What could make your LinkedIn profile 40x more effective?
In today’s world, does your LinkedIn profile even matter?
Absolutely!
LinkedIn is your electronic billboard, and like a billboard, your LinkedIn profile makes an impact.
Your LinkedIn profile matters, because:
95% of recruiters use LinkedIn as their primary hunting ground.
A compelling LinkedIn profile can make it 27x easier for a recruiter to find you.
A strong LinkedIn profile makes it 40x more likely that you’ll land a new opportunity.
With that in mind, what 5 simple strategies could make your LinkedIn profile 40x more effective?
#1: Attract attention.
Use your headshot and your headline to attract others’ attention.
As they say, a picture’s worth a thousand words — so pick a headshot that conveys that you are competent and likable. Having a headshot will increase your profile views by 21x.
Then, update your 120-character headline. By default, LinkedIn populates your headline with your most recent job title. Edit or revise this to spotlight a key role or skill.
#2: Summarize your story.
The summary section is your chance to explain and to sell the story of your career.
Especially if you’re among the 83% of job-seekers who want to pivot to something different, the summary is your chance to put that transition in context.
Use the 2,000-character summary section to connect the dots between where you’ve been, and where you want to go.
#3: Rely on results, not responsibilities.
Don’t neglect to fill out your career history! Having a detailed experience section will generate 29x more profile views.
I’ve helped executives and professionals craft their resumes and LinkedIn profiles for 20+ years, and the most critical oversight that people make is focusing on their responsibilities, rather than on their results.
Say you have 2 candidates. One writes, “I was responsible for overseeing employee productivity.” By contrast, the other candidate focuses on results. This candidate writes, “I increased employee productivity by 7% by building and tracking 5 productivity benchmarks so that I could monitor, manage, and coach employees on how to be more productive.” Which candidate would you interview and hire?
#4: Spotlight your skills.
LinkedIn groups skills into 4 categories: industry knowledge, tools and techniques, interpersonal skills, and other skills.
If you list at least 5 skills on your profile, it increases your profile views by 17x, and your messages from recruiters by 31x.
Note that you can reorder or pin your skills; you can select the top 3 skills you want to highlight; and you can reorder your skills within each category.
#5: Use your CAR to lap the competition.
Your CAR is your content, attachments, and recommendations.
Content: You can write and post articles to establish yourself as a thought leader in your field. (To write an article, go to your LinkedIn home page, and then, under “Start a post,” click on “Write an article.”) Not sure what to write about? Ask yourself: In the last few months, what’s the most interesting question that you’ve gotten about your work? For instance, how did you maintain client connection and loyalty, when we were all trapped at home? Or, how did you launch a new service, when Covid-19 forced you to pivot?
Attachments: You can add attachments to 2 areas of your LinkedIn profile: first, under each position on your experience section; and second, on the “featured” section of your profile. For example, did you write an article for your company website? Did an industry newsletter spotlight one of your projects? Did you author a whitepaper? Do you have a portfolio of images from past projects? Did someone record a video of you speaking at an industry event? Use the attachments to show what makes you special.
Recommendations: When others recommend you on LinkedIn, it validates the depth and the breadth of your skills. If you don’t have any LinkedIn recommendations, scroll down to the bottom of your LinkedIn profile; then, next to recommendations, click on “Ask for a recommendation;” and finally, fill in the name of the boss, coworker, or client from whom you’d like to request a recommendation. Be sure to personalize LinkedIn’s default message. For example, add a sentence like: “Would you be willing to write a 1-2 sentence LinkedIn recommendation regarding my experience with X?” (And for X, insert a specific skill, project, or milestone that person worked with you on.)
How can we help?
Do you need an achievement-focused, keyword-optimized, persuasive, story-driven, and visually appealing LinkedIn profile? (Let’s be honest: Who doesn’t?)
Fill out our initial questionnaire to see how we can help.