Five tips to create an impressive LinkedIn profile
Before you throw yourself into a new job search, there's some important things to consider. One of the most important things is to decide how you want to portray yourself. As soon as you start applying for jobs, you’re essentially asking employers to come and find you. First impressions count, and it’s likely the first place a hiring manager will go to find out more about you is LinkedIn. With this in mind, we decided to put together a few top tips to make sure your LinkedIn page shows off your best skills.
1. Make sure your headline and summary are up to date
So this one’s obvious – you want the people looking at your LinkedIn to be offering relevant opportunities. Make sure your headline and summary clearly articulates the kind of jobs you’re open to and where your ideal location would be. This is the first thing potential employers will read about you when they view your page, so you want to make sure it's targeting the right people.
2. Target job description keywords and use them in your profile
It’s all well and good making sure you have a profile that’s ready to win over hiring managers, but there’s not really any point if they never see your profile. Filling your job profile with keywords allows hiring managers to find you more easily and opens yourself up to more job opportunities. This is a great way to optimise LinkedIn.
3. Create a custom URL
Creating a custom URL is a great idea for two reasons; not only does it allow yourself and others to share your profile easily, it also looks tidier. It creates a much better impression to hiring managers and gives off the impression that you’re a savvy LinkedIn user with access to a network of opportunities.
4. Showcase your personal interests and hobbies
Sometimes people shy away from putting their personal interests and hobbies on LinkedIn, but as long as it doesn’t overshadow your professional achievements, then there’s no real reason you shouldn’t be doing this. Demonstrating a healthy interest in projects outside of work showcases you as a well-rounded candidate. It’s never a bad thing to show off your personality, if anything it makes you more appealing.
5. Ensure your skills and endorsements are relevant and up to date
Endorsements are a great way to highlight your credibility, acting almost like live references. Getting some great endorsements on your profile is a great way for hiring managers to see first-hand what team members you’ve worked with in the past have to say about you. It’s a good opportunity for you to demonstrate your value from another source than your own words. You might also feel uncomfortable talking yourself up too much for fear of coming across as overly confident – this solves the problem. Let someone else talk about how amazing you are! Don’t be afraid to ask some former colleagues for recommendations and endorsements – giving these out is a great way to get them in return.
To get more advice on how to impress hiring managers at every stage of your job search, get in touch with the team at Real. We’re here to help you every step of the way and our consultative service gives you access to a dedicated consultant ready to find the job you’re looking for. To find out more, why not contact the team at Real today?
