LinkedIn is a great place to network with other professionals in your industry and to reach out and connect with those people with whom you would like to do business with.
Many people feel uncomfortable about establishing an online presence and have a sense that they are putting themselves out there to be scrutinised. Well, you are putting yourself out there to be scrutinised but that is the entire point. Aside from using it as a networking tool, your LinkedIn profile should be designed to allow people to stalk you online.
Think about it for a moment: when you send your CV into a company the recruiters will be tempted to Google you to verify you and to flesh out a clearer profile of what type of professional they are dealing with. If they stumble across an impressively presented LinkedIn profile then it is going to give you a great deal of credibility.
Remember these top tips:
1) Use a professional photo. Get a friend to take a photo of you wearing professional clothing against a plain background. Look at other profiles that you think are professional and copy their stance
2) Your CV should match your LinkedIn profile. It doesn’t have to be word for word (in fact, variation is more interesting) but visitors to your profile will want to check that the dates add up and will be scanning your job titles and the general keyword landscape of your profile
3) Be creative. Make sure a friend looks through it and gives some suggestions about jazzing it up a bit. Remember, it can be more lively than your CV!
4) Stalk other people in your industry: learn from the best and be sure to pick up some top tips from other LinkedIn users
5) Don’t have a boring url. When you set up your profile, LinkedIn gives you a standard profile link. In the Edit Profile area you can update your url to use your own name. Look at this helpful user guide in the LinkedIn Help Center.
6) Mine your contacts. Add all of the useful contacts you know from your industry but you can also stalk their contacts to see if you can build some useful connections. Be careful. LinkedIn has its own share of spam and people will think you are just being click-happy if you add random people. Be selective.
7) Leave nothing empty. Ensure that your LinkedIn profile is 100% complete. LinkedIn has worked hard to ensure that its profiles are designed to build a clear picture of its users. Complete all of the sections and give people what they crave: information.
So that’s it. Get building and leave your own top tips in the comment section below.
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