It’s time to give your LinkedIn some love

Did you know that according to De Tijd, three million Belgians have a profile on LinkedIn? LinkedIn is a valuable tool for recruiters to screen profiles and see if you match with a vacancy. As so, you want your profile to stand out and cause the recruiters to connect with you! Do you need a little inspiration as to how you can do just that? We’ve got you covered – here are our 10 easy steps to a shining LinkedIn profile!

 

1. Headline
This headline is the first thing that is visible underneath your profile picture. A lot of people put their job title here but this is already in your work history – so why not go for something a bit more create? 
A better way is to use it is as a pitch that is short and interesting. Make employers want to check you out. And don’t add phrases like “looking for a job”. If you happen to be a designer for example, why not write “designing tomorrow’s collections for XX“? Or you could do as Rod Mader did on the picture below:

 The headline

 

2. Profile picture
This is your first kind of contact on LinkedIn. Adding a picture will help with memory recall and it can show a more personal side of yourself. Make sure to upload a professional picture in a good quality. The ideal picture would be one that’s cropped from above your head to just below the shoulders.
Also, make it visible to non-contacts. If your photo isn’t visible, you will easier get passed on.  

Profile picture

 

3. Location
It is given that recruiters will narrow down their searches by location. Use this to your advantage by adding your location to your profile.

Location

4. Change your profile URL

Change the URL of your profile to something short and nice. By doing this, you make it much easier for people (and search engines) to find your profile. Figuring out if your name is an available solution can be a quick fix. 

4. Summary
This explains your unique talents and abilities. Google indexes Linkedin quite high. If you Google yourself, your LinkedIn profile probably ends up at the top results. You can add some SEO related words to increase your opportunities.

Summary

 

5. Skills
Add at least 5 relevant skills to your LinkedIn. People with 5 skills or more get  more messages from recruiters than those without. Other people can rate your skills if you list them. Don’t forget that these skills need to be professional. And make sure not to forget that quality trumps quantity!

Skills

6. Recommend – and get recommended

Recommendations boost the credibility of your profile and competences. Be generous and recommend the people in your network, you feel like saying nice things about. Usually, what goes around comes around. Remember the mantra always though – quality over quantity!

Recommendation LinkedIn

8. Impress with your experience

Because what is a job title worth if you cannot explain what it entails? Make sure to add bullet points to your experiences so the recruiters understand your expertise better. You should list all relevant work experience, whether it is volunteering, a student job, a senior position, an apprenticeship or something completely different.

bullet points with experience on LinkedIn

9. Use the “Open Candidates” function

In this way, you can privately signal to the recruiters that you are up for a new challenge without your current employer finding out. You can segment the function based on location, company size, job title etc. 

Open candidate function LinkedIn

10. Be active

Join groups, like posts, comment on videos – whatever you find relevant and interesting. The more you engage on LinkedIn, the better. And your activities will appear on top of your page and give the recruiter a nice idea about your personality and interests.

Articles and Activity LinkedIn

Tip: is your LinkedIn now shining? Then we suggest the next step will be to prepare yourself for your future job interview with these 9 habits to avoid during your job interview. 

You can also prepare yourself by practicing your answer to a frequently asked question – Why do you want this job?” 

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