When it comes to finding a job or searching for your next employee, it seems that one place many people are starting to look at is LinkedIn; a site that, at the basic level, allows you to showcase your resume and network. Personally, I love using it and out of all of my online media, it’s definitely one of my accounts that I can’t see myself ever dropping.
I actually started off being really hesitant about setting up an account on the site. Like anything, it took time for me to figure out how to use it and to decide how I wanted my “profile” to look. I didn’t really start being active on the site until the end of my undergrad and then right after I graduated, I became really obsessed with it (no shame!). I just truly believe it’s a great tool to utilize, even if you’re not actively searching for a job.
Today I want to share some ways to really ensure you’re showcasing the best you on the site possible – some of these tips are quick and easy changes, while others may take a bit more time. Let’s start at the top of your profile with the first thing everyone sees –
Your Profile Picture
LinkedIn is a site that is setup to help professionals find new jobs and further their careers. You want recruiters and potential employers to see your page and you want to put your best foot forward – your picture should reflect that, especially as it’s, again, one of the first things they will see. Ideally, your profile picture should be a current professional headshot. Not blurry, not a full body photo, not you and your best friends, just you. If you don’t have a current professional headshot, don’t panic! Find a photographer who takes headshots and set up an appointment with them or ask your friend who does a little photography on the side if they would be willing to work with you. You could also try going to your local college or university – you might be able to find a student who wants to add to their portfolio so would be willing to take them for free. Or if your camera takes great pictures and you have a wall that would work as a background, try it out!
If none of those options are available to you at the moment, then take the time to find a clean, clear, current shot of yourself that will work in the meantime (and I’ll admit – I need a new profile photo!).
Connections
This is the networking part of the site. You request to be connected to someone and they can request to be connected to you. The more people you are connected to, the higher the chance that your profile could be seen by someone looking to hire. Connections can endorse your skills and write recommendations for you, both of which allow recruiters to gain a better understanding of who you are and what you can offer the company.
While I caution about adding people willy-nilly, at the same time don’t be afraid to send someone a request, even if you don’t know them that well. As a site that is set up as a professional reflection of a person, understand that the reason behind the site is to network. And how can you network if you don’t have connections?
Skills & Expertise
David wrote an awesome article highlighting ten skills to consider adding to your LinkedIn profile. Having a skills section allows companies and recruiters to see what you have to offer in a glance. Listing the skills you have may not only showcase your abilities and what you can do, it can also show your diversity and may just be what sets you apart from another candidate. Don’t ignore this section because you feel people should be able to figure out your skills from your job history; some people actually promote their skills & expertise section over their employment history because it allows companies to easily see what you have to offer them.
The Experience Section
This is typically the main portion of your profile. I like to refer to it as your actual resume, simply put into LinkedIn’s structure. It’s extremely important that you maintain a clean look to this section as you add things in and take things out. Keep in mind that this is still a resume and companies looking to hire aren’t typically willing to look at something for an extended period of time. It’s tempting to add things in and write paragraphs to explain a job position, especially since the “one-page limit” doesn’t really exist, but if it starts to get too long, people will move on from your page. If you have a current job that you really enjoy and are planning at staying in that area or an area like it for a while, consider removing a past job that offers no skills or background knowledge in that area from the section. Just like a resume you send in for a job, include only the relevant information first and foremost.
A clean, clear, visually-appealing, and easy-to-read look should be what you are going for. Ask a friend or colleague to view your profile and let you know if they were overwhelmed with the information or found it easy to view (don’t forget to still use action words).
My experience section is getting to the point that I feel I need to remove some of it, however the style I chose to use (bullet points) makes it easy for people to look through it. David’s LinkedIn offers a great balance with short, to the point explanations and bullets to include the rest. During an interview, you’ll often be given the chance to more thoroughly explain a past position and the experiences you have; so you shouldn’t really have a need to include lengthy paragraphs on your LinkedIn profile.
Groups, Volunteer Experience & Causes, Following, and Organizations You Support
Have no fear about adding to any of these sections! If you are a part of something that helps you achieve what you wish to accomplish and are proud of, add it. It shows dedication, commitment, and also informs perspective employers as to what kind of person you are.
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I don’t mean to overwhelm you; there are a lot of options and ways you can make your LinkedIn profile your own. I would suggest working on one section at a time and once you are satisfied with that area, then move on to the next one. If you’re stuck trying to figure out how you want something to look or sound, check out your connection’s profiles and let them inspire you!
If you are actively seeking a new job, the recommendation I always hear is to spend 15 minutes a day on LinkedIn. Review your profile, add a connection or two, and search the jobs tab. You may also have luck looking through your updates for jobs that may interest you that others have liked and shared. Once you start actively looking at the different jobs on LinkedIn, they will send you an email once in a while with positions that may interest you based on the previous ones you have viewed. I see it as them doing the work for you!
I’m very curious as to how you all feel about LinkedIn – do you have a profile or why not? How much time do you spend on it? And what appeals to you when you are looking at other’s profiles?
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Photo by Sheila Scarborough
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Thanks for the tips, D.C. I have the worst LinkedIn Profile. I haven’t updated anything on it beyond my picture. One of these days….
Holly at ClubThrifty It took me a while to really get into it as well! Once I did, I was hooked and now I just want to make changes to it all the time!
These are all great tips! I think the profile picture is a big one as you really don’t want to lose out on an opportunity because you have some crazy picture of you on there. For the other stuff, I am in the same camp as Holly, I need to update mine big time. :)
FrugalRules Thank you! The profile picture is definitely something that you want to select carefully, but it can be a relatively quick and easy change if you have a good picture already. Good luck updating!
