4 Ways to Start Optimizing the Power of Your LinkedIn Profile Today
By Lisa J. Jackson, Content & LinkedIn Profile Writer
You’ve heard it said that if you’re looking for a new job, LinkedIn is the place to be—and it’s absolutely true!
Not only is the potential to connect with hundreds of professionals a great way to increase your exposure, but further, recruiters and hiring managers are also scouring the platform constantly to find and vet candidates.
Check out these LinkedIn Statistics (as of December 2021):
850M+ members are on LinkedIn.
58M+ companies are listed on LinkedIn.
50M people use LinkedIn to search for jobs each week.
95 job applications are submitted every second.
6 people are hired every minute on LinkedIn.
So, you created a LinkedIn profile months ago and you don’t see what the big deal is because you only hear, well, nothing—not even crickets chirping in the distance.
Why aren’t you being deluged with job opportunities from hiring managers and recruiters?
Let’s take a closer look at your profile. At the top are your name and job title. OK. Where’s your headshot? Have you filled in details about your current or last job?
To benefit most from LinkedIn, you need to take advantage of all the parts of your profile—even the basic parts!
Here are four tips to get you started on optimizing your LinkedIn profile:
Put up a photo!
The headshot does not need to be professionally done; it simply needs to be clear enough to show your face. Are you worried about being judged based on your looks? Presenting yourself authentically can only benefit you long-term. Adding a photo can also give your profile a more personal and warmer feel, which could make you appear more approachable. Click the circle at the top left of your profile to walk through the steps to upload your headshot.
If you’d like to let recruiters or all LinkedIn members know you are open to work, consider adding an #OpenToWork frame to your photo.
Create a strong headline/title using keywords.
Only include your job title if it is relevant to what you are seeking. While a generic “Product Manager” may suffice, for instance, the more specific you are and the more keywords you include, the better results you will have.
Keywords are words and phrases people search on. Think of how you do an internet search for anything—the more specific you are with the (key)words you use, the better the results you get. Imagine you are the recruiter or hiring manager needing to find a person like you for a position. What words or phrases will that person type into the search bar? These are the keywords you want to include in your title and throughout your profile.
For example, take the title “Product Manager Focused on Organizational Strategy and Design Thinking.” This person can be found on searches for “product manager,” “organizational strategy,” “design thinking,” and a combination of each. Let the power of internet search help people find you by including terms you use to describe yourself and the role you seek.
LinkedIn currently allows 220 characters with spaces (cws) for a profile’s headline, so maximize that space! Text is truncated when you reach the limit—no worries. For a visual example, these italicized words total 220 cws.
Provide ways to connect!
In addition to email, phone number, and address, you can add up to three website links, which is a good way to showcase your skills if you have a portfolio of work on one or more websites. You can also add social media handles; consider if any are relevant to the people you want to connect with overall.
Share your experience.
The more information you provide enables people who view your profile to learn more about you, which will increase your potential for a job match. Don’t forget to include information about your most recent position!
If this is a first professional job for you, take advantage of other sections of the profile to help people get to know you and your interests, such as past volunteer experience, organizations you’ve been involved with, licenses and certifications you’ve attained, and so on.
You can also take free LinkedIn Skill Assessments and receive badges for your profile to demonstrate and promote your knowledge of the skills you’ve attained or listed.
How do you make these additions or changes?
Log in to LinkedIn and pull up your profile. Pencil icons in the various sections enable you to add or edit text.
The power is in adding even more content. Make your profile more robust by filling out the “About” section. Include info with keywords to show your personality and skill set. This is a great section to tell your story and express what you are looking for.
Don’t forget to keep your profile updated with any changes, whether it’s a new job or skill you’ve learned. Join and list any professional groups you have interest in, which is also a great way to connect with other professionals in the realm you’d like to work.
For LinkedIn to attract and intrigue recruiters, hiring managers, and others to reach out to you, you need to share some details to let people start to get to know you!