For most students, the new year means new opportunities, professional advancements, and more money to be made. If you are trying to secure your dream job or establish an online work presence, LinkedIn is one of the best business social media platforms out there. There are a lot of profiles that are as good as gold and others that are, quite frankly, total flops. Here are some tips to perfect your profile and make you stand out from the rest.
Keep your information updated.
With each new experience you gain in the real world, you should update the virtual world, too. Make sure all of your experience is current so you don't forget anything later on. Most people update their profiles when they receive a new position or shortly after completing one. Additionally, and especially for college students, it's common to post updates about exciting announcements within their professional and academic endeavors.
Make sure every profile area is complete.
An incomplete profile looks exactly that: incomplete. If you ever refer someone to your profile or use it to land a job, make sure every area is filled out to its entirety. It is time-consuming, but it will help you out in the long-run and create a more professional online appearance.
Customize your banner.
If a potential employer visits your profile, you want it to be visually engaging. One way to make your profile stand out is by customizing your banner. When doing so, keep it professional but maintain your personality and interests. If you're not a graphic design expert or proficient in Adobe software, Canva is a great free resource with loads of customizable templates for LinkedIn banners (and other social media platforms, too!).
Use a professional photo.
Nothing is worse than going to someone's LinkedIn and seeing an unprofessional photo. This doesn't necessarily have to be a suit-and-tie style headshot, but you definitely don't want to use a photo from your vacation in Cancún or last weekend's tailgate. Make sure the photo you choose focuses on your face, has a simple background, doesn't include other people or have other's visibly cropped out, and showcases business attire.
Connect exclusively with people you know and have worked with before.
If you are making a profile from scratch, you'll immediately want to network with people to increase your exposure. LinkedIn isn't like other social media platforms so your follower count isn't a big deal. When sending and responding to requests, try to stick with people you know and have worked with exclusively. You don't want valuable information in your feed to get drowned out by updates from users you don't even know.
Add detailed descriptions to your experience.
Your LinkedIn profile is a chance to talk about as much of your experience as you want. There is no limit to how much you can add so list what you feel is relevant to your career goals in great detail. Keep those descriptions to two to three bullet points, and style them the same way as resumes by omitting "I" and starting sentences with action verbs. Later on, when you're applying for a job or sitting in an interview, it is helpful to be able to easily reference a place where your experience goes more in-depth.
Link as much as possible.
If you say you have experience in a specific field, employers typically want to see proof. LinkedIn gives users the ability to add virtually anything you would need to tangibly showcase your work. So, if you've created a portfolio website, link it in your profile! Add your professional resume to the about section and any relevant writings, art, research, or published materials can be linked under the respective experiences.
Feel free to brag a little.
Towards the bottom of your profile are the skills and accomplishments sections. Some people choose to keep them very limited out of fear of bragging or looking like a show-off. This section is where you can truly shine! Listing any major awards and life accomplishments demonstrates to an employer your mastery in your knowledge and capabilities. Just make sure not to embellish your experience. Employers will obviously be able to tell if you faked information on day one of the job.
Follow relevant companies and hashtags.
This is how you make the news feed relevant to you! If you are trying to keep up with certain companies, job opportunities, or potential employers, following their pages and hashtags is a good place to start. You'll never miss the important information and you'll discover things that are relevant to your career goals and interests.
Put contact information.
How else are employers going to reach out to you directly? Putting your email and any professional social media accounts are great to have at the top of your profile. However, you should leave out your address and phone number for obvious safety reasons. Before you upload your resume, make sure you have taken this specific information off -most people forget it is on there!
Following these 10 tips will set your LinkedIn profile apart from other potential applicants, and hopefully, help you nail the job you're applying for!
