Designing a standout LinkedIn profile is essential for all professionals. Without the right elements, you may struggle to impress hiring managers and recruiters, limiting your access to opportunities.
In many cases, whipping your LinkedIn profile into shape isn’t difficult. If you aren’t sure where to begin, here are a few must-have items for your LinkedIn profile.
Job and Industry Keywords
If you want your profile to appear near the top of search results, you need the right job and industry keywords. Put yourself in a recruiter or hiring manager’s shoes and consider what terms they’d use to find a professional like yourself for a position. You can also review job ads for insights, as many of the must-have skills and industry-related descriptions are brimming with popular keywords for your field.
As you collect keywords, consider how to integrate them into your profile organically. This can include adding them to skills lists, updating your work history to reference them in your achievements, changing your profile summary to incorporate a few, and more.
In some cases, it’s wise to update your location information specifically because of the keyword potential. Many companies still use location-specific search terms, so add those details in if you want to connect with employers in your local area.
Quantified Details
Numbers are a critical part of any LinkedIn profile. Typically, numbers stand out visually, drawing the eye to any detail that’s quantified. Plus, quantifying your accomplishments gives hiring managers and recruiters critical context about your capabilities, potentially making your achievement more impressive at a glance.
In most cases, you’ll want to use numbers in specific ways. For example, if you boosted sales in your last job, mention the percentage if it’s significant. If you instituted cost-cutting measures that led to notable savings, list that dollar amount. If you oversaw a team, mention how many members you supervised. That lets you showcase your value more clearly.
Add a Professional Photograph
While having a photo on your resume can work against you, the opposite is true on LinkedIn. Generally, recruiters and hiring managers favor profiles with professional photographs. Since that’s the case, simply adding the image could increase your view counts dramatically.
In most cases, you’ll want to stick with a classic headshot. Choose a neutral – but not stark or bright – background. Brick walls can be an excellent choice since they’re usually subdued hues and have some texture. Dense hedges can also work quite well for similar reasons.
Before taking the photo, make sure you’re well illuminated. Along with natural light, add lamps to add brightness. For even illumination, adding a ring light is also wise.
A Custom Headline
While LinkedIn can generate a headline for you, this default option rarely impresses. Instead, you can create a custom one that’s designed to entice recruiters and hiring managers. Along with your current position, add in some keywords relating to skills or specializations, separating the points with a vertical bar (or pipe).
Ultimately, by ensuring your LinkedIn profile has everything above, you’ve likely got a strong foundation. If you’d like to learn more, the team at GSG Talent Solutions wants to hear from you. Contact us today.