Applying for jobs is no longer focused on submitting resumes and cover letters. Those are the days of the past. To get ahead of the competition, you need to use every tool available.
This is where LinkedIn profiles come in. Even when you’ve already landed your dream job, you should still maintain a strong and optimized LinkedIn profile. In this blog, we’ll share 5 ways to optimize your LinkedIn profile and stand out professionally.
5 LinkedIn Optimization Tips
LinkedIn profile optimization doesn’t just increase the chances of job seekers. It also helps maintain your relevance in the field. Optimizing your profile allows you to connect with like-minded people and top industry thought leaders.
LinkedIn is a treasure trove for professionals and job applicants alike. So, if you want to optimize your LinkedIn profile, you’ve come to the right place. Consider these 5 hacks as you build your perfect LinkedIn profile:
1. Build Your Image
It all starts with your personal brand. To reach out to the right job opportunities, connections, and leaders, you need to establish who you are.
Choose a professional profile picture.
Your LinkedIn profile can’t be compared with Facebook or Twitter/X. It should be more professional. However, don’t stress too much about it. You can still use Instagram-worthy images by turning your background, approach, and lighting more professional. Keep it simple and light.
Create an awesome profile headline.
Most people write their job titles and job experiences here. However, your LinkedIn headline gives you over 200 characters. Instead of simply indicating your specific role, be more creative. Include your aspirations and inspirations. You may even go beyond and add your specialties and unique abilities.
Tell your story in the LinkedIn summary section.
Your profile already has a dedicated space for your professional experiences and skills. Don’t waste this space. Be more intentional in introducing and expressing yourself.
- What inspired you to become who you are today?
- Are there any valuable anecdotes that changed your career path?
- Is there a time you showcased being a team player and resolved conflicts at work?
- How do your perspectives align with your skills and responsibilities?
Add a background image.
You might think adding a background image will make your profile unprofessional. However, that will only happen if you use an inappropriate image—the same with your profile picture.
Continue building your brand with a captivating background photo. Express yourself here and let your visitors, connections, and possible hiring managers get a glimpse of who you are. As long as you’re appropriately connecting the image to your personal interests, skills, or goals, you have nothing to worry about!
2. Be Proud of Yourself!
Now, let’s get down to the more serious stuff. Your personal branding is incomplete without it.
Showcase your skills and experiences.
Start with your relevant abilities and work experiences. This should be an easy task of enumerating each. However, don’t flood your profile with numerous skills. Choose the relevant skills and highlight the most recent experiences. This ensures that you attract the right audiences, especially if you’ve already transitioned to a different career.
Highlight what you bring to the table.
These are your unique abilities and experiences. It could be a passion skill that you do on the side, a specialized certification, or a unique experience that significantly enhanced your career. This will further boost your profile and set you apart from other professionals.
Be consistent.
As you grow professionally, you also broaden your knowledge. Adding everything to your LinkedIn profile could make it look cluttered. Similar to a resume, you don’t add every detail all at once. Hiring managers only spend seconds to determine whether you are a great fit.
If it takes them more than a minute to assess what you’re looking for, you might miss the opportunity. So, remember to keep your profile consistent. This will help recruiters immediately identify who you are.
Know the difference between keywords and buzzwords.
Words like specialized, expert, proven track record, innovative, creative, strategic, or experienced can highlight your professional branding. However, these overused buzzwords could potentially harm your profile and LinkedIn SEO.
Instead of using generic buzzwords, use keywords that work. If you’re in the light industrial sector, words like quality assurance, safety compliance, inventory control, or time management are great additions to your profile.
This is where the profile summary, skills, recommendations, and other sections in your LinkedIn profile can be utilized. By providing specific achievements, quantifiable results, and detailed descriptions, you can highlight your contributions clearly and demonstrate your expertise instead of just stating you’re an “expert.”
