Discover the Power of a Professional LinkedIn Profile

With more than 500 million users worldwide, LinkedIn is one of the largest professional networks on the planet. When you are not looking for a job, it can be easy to ignore your LinkedIn profile. However, having a complete profile will increase the odds that recruiters will even stumble upon your page. The professional LinkedIn profile page is the foundation for personal branding.

In order to start building your professional LinkedIn profile, follow the four tips below.

Add a Professional LinkedIn Headshot

A profile picture is the first thing the audience views when they click on a page; take this initial opportunity to make a good impression. It is important that the picture is recent and looks like you; do not use an old picture. Make sure that your face takes up at least 60% of the frame; distracting backgrounds will take away from the main focus – you. Take a look at what people in your target company or industry are wearing in their photos. If you do not have a professional photo handy, it is worth the investment. With the massive amount of people on LinkedIn, profiles without a professional picture will easily be overlooked.

Create an Eye-Catching Headline

The headline is the text that appears below your name on the professional LinkedIn profile. The default settings will fill this in with a current position, but the more specific you can be about what sets you apart from the competition, the better. Rather than simply listing a current job, use the headline to say more about how you view the role.

Craft an Interesting LinkedIn Summary

Similar to the headline, the summary is used to describe how past and present work experiences will benefit your prospective employers. This section is meant to walk the reader through your work passions, essential skills and unique qualifications. It is important to invest time into crafting the summary. Furthermore, look through the job descriptions of the positions you are considering applying for; what keywords and phrases are used? By incorporating the words that are used in the descriptions, it will be easier for recruiters to find your professional LinkedIn profile.

Highlight Professional Work Experiences

Work experiences on LinkedIn should feature your main career achievements and defining moments. Balance industry keywords and hard skills with a dose of humility; authenticity is key.  Due to the fact that viewers have a short attention span, lead with your greatest accomplishments. Do not simply copy and paste a resume into the LinkedIn profile. Use action words and industry keywords to show not just what you did, but what you accomplished in each position; use words that are connected to the field.

In this day in age, it is vital to have a professional LinkedIn profile. Having a strong LinkedIn presence is the first step for personal branding; professional growth requires both networking and promotion. Follow the above tips and you will set yourself apart from the competition.