A lot of us have worked to create brands or market products but we rarely market ourselves or build our own brand. Despite knowing how important branding is in the corporate world, we hardly get around to doing any of it for ourselves. One of the most common types of personal branding is our LinkedIn profiles. We have just made a profile randomly and do not update it as often as we should. It is just there. But do you know how important it is to have an updated and optimized LinkedIn? According to a study, around 67% of companies look at a candidate’s LinkedIn profile before extending a job offer.
Recruiters view the LinkedIn profiles to verify the information that you have provided in your CV. Using LinkedIn to your advantage, by maintaining it properly, can do wonders for you. A lot of professional CV writing services in Pakistan offer LinkedIn optimization as well which is done by professionals to make your profile stand out among the crowd. However, if you prefer to do it yourself then this guide will help you make your LinkedIn profile better than ever.
The first thing a recruiter sees when they visit your profile is your profile picture and they pretty often judge you based on that picture. Unlike Facebook, selfies are a no-no on LinkedIn so professional snappy pictures are the way to go. Make sure the picture looks like you, do not use filters or too much makeup. The picture should be recent and have your entire face, a half-body picture is the best way to go. Call a friend who is a professional photographer or who has a camera and set up a proper photoshop to get the right picture. Dress us a little on the formal side, or how you would when going to work. This will prove to the recruiters that you are here to work and that you mean business.
You can smile but make sure it is that preppy work smile, instead of showing all your pearly whites. Also, use a background cover photo that compliments your profile picture to show a little context about your profile or what matters to you.
Another way of impressing anyone who views your profile is to add an appealing and captivating headline. Rather than adding your job title or company name, add a headline that will make an impact and that defines you. The title and company can easily be found somewhere else in your profile and there is no rule as such that the headline should contain the job title so, use this wisely. You can use any headline that is simple yet attractive, do not go overboard with using overrated words and instead make it savvy.
Your headline can be inspirational or anything else just so that it differentiates you from the other candidates. Keep a formal and straightforward tone and avoid too lengthy sentences. For example, “Talent Acquisition Leader” or “Empowering People to Perform Better”.
Writing a profile summary is your chance to tell your story so make sure you have it. A lot of people leave out this space without realizing it’s worth it. This is your chance of telling the recruiter all about yourself, your skills, how you acquired those skills, and your future aims or objectives. Put your time and effort into tailoring a perfect summary, make sure you get it read by a few people to get their perspectives, and learn how you can make it better.
This is the most personalized section of your LinkedIn profile and it provides you with a chance to captivate the recruiter and connect with them on a deeper level. Do not be afraid to talk about your achievements in this section and try to make it as informative, engaging, and relevant to your field of interest as possible.
The best way to remain updated about the happenings in the corporate world is to stay connected with those that work there. Be it your colleagues or employers, forming connections with them on LinkedIn will help you a lot in staying updated. The easiest way to grow your network on LinkedIn is to sync your email address book. LinkedIn will start recommending you people to connect with based on this information while you will have complete control over who to send a request to.
Also, follow the relevant influencers of your industry to get interesting content on your feed. When you share this content, it will not only give your profile a personalized touch but it would also show the viewers what you are passionate about.
Displaying the verified skill badge on your relevant skills will definitely increase the worth of your profile. According to a study, companies are 30% more likely to hire candidates with verified skills. Since these skills assessments verify the skills you have listed and prove your capabilities, they are highly valued by the recruiters. A person can list any skills they like but there is no way to know for sure if they actually have that skill.
You can take assessments as many times as you want and you have complete control over displaying the results of these assessments. This means you do not have to display the result unless you pass the assessment so keep going until you do.
Optimizing your LinkedIn will require some effort but the results are worth it. According to professional resume writers in Pakistan if you want to go a step further then you can also get a professional to optimize your LinkedIn profile. Make sure to use professional language and remember that there is no space for informal words on a LinkedIn profile. Make sure there are no typos or grammatical or spelling errors as they will reflect badly on you. Once you have finished optimizing your LinkedIn, you will be amazed at the response you will get. Your LinkedIn profile can do wonders just make sure you update it often and stay active on it by sharing relevant content on your feed.