Given the significance of online technology in the 21st century, it’s easy to see how LinkedIn can be beneficial to tech-savvy workers. Meant as a portal to connect employers with potential employees, as well as to cultivate new business opportunities between industry professionals, LinkedIn is quickly becoming the go-to hub of networking and employment. Despite its skyrocketing popularity, however, some profiles still leave a lot to be desired in the way of content development, aesthetics and overall professional appeal.
Fill Out Your Profile Completely
The biggest key to success when it comes to building a successful LinkedIn profile is to take full advantage of all of its features. Because an incomplete LinkedIn profile can come across as a sign of laziness or disinterest on your behalf, it’s important to fill out all of the fields to the best of your ability.
Use Active Language
Failure to use active language when describing their experience or skills is one of the biggest mistakes made by LinkedIn users today. Not only is passive language boring and tedious to read, but it also tends to give the impression of a doer rather than an achiever. Active words also allow for a little more creativity and freedom of expression when it comes to design your LinkedIn profile.
Highlight Achievements
Highlighting your specific achievements is a great way to get your LinkedIn profile the attention it deserves. Instead of describing common, menial tasks you’ve completed throughout your career, use this space to highlight your actual achievements. Describing how you’ve affected a company’s bottom line, reduced overhead costs or improved customer relations is a great way to highlight a specific achievement. Try to use hard facts and figures wherever appropriate, as such statistics convey your achievements in a manner that is concise, straightforward and easily interpreted by any potential employers who may be reading.
Use a Professional Picture
Using a professional picture is a great way of gaining increased interest and exposure to your LinkedIn profile. Not only does a portrait attach a human face to the digital profile, but it also shows initiative and dedication on your part. Some may be hesitant to use a personal photo online, and this is understandable, but doing so can go a long way in ensuring the success of your LinkedIn profile.
List Your Entire Skill Set
Listing your entire skill set, regardless of your level of experience in each skill, is a great way of maximizing your opportunities within LinkedIn. You can even use friends, co-workers or clients to endorse certain skills, which will give you even more merit in the eyes of potential employers.
Use a Customized URL
The URL is the actual Internet address that is used to locate your LinkedIn profile, and unless you setup a personalized one, you’ll be given a cryptic string of text that is neither pretty nor easy to read. Not only does a custom URL add that final professional touch to a LinkedIn profile, but it can easily be printed onto business cards in order to garner even more online exposure. Simply follow the instructions on LinkedIn’s website to complete this process.
