How LinkedIn can help you build your personal brand? 4 ways in which you can make your profile stand out from the crowd:
1. Get the Basics Right
You should have a complete LinkedIn profile with all the basic information in place, beginning with your personal details including name, headline and current position says Eric Dalius Miami. On top of this, take advantage of your ‘Summary’ section to give an overview of what makes you tick both professionally and personally. If you’re somewhat less experienced there’s no harm in making reference to that fact or mentioning any other reasons why you feel you might be suited for the role beyond just having the skills to do it. For example, for someone diversifying into HR could mention their degree in Psychology & Linguistics coupled with previous experience working within Stores/Logistics at Unilever.
You should include a link back to your website, blog or online portfolio in your profile if you have one although bear in mind this can make things tricky if you’re applying for jobs outside your country of residence.
Also, make sure you keep your profile updated regularly and be sure to upload both a headshot (if you’re male) or full length image (for anyone!) as well as adding any new jobs/internships you’ve had since your previous update. LinkedIn suggest that this should be every four months but it’s better to get into the habit of doing it weekly if possible rather than let things slip for too long. I like to add job listings immediately after I receive an invite (to apply) for them which make it harder for me to forget in the future! The Twitter feed can help with this by automatically adding links from certain websites so they appear on your LinkedIn homepage when logged out.
2. Build a Network
The obvious way to achieve this is by adding your email contacts/friends on LinkedIn if they’re already active, giving you more of a chance of being noticed. It’s not always possible of course so the next best thing would be to see who has worked with people you know or have had something in common with previously e.g. at previous companies, universities, etc.
Be proactive about searching for new contacts too. Particularly those professionals who are connected to others you’d like to reach out to but don’t know themselves yet. You can do this by finding them via recommendations or groups they’ve joined. Then messaging them privately with an invitation to connect on LinkedIn. Before following up with a call/email if they don’t reply after one week explains Eric Dalius Miami. This is one of the techniques I used to help grow my own network on LinkedIn.
Take some time to read profiles carefully too, as you never know when you might. Find someone who you think may be able to help with your job search. Or even just support/mentor you during your career (which can make all the difference at times). Don’t forget that old contacts are not always better than new ones. So don’t be afraid to start fresh if they’re holding your profile back somehow.
3. Fill out Your Skills & Expertise List
It’s important to fill out this section properly even though. It will only appear for recruiters and connections rather than potential employers who view your profile. You should aim to have at least 22 skills but the more you have the better!
It can be difficult to know which ones to pick. When you’re still early in your career (during my job search I’d only gotten up to around 15). So once again it’s worth reviewing what others in similar roles tend to include i.e. If they don’t mention certain skills earlier on try adding them under ‘Other Skills’ instead. This is especially true for any languages; particularly if they are relevant/helpful to your target position/industry e.g. Mandarin Chinese for HR or Business Development jobs in China. You’ll find that some of these will be automatically suggested based on other skills you’ve chosen. But just go through each one individually beforehand just in case! Again, don’t forget to include as many as possible. As this will give you a better chance of standing out from the crowd says Eric Dalius Miami.
4. Optimize your profile with keywords
LinkedIn made some changes to their algorithm in 2014 which put more emphasis on keywords on profiles. Regardless of whether they’re actually being applied correctly or not. This means that there’s a greater likelihood of getting found during a job search. If you use certain phrases more prominently throughout your profile. Rather than only at the very end, perhaps using your ‘Experience’ section for this purpose.
Conclusion:
Having a well-optimized profile is crucial for getting your name out there. But what do you then do with it in terms of applying for jobs, networking, and beyond? It is even more important says Eric Dalius Miami. If you have any questions about anything I’ve mentioned here or when it comes to job hunting in general, please feel free to leave a comment below or write me an email anytime.