Great points here. When it comes to connections on LinkedIn, I focus more on people who are local and/or in my field. While I might know Jane Doe from college, I generally don’t ask her to be a connection unless she either lives near me or works in my field, especially if we haven’t talked since college.
Tara Zee Thank you! That’s a great connections habit – I’m definitely more “picky” when it comes to who is a connection with me because if I wouldn’t recommend that person for a job, then why would I add them on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is on my to-do list for things to get better at. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about what a powerful tool it is. I always struggle with the resume side of things. I never know how to write it so it sounds original/compelling. It’s a constant work in progress.
Matt @ Mom and Dad Money It can be really difficult and frustrating! I completely understand. It took me a long time, a lot of help, and constant revisions to finally get my resume to where I was happy with it. Maybe tapping someone you know who is good with that kind of stuff to help you would put you in the right direction? Good luck!
I haven’t really gotten into LinkedIn yet and my profile is probably very out of date (I don’t remember the last time I logged in).
Also, I hope nobody actually goes to a local college and gets a student to take their photo for free or just for their portfolio. Nothing grinds my gears more than people still thinking it’s ok to not pay artists, even if they’re still learning!
debtperception It took me a while to get into LinkedIn as well – several months actually! Now I enjoy it so much that I’m constantly looking at ways to change/update/improve mine. Not a bad habit, but sometimes you don’t need to tweak something all. the. time.
I definitely didn’t mean to imply that people should just walk up to someone on a campus and demand a free picture! It’s just been my experience that if the student has to take the picture for a grade in a class or need something specific for their portfolio (again, for a grade or to be critiqued), they’ll often refuse to be compensated, especially if they’re the ones who approached you. That doesn’t mean you can’t give them a card and some chocolate or something – common courtesy :)
LinkedIn is one of the social networks that I haven’t taken the time to figure out but probably should. I set up a profile once but that has been months ago and I’ve left it untouched.
SingleMomIncome It took me a few months to get into it as well – now I can’t get enough of it!
This is a great reminder for me to improve my LinkedIn profile! It’s been on my mind for a while, and I’ve wanted to update my profile with my writing and blogging info.. but I also don’t want to ruffle any feathers at my current 9-5 job (while some family members are aware of my blog, my coworkers are not). I don’t think they’d care, I just want to tread lightly in that area. Maybe I’ll compromise and update my profile picture to the same one I use for blogging, so when I reach out to other bloggers in the PF community via LinkedIn, you’ll know it’s me! ;)
CSMillennial Changing your profile pic to your blogging one is a great idea! I do hope that one day you’ll be able to add all the information that you want to though :) :)
I actually quite like LinkedIn, but I really don’t spend very much time on it. I have been thinking lately that I should be revising my profile to reflect what I’ve been doing and maybe spend a little more time on there.
addvodka I have been really enjoying it and now I want to revise it all the time! Haha :)
Another thing to put on my to do list. I haven’t spent much time on this one because I am not really looking for a job. It would be a good thing to have updated though.
Eyesonthedollar I’m not currently looking for a job either, but networking never ends :)
I love Linked-In. I know there are a lot of people don’t see the appeal in it but I think its because people aren’t utilizing it properly. I constantly get emails of friends of mine updating their profiles as well as people who like to confirm my skills/knowledge. I’ve actually gotten a couple of job offers though it, though I already had a job at the time. I actually have my profile about 90-95% completed. I need to update it actually so it matches my updated CV.
Paulette Mensah That’s awesome! When you start to put the effort into your profile, pretty quickly you start to see the benefits! I need to update mine too :)
This is great! Thanks for putting this together Sally as I clearly need to spend some time on my profile. It really does such out loud.
RatherBeShopping Thank you! And no problem, I’ve been pretty obsessed with LinkedIn the past few months so any time I get a chance to do something involving it, I’m a happy camper :) :)
I have a pretty decent and active LinkedIn page with a pretty large amount of connections. I am curious on what you think about linking a personal blog to your profile. I am slowly starting to make income off of the blog (though it’s pennies compared to what other bloggers bring in). But I am unsure if it would be good to list or if I should keep it off until it’s established. I have seen several people list their personal blog or call themselves a freelancer at their blog, but I never know if this is actually a good idea or not. What is your opinion?
fitisthenewpoor I see no problem with it! If you are comfortable with where it is at and are happy with it and what people will read and see, then why not? LinkedIn is designed to showcase your skills and talents in the job world. If you feel your writing is an asset, you should go for it :)
I never got into the habit of using my Linked-In profile a whole lot. Then after they had the whole hacking incident, I saw it as an opportunity to simply delete the account. I had to recently reactivate it when I wanted to research a company I was interviewing with. Since then I’ve slowly built up a little bit of my profile but it could use a bit more work. I may have to have another round of updates just so I can include new projects at my current job.
I usually visited my LinkedIn every time there are updates from my network or if my connection sent me a message. I have my profile photo but I didn’t really give much attention in improving my profile. But after reading this post I will make sure to take a look of it.
Linked certainly sounds like a platform I should explore a little bit deeper. I set up a profile sometime back, never bothered to update it though…and my picture, well, if am not wrong it was a kitten or something (gasp!) – yeah, its that bad. Thanks for the tips, I could definitely do with some serious networking
I desperately need to update my linkedin with some of the projects and details of my job for the past year. Having a good photo is such a key one and one that lots of people don’t bother with, despite the relative simplicity!