3. Build Networks and Connections
Imagine this: you’ve created a strong profile, added all relevant details, and highlighted your unique values. However, you’re only connected to your friends, families, and random strangers. Adding social proofs to your profile ensures that your efforts are not in vain.
Ask for recommendations.
If you can get your former bosses or colleagues to endorse you, you’ve already done a great favor to your profile. These short testimonials are like product reviews. They highlight your skills, attitude, and experiences based on real encounters with your peers. You can request recommendations from your former workmates, managers, or customers.
Recommend your peers.
Return the favor to your colleagues, especially if they asked for it. Even if they didn’t ask for it, try leaving a positive review on their profiles. It’s a great way to extend help and build trust in your circle. Plus, they might leave a review on your page as well.
Connect with industry leaders.
Yes, you heard that correctly. You can follow various leaders on LinkedIn, and you should. Aside from your former bosses and colleagues, following relevant industry professionals will strengthen your profile. You can gather insights from their posts and connections alone, and if they post relevant job openings, you’re exactly where you want to be.
4. Feed Your “Feed”
Social media allows you to share, like, or comment on almost every kind of post. However, on LinkedIn, you want to keep yourself credible and relevant. So, only interact with the right content that can boost your professional value and industry relevance.
Post the right content.
What you post directly affects other people’s perceptions of your credibility, knowledge, and professionalism. Be engaging yet thoughtful when you share relevant content.
You don’t have to bombard your profile with inspiring quotes and life lessons. Keep it real and simple. Let your personality shine and allow your peers to see who you truly are.
You can also try exploring topics and posting content that challenges the norm. If you decide to go against the status quo, make sure you stay respectful and express your ideas clearly. Lastly, keep your posts relevant and relatable. This will ensure that other professionals can engage with what you share.
Support your company.
One of the best ways to improve your company’s image is to post on its professional LinkedIn profile. This allows other people to hear real experiences from people who work there, which could increase trust in the business.
Furthermore, it shows that you’re a highly engaged employee who supports a company’s goals—a trait most employers would definitely want for their workforce.
Follow your interests.
In addition to connecting with industry experts and engaging with industry-related content, you can add more variety to your profile by introducing your passions. LinkedIn is still a social media platform, and there’s a high chance you’ll find something relevant to your interests. Even if these don’t directly open job opportunities, the connections will cultivate a broad interest and impact your profile.
5. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn is a highly customizable platform most people don’t take full advantage of. Here are a few ways you can customize your LinkedIn profile:
Attach your proofs.
Don’t just settle for words. Like social media websites, you can maximize your reach by adding images, documents, websites, or presentations. If you have photos and videos showcasing your talent, don’t hesitate to share them. Aside from that, if you have published articles of your work, content mentions, case studies, or specific designs, consider these as part of your portfolio and attach them to your profile.
Update your profile.
Here are a few things you can do to keep your profile maintained and updated:
- Update your contact information and location. This ensures that you’re always reachable and that you don’t miss an opportunity.
- Customize your LinkedIn profile URL. A unique LinkedIn URL using your name and surname makes it easier to find your profile.
- Add your most recent skills and experiences. Even if you’re employed, keeping your experience and skills up to date allows you to track your growth and makes it easier to update your profile in the long run.
- Make your profile public. Increase your visibility and increase your chances of getting new connections.
Visit your profile regularly.
Spend at least a few minutes to check in. See if there are new connections and invitations or if a recruiter contacted you. This will ensure that you don’t miss any opportunities and help you stay on top of relevant events within the LinkedIn community.
CONTINUE YOUR JOB SEARCH WITH HORIZON AMERICA
Your LinkedIn profile can be a great tool for advancing your career. However, Horizon America can take it one step further. We specialize in light industrial fields, including manufacturing, warehouse, sanitation, produce, and packaging.
If you’re looking for temp or temp-to-hire job opportunities, we’re here to help. Give us a call today, and we’ll help you find your new workplace.
