First impressions matter - How to create a standout LinkedIn profile
Written by Dominic Moore April 2020
Just as important as your CV is your LinkedIn profile. Recruiters and hiring managers will almost, always look at this before progressing.
below are our top tips for having a LinkedIn profile that will tell people what they need to know, helping you stand out from the crowd.
1. Choose an appropriate picture for LinkedIn
Your Facebook profile picture or the cropped picture from someone's wedding probably isn’t the best one to use. It doesn’t have to be a professional picture but make sure it is a headshot, is recent and that you look friendly and aren’t wearing sunglasses.
2. Use the ‘About’ section to tell your story
The first thing to say about your LinkedIn summary is – make sure you have one! It’s amazing how many people leave this section blank when creating their profile. Your summary is your chance to tell your story – so don’t just use it to list your skills, use it to bring to life why those skills matter and the difference they can make to the people you work with - this might take a little while to get right but is worth doing.
3. Tell us what you did at work
List different roles or promotions within the same company under that single company entry, including a short summary of each (1-2 sentences is fine) so people know what your role actually did. If the company you worked for is unknown, explain who they are to remove any guesswork. If you were working on projects, include specifics, eg: “producing a 3-year growth strategy for a non-listed retailer”, or “delivering a new operating model for the corporate services function of a major global bank”.
4. List your relevant skills
It’s one of the quickest of quick wins on LinkedIn – scroll through the list of skills and identify those that are relevant to you. Doing so helps to substantiate the description in your Headline and Summary, provides a platform for others to endorse you, and is an easy way for recruiters to find you. However, the key here is staying relevant. A long list of skills that aren’t really core to who you are and what you do can feel unwieldy.
5. Be concise and get it right
Write your LinkedIn profile for the job you want, not the job you have. What you leave out is just as important as what you include; you don’t need to include every project you ever worked on, just those that promote you for the job you want. Use plain language - no buzzwords or business acronyms. Check and double check dates, spelling and grammar. As with your CV, have someone else take a look and give you feedback.
6. Request and give recommendations
Endorsements give people viewing your profile a quick, visual sense of what you’re valued for. Recommendations take things a step further. They are personal testimonials written to illustrate the experience of working with you. Similarly, giving recommendations shows you take the time to help and support others.
7. Follow relevant influencers for your industry
Following relevant influencers on LinkedIn helps to put a range of interesting content in your feed, which you can then share with others when you think it adds value. It also helps to give context to your LinkedIn profile, demonstrating your passion for what you do.
8. Check the rest of your online presence
Finally, look at your Facebook profile and other social media platforms through a prospective employers eyes. Also run a google search on yourself. Make sure these results universally reflect how you want to be perceived professionally.