Create a standout LinkedIn Profile – Part 1, for career success.

What does your LinkedIn profile say about you?

We’re going to share our top tips to create a standout LinkedIn profile. Too many people still assume that LinkedIn is only relevant if you are looking for a job. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We live in a world where standing out from the crowd is important (you can read more about this in our blog post here). If you create a standout LinkedIn profile, it enables you to return higher in search results when people are searching for people with your skills or experience. You want to make sure it is easier for people to find you. And it is a superb chance to showcase your experience, achievements and goals to potentially millions of people.

LinkedIn has become a business-essential networking platform, connecting people to other people, insights and opportunities in our remote times. So now more than ever it is vital to create a standout LinkedIn profile.

What should you prioritise to create a standout LinkedIn profile?

Modest or grand, you can enhance your professional aspirations by devoting a little time to ensuring you show up well. Here are five tips for the basics.

1. Photo: make it friendly, approachable, clear and only of you so that there can be no room for confusion. You don’t have to wear a suit, but generally, a neat appearance sends a message of professionalism. We’d also advise against dogs, cats and other pets unless they play a role in the work that you do.
2. Your professional headline: Most people add their job title in this space, but you can also describe what you do or the value you bring. Here’s an example: “Fresh thinking on life, work and leadership”, traditional job title = “Author”.
3. Summary statement: This is an excellent chance to shape and convey key points for your reader to take away. Include a career focus, significant achievements, things that matter to you or future aspirations. Signal where you are at but also where you hope to be. Try to avoid too much jargon, as these words will lose people (humans), quickly!
4. Experience: Add a series of positions that build into a narrative of your experience. A few bullet points under each position can showcase notable achievements in the role. If your employer has a LinkedIn company page, be sure to link your position to that official page. It should appear as part of a list of suggestions when you type in the company name. Think of all the experience that will be relevant to showcase, especially if you are in a first or second job.
5. Skills: How many skills are listed on your profile? Review the total number for fit and relevance. Be clear about where your strengths sit and showcase them for others to endorse. Remove irrelevant skills and add any that are missing or that you’re developing. Shorter lists with lots of endorsements on a top-five or ten have more impact than long lists with few or no endorsements.

If you complete these five steps, you will automatically show up higher in search, and you’ll stand out more too.

Want to know more? Read our follow up blog for improving your LinkedIn profile here.

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