LinkedIn is massive. Admittedly, it’s not as big as Facebook with its three billion active users, but after racking up close to 800 million registered users, LinkedIn definitely matters – especially if you’re in the market for a new job.
We’d challenge anyone to name a better online networking tool for professionals than LinkedIn. It’s a handy hub of the latest happenings in your industry. Wanna snoop on who works at your old company? LinkedIn’s for you. It can even be leveraged to build your brand and help rank your name on Google too.
Perhaps most importantly though, it’s the first stop for employers before they decide if they want to interview you – and having a well-tuned LinkedIn profile is definitely a good look.
Now we’re in 2022, you could well be thinking ‘new year, new job’. So here, we’ve listed six great ways to spruce up your LinkedIn profile and boost the chances of bagging your dream job.
Update your profile picture
Your LinkedIn headshot is almost always the first impression any employer will get of you.
A recent well-composed pic will get things off to a positive start.
Own your headline
You’re more than your job title, so use your headline to highlight why you’re different and worth employing. If you can, keep your job title in there because it helps recruiters find people in that field, but your 120-character headline is a chance to really sell yourself.
More than a do’er
People often use their LinkedIn to reel off a list of what they did in a role.
But highlighting what those actions achieved is always far more impressive.
How did your actions benefit the business?
Create your own URL
LinkedIn automatically creates a direct link to your profile – but it’s not very good.
Ditch the robot speak and become more findable by customising your profile URL.
Get involved and contribute
Set aside 10 minutes each day to like and comment on your connections’ updates. You’ll strengthen relationships within your existing network and it could even open up new career opportunities. Publishing your own original high-quality content is a surefire way to boost your credibility too, if you’ve got the time, ambition, and know-how.
Extra tip: Spark some inspiration and uncover some shareable content to stage your views at rightrelevance.com. Simply search for a topic you’re passionate about and add your opinion – it’s a quick and easy way to involve your connections.
Bag some recommendations
Of course, you’re going to say how great you are, but it’s more effective if your old workmates sing your praises for you with a recommendation.
If you feel a bit awkward about it, make the first move by leaving a glowing review before asking and they’ll feel inclined to return the favour.