Shine bright like a diamond… and start with your LinkedIn profile

Shine bright like a diamond… and start with your LinkedIn profile

How to optimise your LinkedIn profile so it not only looks good, but works for you

Why have a LinkedIn profile? The professional social network offers many useful resources, first and foremost information. Imagine a huge noticeboard, your polished business card and an advertising spot rolled into one—or a toolkit that helps you get noticed. Recruitment consultants, employers, managers, partners, colleagues and clients are all there, and someone is looking for exactly what you offer.

Your LinkedIn profile is much more than a record of where you studied and worked. It is your face to the business world and a ticket to countless potential and real opportunities.

A detailed profile is the key

• Headline and summary

These are your first opportunity to make an impression. Your headline gives you a professional identity and can highlight aspects of your profile that might otherwise remain hidden from users who are not connected with you. Your summary reveals more of your personality and can complement your CV when a recruiter or employer reviews your profile. Use keywords from your main field of work or profession in your headline, summary and throughout your profile. They will help your profile appear more often in searches.

• A tagline

We mentioned an advertising spot at the outset for a reason. Your LinkedIn profile needs more than a summary: it needs a tagline. One is a brief introduction; the other “sells”. This way, you will not only appear in search results, but stand out among hundreds of thousands of professionals.

A useful formula is: I help [target audience] to [solution] so they can [results]. Start by identifying your target audience. Focus on quality over quantity to ensure your LinkedIn profile resonates with your ideal company or client. Then offer a clear solution the reader can relate to. If every solution you offer is individually tailored to the client, be sure to mention that too. Finish with results that show how you would deliver value—or why a CEO should be interested.

• Actions, not words

Keywords are important, but there are also words worth avoiding. They are so popular that they have lost their effectiveness and make you sound like everyone else. How can you avoid “motivated”, “passionate”, “driven”, “creative”, “responsible”, “strategic” and “expert”, and what can you use instead? Follow the principle “Show, don’t tell”: create and share a portfolio.

Instead of writing that you are motivated, passionate or driven, ask managers, colleagues and clients for recommendations. Think about projects, initiatives and conferences you have successfully organised and list them under Organisations, Projects and Volunteer Experience. To demonstrate that you are creative, responsible and strategic, provide specific examples of your achievements: tell stories through numbers and results.

Instead of claiming to be an expert, upload real examples of your work. Consider presentation slides, design and creative work, articles you have written, press releases about your business, initiatives and projects, and materials from campaigns in which you played a part. Polish your LinkedIn profile with your real achievements.

Your photo

According to LinkedIn, a profile with a photo is 14 times more likely to be viewed than one without. You undoubtedly want to make a good first impression, so choose the right image. Use a professional-looking photo, preferably a portrait. Important details include clothing, background and lighting. A high-quality, up-to-date profile photo that appropriately reflects your role in your industry can help you succeed. You can even take it yourself if you do not have a professional photographer—even as a selfie—but remember that this is not the selfie you would upload to Instagram.

Your background image

This is similar to your Facebook cover image. It is far from an unnecessary feature on LinkedIn, as it allows you to show creativity and highlight your brand. Even if you do not have a brand, this is still you: stand out with your own identity. There are plenty of free, professional options to choose from, but you can also be more inventive. Think about what people immediately associate with your work. Whether you are an IT specialist, HR consultant or project manager, what image would reflect your field, role, position and the everyday challenges of your job?

Skills endorsements

Do not overlook this section when creating or optimising your LinkedIn profile. Your aim is to make yourself easier to find through keywords and reinforce the story you tell about who you are and what you can do. Remove meaningless skills. For example, do not list Facebook unless you are trained in social media and manage professional pages. Add skills that are essential for someone in your industry and role. Reorder the list so your most important skills appear at the top. Your professional connections can endorse these skills.

Recommendations

We have already mentioned them; now let us give them a little more attention. When you have wanted to book a restaurant or hotel, you have probably read online reviews and trusted the places with the most positive feedback. Do not hesitate to ask current or former colleagues, managers, clients and partners for recommendations. Recommendations are another excellent way to make your LinkedIn profile stand out. They can show a manager or HR professional what kind of employee you are and where your strengths lie. It is a good idea to have at least one recommendation for each role you have listed.

Communication and connections

• Your network

A profile with no connections, or only five, does not look good. Build your network with people you connect with through your profession, education, shared interests, projects or business. Use personalised messages: they show thoughtfulness instead of giving someone just another LinkedIn invitation. Maintain a professional tone. Having the right connections matters more than their number. Ideally, they should be relevant to your work and potentially lead to job or business opportunities or add value to your development.

• Groups

LinkedIn groups are places where members can share and participate in a professional setting focused on a particular industry or area of interest. Active participation in these groups will lead to new contacts and, in turn, new opportunities.

• Company pages

LinkedIn company pages are a good way to find more information about companies that interest you. You can see whether you have any contacts within a particular organisation and follow new job postings, related companies and company statistics.

How people can reach you

Make your profile public. Ensure your email address, phone number if you choose, website and other professional platforms are listed on your LinkedIn profile. Personalise your URL (Settings > Edit Public Profile > Customize Your Public Profile URL) using your name. If it is taken, add an underscore between your first and last names or include your middle name. Include your LinkedIn URL in your CV. Even when applying for jobs outside LinkedIn, this gives the employer or recruitment agency a link to your profile, where you can present information and supporting materials in greater detail.

Now put on the Rihanna song we began with and get to work on your professional profile. We assure you that the results of your effort, resourcefulness and time will not be long in coming. You may not even realise how many potential and real opportunities LinkedIn holds.