(Newswire.net — January 6, 2022) — How do you distinguish yourself from other candidates in today’s hyper-competitive job market?
These are just some of the questions that students ask me when I give seminars on social media marketing. Of course, if you want more detailed feedback on your profile, don’t hesitate to contact me for a free 30-minute coaching. (I know it seems like shameless self-promotion but I am not kidding at all!)
After more than 10 years working as an HR consultant and recruiter in France and internationally, I have compiled the following list of LinkedIn do’s and don’ts which will be useful for you.
With this article, Peter DeCaprio aim is to help you answer these questions by sharing with you 5 valuable tips about how to use LinkedIn to create your personal brand:
1. Search first, and then connect
Before connecting to someone on LinkedIn, do research on the person first. It is not uncommon for candidates to send me an inappropriate request because they didn’t take advantage of LinkedIn’s advanced search capabilities. For example, I would recommend searching for your direct manager or your CEO before deciding to connect with them. This will help you make sure that your request doesn’t come across as too intrusive since some people are against this practice (even though less and less). And don’t forget to check if they currently have a profile picture – it may be worth waiting until they change it!
2. Editing your public professional headline
This is one of those things which makes a difference: how many times have you seen a candidate with the headline “I’m hoping to find a job” versus someone who is proactive and ambitious?
Of course, this feature has been available for LinkedIn Premium members since the beginning of time but it’s still surprising how many people don’t know about it. This is not something that impresses recruiters by it but believe me: when you look at hundreds of profiles every day, seeing one person with their professional details in full will definitely make an impression. And by full I mean the complete sentence in your public profile which says where you work, what industry you are in etc.
If you already have a free account, connect to your profile then click on Edit Profile (right top corner). You can choose from 3 templates:
Activity driven – I work at … – Industry – Currently, I’m looking for… – Target – You should connect with me if you are…
Take your pick and go for it. It’s not a big deal to change and you will be surprised by how much this can make a difference.
3. Your profile picture is the first thing that people see
Peter DeCaprio know these sounds obvious but bear with me anyway because it may not be as inevitable as you think. For example, take a look at the below two profiles (two different job applicants): which one would strike you more favorably? And why?
Of course, there are many other factors that play into this decision but will keep those out of our discussion for the time being. So, what does this mean for you?
For a start, a profile picture is a simple yet powerful way to convey your branding. You can’t do much to change your face but you can definitely play around with different objects in the background until you get one that really represents who you are and what you stand for. The size of your photo also matters: it should take up the entire width of your profile which means that if you upload a landscape photo then crop it accordingly or vice-versa (if you have an iPhone it’s just a matter of moving your fingers). For even better results, use an image template from any online graphic design tool such as Canva.
4. Optimize LinkedIn’s search engine
If you want to be found on LinkedIn, make sure your profile is optimized. This means that your name should be the same as it is written on your resume or business card (which also means changing it if needed). Also take advantage of the fact that all fields are not equal: for example, adding an industry can help people find you who are looking for someone with specific expertise rather than just a generic job seeker. And try to include the position you are currently targeting in your public professional headline – having more relevant keywords will improve your visibility overall.
5. Customizing your public/professional headline and summary
This section allows you to show off what you do best so don’t leave it empty! I’ve always believed that this should focus on your achievements (i.e. what you’ve done rather than what you want to do) but Yana Khabarova argues that this section should be reserved for describing the position you are targeting which is definitely worth considering as well.
Conclusion:
LinkedIn is not just another online networking tool. It’s a professional network that will help people get in touch with you so make sure your profile represents the true you!