the recruiter and hiring manager. Some people prefer a handful of bullets, while others prepare to use the whole space. You don’t need to use it all.
Personally, I prefer shorter content here. Make it accessible. Shorter paragraphs. Use bullets. Include keywords.
Tell your story using quantifiable results (where possible and keeping in mind confidentiality) which demonstrate what you achieved for the companies that you worked for.
6 Check dates and job titles on your CV and LinkedIn profile correspond
This deserves a separate bullet as I see it five times a day. Your LinkedIn profile and your CV are your branding documents and as such, they need to be consistent, so double-check that the job titles and dates match. It may seem a minor thing, but it looks unprofessional and doesn’t give a good impression if they don’t match. Plus, it makes recruiters’ life more difficult to work out your story. And we need to keep them sweet, don’t we?
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And for six more ways to improve your LinkedIn profile, come back for Part 2 next week!
If you would like help with getting the most out of your CV or LinkedIn profile, get in touch.
Email jncvuk@gmail.com
LinkedIn Jason Newton
Header photo Ferdinand Stöhr on Unsplash
Other photo Steve Johnson on Unsplash
jncv.co.uk 