TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE

·         Upload a decent profile photo: Your LinkedIn profile photo sets the tone for everything else a viewer will experience on your page. Your picture should be recent, professional and recognizable. Avoid selfies.

·         Your headline = You, Not your job: The headline of your LinkedIn profile is highly searchable. No one on LinkedIn (or Google for that matter) is looking for “founder of ________.” So list something more search-friendly that speaks of what you do on a daily basis and for which people may want to hire you. E.g.: “Social media consultant specializing in analysis, strategy, and instruction. Author | Speaker | Educator”

·         Make you summary shine: Don’t let the positions in the “Experience” section do all the talking about your professional abilities. Many recruiters and potential clients won’t take the time to scroll that far without incentive. How have you excelled at your job? Why do you often get promotions? Why did that last person tap you on the back (or send you an email) with “NICE JOB!”? Find common traits and spell it out in the summary, preferably with numbers or percentages

·         Update you most recent information [Job/Education/Certification]: Do you have a new title? New responsibilities? A recent accomplishment that speaks of your professional prowess? Be sure to list those here.

·         Join more groups: At times LinkedIn might not seem like it, but it is considered by many to be a social network. Demonstrate your ability to network with like-minded professionals by joining LinkedIn groups. Look at your co-workers’ and competitors’ profiles to see which groups they’ve joined — pick the best of the bunch you find there.

·         Follow some influencers: By following LinkedIn “influencers,” you give viewers a sense of which thought leaders you respect — whether it is President of the World Bank Jim Kim, industrial psychologist Dr. Marla Gottschalk, or Nancy Lublin of DoSomething.org (or all three). Influencers regularly post to LinkedIn, so you’ll also be able to comment on and share articles that are meaningful to you.

·         Select skills and expertise that you want to be endorsed for: There is a ton of controversy over the value of LinkedIn endorsements. But you know what? They’re here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. So use them to your advantage. Make sure that you list only the skills for which you want to receive thumbs up. Hide skills that will not speak well to the place you are now and the path you wish to follow in your career.