Tips for Improving Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn has become a wildly popular tool for making valuable business connections and expanding the size of your professional network. For candidates looking to find an exciting new job, the ability to quickly and easily browse available positions has never been easier. Plus, studies show that 72 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn when vetting candidates during the recruiting process—further emphasising the value that this platform can have when going through your job search.

7 LinkedIn Tips for Active Job-seekers

Looking to land a new position? Before submitting job applications and sending in resumes, candidates should take the time to first update and optimise their personal LinkedIn page. Our team at The Principle Group comprised our top 10 tips to improve and enhance your LinkedIn profile.

1. Find a professional head-shot

First impressions are important during the recruiting process. When a hiring manager or recruitment specialist is evaluating your profile for the first time, don’t let them see an old, grainy, outdated profile picture. Instead, find a professional photographer who can give you a nice, crisp head-shot to display on your page.

2. Formulate your headline

Your headline is another piece of information that will be seen immediately by recruiters and hiring managers. If you’re actively seeking full-time employment or internship opportunities, it’s a good idea to include this information. The more creative and eye-catching your headline is, the more intriguing your profile might be to a prospective company that’s looking for your skill set.

3. Update your contact info

If recruiters and hiring managers are impressed by your profile, they might want to contact you. Be sure to include both an updated phone number and an email address on your LinkedIn page. You can also include links to your own personal website to showcase your work.

4. Add a professional summary

Beneath your headshot and contact information is a section to include a professional summary. This section can explain different aspects of your career that might not be easily identified in the rest of your LinkedIn profile. Take the time to explain your biggest motivations and passions. Showcase your skills and areas of expertise. Talk about your proudest accomplishments—both personally and professionally. With an exceptional LinkedIn summary, you can easily increase the quality of your page.

5. Make sure your experience is consistent with your resume

Including your professional experience on your LinkedIn profile is an absolute must. But candidates need to be sure that the roles they have on their personal LinkedIn page are consistent with the ones listed on their resumes. Confirm that your job titles, employer names, and dates of employment are the same on both sources.

6. Include your education history

Did you pursue—and receive—an undergraduate or graduate college degree? If so, this information should be included on your LinkedIn page. Be sure to spell out the degree you earned, the major(s) you studied, the activities you took part in, and the awards or accolades you won. Bolstering up the education section of your resume is a great way to catch the eye of a hiring manager or recruiter.

7. Talk about your volunteer experience

Are you passionate about making a difference in the community? Do you regularly give back and support non-profit charities or other organisations? If so, talk about your volunteer experience on your LinkedIn profile. List specific functions that you helped the group to accomplish or achieve. This part of your page is another differentiator that could separate you from the rest of the pack.

8. Add featured skills

Listing your top professional skills on your LinkedIn profile presents a great opportunity to highlight your areas of expertise. You can pin your most proficient skills to the top of this section, which will allow your connections to endorse you for these abilities. By increasing the number of users that endorse you for certain skills, you’ll appear like a true subject matter expert in these areas.

9. Solicit recommendations

Examining a candidate’s recommendations can be one of the most effective ways for recruiters and hiring managers to get a feel for an individual’s character, work ethic, and professional drive. It’s never a bad idea to ask your bosses or coworkers for a LinkedIn endorsement—even if you only worked for their company as an intern or for a short time. These recommendations can work to your benefit during the recruiting process.

10. Share a post or write an article

Are you a true subject matter expert on a particular topic? Do you have insight on a matter that your LinkedIn connections might find compelling or significant? Share this knowledge in a video post. Better yet, if you’re confident in your writing skills, post an article for your network to read. This can help your profile to gain traction and accumulate followers—thereby increasing your professional brand.