The Covid-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives, including our work and career. Whether you have retained your job or been made redundant, updating your LinkedIn profile is a great way to showcase your professional brand and connect with your professional network. LinkedIn is the largest business-oriented networking website for professionals, and it is essential to have a well-written and engaging profile to uncover opportunities and networks that you may not be aware of.
To freshen up your LinkedIn profile, here are a few tips:
Profile Section:
Headline – This section is a great way to summarise and showcase your skills and profession. You have a limited number of characters, so it needs to be concise. Include your job title, current company (if required), and the key industry(s) you work in. Also, make sure your location is up to date on this – especially if you have recently moved to a different city or country.
Profile Photo – Choose a more formal photo than you would use on Facebook or Instagram. A head and shoulder photo of you with a warm smile will be perfect, perhaps even in a branded work shirt or the office background. Avoid using sunglasses, hats, or jumping shots!
Personal Summary:
This section is crucial, but many people tend to leave it out. It can be challenging to write, not only keeping it concise but also to sell yourself a little. Write short and concise paragraphs to highlight your work experience, your skills, achievements, and the impact you have made. Ask people around you to proofread your summary – sometimes it is hard for us to be objective in our summary, especially if we are not used to talking about ourselves.
Work Experience:
Make sure your role titles and companies are all up to date, and you may want to add a new role title when you receive a promotion at work. I would also include a couple of key points under each role to outline what you have been doing in that role or key projects you have worked on. This doesn’t need to be as detailed as your CV.
Recommendations:
One of the key objectives of a professional profile is to show people or potential clients that you can be trusted. The best way to do that is by asking for recommendations from your colleagues or clients you’ve worked with. This part of the profile reveals so much, not only on the quality of your work and performance but also your work attitude, working style, and relationships.
Skills & Endorsements:
This section also gets a little undervalued, but when I am researching potential candidates within the market, I would definitely use this section to understand more about the person’s experience. Ensure the skills you have included are up to date, and you have been endorsed a number of times for the relevant skills.
Activity:
Remaining active and engaged on LinkedIn is essential. You can interact with other people’s comments and posts and add value to a conversation, or you could start publishing your own articles within the areas you work in or cover topics of interest. This will allow you to become a thought leader within your niche and connect you to the relevant people in your network.
Get a specialist Recruiter to review your profile. Great Recruiters in the market should be open to giving advice and guidance. Suppose you are a candidate working in Marketing or Advertising, or Technology companies such as Adtech, Martech, Fintech, Edtech. In that case, you can reach out to a recruiter who is a specialist in the area you work in (or want to work in) for best results.
In conclusion, updating your LinkedIn profile is a crucial step to showcase your professional brand and connect with your professional network. Ensure that your profile photo is formal, your personal summary is concise, and your work experience is up to date.
