Blog 13: How to make a successful LinkedIn profile.

 Hello, amazing Readers! 

Today I want to get down into the nitty-gritty applications of LinkedIn. Most of us have a LinkedIn account, and if you don't already, I'd highly recommend it. It's a great profile to show off your skills, resume, and find amazing job opportunities. I've found quite a few wonderful employees over LinkedIn and was easily able to connect over the platform. LinkedIn is great, but it's also important to be conscious about how you make a successful profile on LinkedIn. You want to stand out, but still be professional enough. It can be tricky to also know how much of your resume to add, as well as photos, headshots, or links to your profile. That's why my tips for creating a successful LinkedIn profile will hopefully help to make you stand out and succeed in almost any job market. 

1. Make sure your headshot looks professional, but also fits your style 

    This can be tricky, but also something really fun to do. Picking the right headshot is something we all overthink, and rightly so as it's the first thing, someone looking at your profile is bound to look at. Make sure your profile is professional enough to show you're serious about your job but also reflects who you are as a person. For example, my personal assistant Kenna's LinkedIn has a profile picture of her in her homemade recording studio with books in the background. She has her podcasting mic and headphones on, looking like she's recording a session. This may be unorthodox compared to other headshots, but shows professionalism as well as her personal style as a podcaster. It also makes her stand out compared to other people in her field and was one of the things that stood out to me when I first connected with her. 

With that being said, don't go crazy about being unique or standing out. Make sure to maintain professionalism within your photo, but it can also reflect your hobbies or jobs. If you like biking, maybe have a picture with your bike. Just be sure to make it look professional, and not something a four-year-old would take 

2. Arrange your information by relevance 

    What I mean by this is to put the most relevant information first, such as jobs that you've recently done, or college degrees. As the viewer scrolls down, there'll be less important information below, so if they're still interested, they can find more information about you. As a hiring manager, I only spend maybe five minutes per profile looking at the candidate's information. This means that if I don't find your most recent jobs, qualifications, and other important information within the first five minutes of my search, I may turn you down as a potential candidate. Make it easy on yourself and others and have the most relevant and important information about yourself at the top of your profile. 

3. Make sure your profile is phone-friendly. 

    Many recruiters, myself included, have used our phones to scroll through potential applicants. It's important to have your profile be mobile friendly so I can still see it and use it on my phone. Plus, if you're networking with others and want to share information, it'll save you a lot of stress if they can find your profile on their phones. Make sure to test your profile on your device to see if it's phone-friendly. 

4. Be active! 

    This one is a step that many people overlook. After they make a LinkedIn profile, they sit back and expect people to network with them. It's important to use LinkedIn to its fullest capabilities, which means being proactive and reaching out to others yourself. It can be hard or annoying, but even spending 5 minutes a day reaching out and connecting with others can easily build your network and give you more opportunities for success! 

While I'm not a LinkedIn expert, I've seen enough successful hires to know that if used properly, these tips can really help you save time and energy when applying for jobs or networking. Let me know if you have any other tips about how to stand out on LinkedIn. 

Until next time, 

Katie