LinkedIn is an excellent avenue to help you position yourself as a professional in your workplace and industry. Here are six quick tips to help you optimize your LinkedIn profile to go from rookie to professional.
1. Use professional photos
Your profile photo is the first visual that users see. Make sure your photos are always up-to-date and, if possible, represent you in your career element. If there isn’t a photo attached to your profile, you may be overlooked or rank at the bottom of a profile search.
2. Write a custom headline
Each LinkedIn profile has a short headline that appears next to your name in search results. You’ll have one by default based on your most recent job title, but write one yourself to get the most you can out of the 120 available characters.
3. Sell yourself in your summary
Make yourself seem desirable to employers through this short bio section. Similar to a cover letter, the summary section is an outlet for you to tell your story, so share your accomplishments and don’t be afraid to show your personality. Also, add keywords and buzzwords in this section so you will be seen in searches.
4. Join groups and organizations
Whether you have volunteered for a certain organization or are part of an honors society, joining these types of pages will help others find you easier on LinkedIn.
5. Reach out to others for recommendations
Building your online reputation is important, so asking colleagues and friends for a recommendation or endorsement is beneficial. If you are experienced in fire safety, add that topic as a skill on your profile and your connections are able to endorse you for that certain skill.
6. It is OK to network with people you don’t know yet
Since LinkedIn is primarily a networking social media platform, reaching out to other users who share a common interest is natural. For example, if you are going through a job change, reaching out to an employee at a company that interests you could benefit you in the end.
For a deeper dive into boosting your LinkedIn profile, watch our on-demand webinar “How to Make a Sizzlin’ LinkedIn Profile.”
CSU Career Services assists students and alumni with one-on-one career counseling, job search strategies, interview preparation and more. Also, don’t forget to connect with Columbia Southern University on LinkedIn!
