It may be tempting to quickly check off creating your LinkedIn profile, but keep in mind that some employers review LinkedIn profiles before they review resumes. As a candidate, it’s crucial to have a well-crafted and up-to-date profile to increase your chances of landing interviews and job opportunities. Make sure to invest time and effort in creating a LinkedIn profile that highlights your strengths and achievements before applying for jobs.
A strong LinkedIn headline specifically is an important personal marketing tool for any professional. Your headline needs to accurately and effectively communicate who you are, your skills, and what you have to offer clearly and concisely. Here are some tips on how to write a LinkedIn headline and profile.
Tip 1: Be Clear About Your Goals
It’s important to first take the time to reflect on your career goals and determine the direction you want to take. If your LinkedIn profile highlights one set of skills and experience, but you are going after jobs in a different industry, it can confuse recruiters. To address this, consider using a variety of relevant keywords in your headline that can apply to all the fields you’re targeting.
Additionally, your profile should highlight your skills and achievements relevant to all the roles you’re interested in. By casting a wider net with your profile and showcasing your versatility and transferable skills, you can increase your chances of attracting potential employers from multiple fields.
Tip 2: Avoid Regurgitating Your Resume
One of the most common mistakes that candidates make on their LinkedIn profiles is simply repeating the information from their resume. While the purpose of the resume is to market your strengths and achievements and to showcase how you can add value to an organization, the LinkedIn profile serves a slightly different purpose. Your LinkedIn profile should tell your professional story and provide additional context to your experience.
For example, if your resume mentions a problem you solved, your LinkedIn profile could elaborate on the situation, providing additional information on the steps you took and their impact on the organization. From a hiring manager’s point of view, it’s essential to provide new and different information on your LinkedIn profile. If it just rehashes your resume, there is little to no value in having one.
It’s also important to note that, unlike your resume, your LinkedIn profile can and should be written in the first person and provide more detail and background on your accomplishments. While your LinkedIn profile may read more like a story, you could consider using a resume template for stay-at-home moms (like the templates and tips from The Career Counter) to help streamline and professionalize your actual resume.
Tip 3: Don’t Be a Perfectionist
While it’s okay to keep your bar high, perfection is not the goal. Your profile will always be a work in progress, much like your resume. The best approach is to break the process down into manageable steps, complete each step to the best of your ability, then put yourself out there!
Suggested Process
Creating your profile and completing your headline and about sections should be your initial focus, followed by detailing your experience.
Other Tips
Building your network should also be an active part of the process as well. Start by inviting your email contacts, friends, and family, and connect with current or former colleagues. Additionally, joining professional and alumni groups is an effective way to increase your network and gain visibility in your industry.
Requesting recommendations is another crucial step to take early and regularly. Even if you’re not actively job searching, having strong LinkedIn recommendations adds to your credibility as a professional in your field and could provide opportunities in the future. Acquiring LinkedIn recommendations can take time, so it’s recommended to start this process early.
In Summary
According to a recent study, 95% of recruiters utilize LinkedIn for finding potential candidates, however only half of LinkedIn profiles are fully complete. This is one big reason that it’s so important to have a strong LinkedIn profile. The more complete your profile is, the higher the probability of appearing in recruiters’ search results.
It’s time to take action, make yourself comfortable with your favorite beverage, and invest some uninterrupted time in building your LinkedIn profile!