LinkedIn is the most popular professional networking platform out there and chances are if you’re reading this post, you probably have a LinkedIn profile. Yet despite all the benefits of maintaining a thoughtfully designed profile, many professionals, ranging from entry level to senior, don’t take full advantage of all LinkedIn has to offer.
For our first edition of Onward Search’s Upward Mobility advice column, I offer some quick tips on how you can boost your LinkedIn profile and make the most out of your LinkedIn presence.
1) You have a picture… right?
– While it may seem inconsequential, a picture will fortify your personal brand and add that important human element to your connections. I didn’t have one for quite some time and a number of my colleagues called me out on it. The bottom line is a clear, professional picture will only support your online presence. For more info, see Neal Schaffer’s advice on LinkedIn Photos. I also recommend this great reference guide for personal avatar submission from Dan Schawbel’s Personal Branding Blog. This is all part of having a full LinkedIn profile, something our very own Josh Gampel, Senior VP of Onward Search, wrote about in this article on Landing an SEO Dream Job Via LinkedIn.
2) Get some recommendations!
– Acquiring LinkedIn recommendations is a great way to enhance your personal brand because it’s all based on other people raving about how awesome you are! If you don’t have any recommendations right now, just ask for them. You might be surprised by how easy it is to ask and how accommodating your connections can be. Just make sure you ask people who are big fans of yours and can write well. Dan Klamm offers some good advice on asking for recommendations on the Student Branding Blog. Recommendations are also a good way to enhance the search optimize value of your LinkedIn profile. Our Executive Vice President, Ken Clark, covered this topic here in his 3 Tips to Help You Find Your Next SEO Job.
3) Get involved!
– You want your online profile to show potential employers that you are an active member of your professional community. What better way to do this than to participate in, or better yet, lead discussions and groups related to your industry? LinkedIn is the perfect place to establish yourself as active and involved in your particular field. For more tips on getting involved, check out Andy Robinson’s Careerealism article about using LinkedIn effectively.
If you’d like more pointers on improving your LinkedIn presence, Onward Search’s recruiters are here to help. Just include your LinkedIn profile when you apply and we’ll help you make the most of your profile, enhance your personal brand and lead you towards new career opportunities!
