LinkedIn is a networking platform that is valuable for building your professional identity, finding new job opportunities, connecting with others in your field, and staying up-to-date with industry news and trends.
Creating a LinkedIn profile showcases your skills, experience, and achievements to a broad audience of professionals, helping to advance your career.
Everyday, employers, recruiters and HR managers are using it to find new candidates and review applicants’ profiles.
LinkedIn can help you to build and maintain your professional network, a valuable resource for getting advice, seeking recommendations, and staying informed about new opportunities.
Here are some easy steps you can follow to update your LinkedIn profile for the new year:
Are you visible on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn has excellent search functionality, which many employers and recruiters use to find personnel with the specific skills they are seeking. They use advanced search tools to hone in on particular requirements, which job seekers must be aware of.
Your headline
This will be one of the first elements people will see when visiting your page. You have 220 characters to provide an easily skimmable summary of what you do.
Some suggestions are below:
Hiring Manager at ACME Co – Helping People Reach Their Employment Goals
Sales Manager at ACME Co – 20 Years of Experience in Technology Sales | Motivated by Meeting my Clients’ Needs
Review your profile
Take a look at your LinkedIn profile and consider what you want to highlight. Are there any accomplishments or experiences from the past year that you want to add?
Ensure you are using keywords related to your industry.
Your location
Employers not only look for the right skills but also need candidates who are more likely to accept an offer. Therefore, they will target local candidates at the start of their search.
Add or update your personal information
Make sure your contact information and other personal details are accurate and up to date.
Add or update your work experience
Make sure your job experience section is up to date and includes any new positions you have held or promotions gained.
Profile image
Including a business-like photo of yourself gives your profile a feeling of credibility and trust. When an employer looks at dozens of profiles at a time, this can help give them an added sense of confidence.
You don’t need to hire a professional photographer. As long as you have a modern smartphone, you can take a credible photos.
Make sure the camera lens is held at eye level of the subject and that there is good light directed towards the front of the person being photographed, but not so bright they need to squint.
A background photo should be included, too, the size is recommended to be 1584 pixels wide x 396 pixels wide pixels, but you can resize a longer rectangular image like the one below to fit.
Consider adding media
LinkedIn allows you to add media such as photos, videos, and presentations to your profile. Consider adding any relevant content to showcase your work or accomplishments.
Seek out endorsements and recommendations
Endorsements and recommendations from colleagues and peers can add credibility to your profile. Consider reaching out to people you have worked with in the past to ask for a recommendation.
Increase your network size
Now that you have completed the updates make sure you add connections that you feel will be valuable to your career. Once you have found a selection of people you know or have worked with, the LinkedIn algorithm will show you more people in similar positions to connect with.
Review your privacy settings
Take a moment to review your privacy settings and make sure they are set the way you want them.
Review your profile for errors
Before you finish updating your profile, be sure to proofread it for any spelling or grammar errors. It’s also a good idea to have someone else review it for you as well.
Are you ready to find a new role?
Please head to our Job Search page where you can search for your next great opportunity https://www.hoban.com.au/jobs/
