Working, you say. What am I supposed to do? I just want people to know what I do and my work history.
Your LinkedIn profile is often the first thing potential employers and guardians see regarding your background. You know yours is working if you get introductions, invitations to chat, and even interviews. You can check to see a sample of who read your profile.
Go to your ‘Home’ page and see the right side: ‘Who has seen my profile,’ Click: ‘see more’.
If you’ve connected or been referred to some of the listed organizations and didn’t get the results you wanted, you may need to change your profile. If you didn’t reach out to the organizations listed, they most likely thought you were interested but saw no reason to go ahead. Something is missing from your profile.
Most people believe that a LinkedIn profile is just a truncated version of the resume. Could not be farther from the truth. It may be the most important job search tool you have. Linda Tancs, NJ.com Job Writer, says: A successful LinkedIn profile takes effort.
Your profile is a marketing piece. Your profile is a tool that, when used correctly, will entice the reader to learn more. A tool that tells the hiring authority and the people referring candidates exactly why they want to talk to you, right away.
That’s a great job for a small amount of media. But think about your own behavior. How often do you ‘research’ someone before talking to them or when you just think they canwantTo talk to them?
Where do you start? First, let your readers know how to contact you if they are interested. Use your public email address (hotmail or gmail, for example) and insert it near the top of your profile. Do you need some “air” around it? Type a period / enter to create a blank line above and below your email address.
Most common mistake? Your LinkedIn profile is a valuable digital space; use it wisely. If you want viewers to know how old you are from the get-go, say, “19 years of experience managing new product designs.” Don’t tell readers how old you are. Tell them the most important achievement that they would be most interested in.
“I launched seven unique products in six seconds with no budget and with one hand tied behind my back.”
What is not. Your profile is a marketing tool, not a bio. You do not need to list all of your jobs or all of your positions. It is not a resume or a legal document.
If you want to list older companies to attract certain populations, go ahead, but only list those. Leaving a lot of white makes the viewing experience more enjoyable. Leaving a lot to the imagination encourages people to get in touch with you.
Your opinion does not count. Readers are not interested in your own vision of your work. “A successful marketing executive with an impressive track record of product launches” may be true, but your readers need proof, not your opinions. Try to give examples of your success and let your work speak for itself.
Other people’s opinions count a lot. Use the ‘references’ section with enthusiasm. Invite the people who have worked for you, who accompanied you and managed it to comment. Notice that the first line is visible. Modify them to be key phrases (ask permission to modify them) to encourage readers to click to read more.
Invite referrals over time so your updates constantly appear on your network’s radar. Nothing better to help them remember what a good person you are and to take you into account when they find out about a job or a person you should know.
Resist the urge to immediately respond to those who give you a referral. Space your answers over time to appear in the update sections and also to avoid quid pro quo in the references.
More white space. Unless your group memberships are related to your profession, leave logos off your profile. Go to the membership section of each one and click on the “show logo” box.
Do you have a blog? I encourage all of my clients to create and maintain an industry specific blog to enhance their personal marketing efforts. If your blog titles don’t fit your professional job search efforts, write some new ones. These headlines are an effective way for viewers to learn more about you. Use them wisely.
It goes without saying, although you would be surprised how often I am forced to say it, check spelling and grammar. A mistake can put viewers off because they immediately jump to “Not detail-oriented” or “sloppy” or worse yet, “illiterate.” Invite someone to review your profile before posting because we often can’t see our own mistakes.
When you are truly delighted with your profile, when you think it is attractive and a great personal ad, incorporate your profile address into your email signature and use it every time you blog or reply to an online blog. Pass on this marketing piece and you will become your own advertising agency.
For more tips on using LinkedIn for job hunting, download their free white paper: LinkedIn for Job Search.