Linkedin has proven to be the tool of popular choice for modern professionals looking for their next employment opportunity, at home or overseas, and it’s now more important than ever to make sure you put your best professional foot forward.
Linkedin has evolved over the years to include features centred around the promotion of organic video content, making it competitive with the likes of Facebook, Youtube and Chinese Apps such as WeChat and Weibo. The platform has emerged as the go-to not just for job hunting but also for professional networking and learning and development.
Below is a list of the best tips to put on you on the path of professional success in the digital community.
Do’s
A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words
It’s a cliché but your profile picture on Linkedin could be the difference between a new professional connection that could open the door to a new job opportunity. Take the take time to invest in a professional profile picture.
If you can’t get headshots done, then get on your phone and shoot the picture yourself. Stick to professional business attire, and smile. This may feel like a high school mugshot but it’s your first opportunity to impress the Linkedin crowd as they are scrolling through thousands of profiles.
Craft a Great Headline
Linkedin is full of ‘digital disruptors, chief growth hackers and brand warriors. You may be trying to shake-up your professional life, but do it with your job performance and not your Linkedin profile. Walk in the shoes of a prospective employer or a recruiter – they simply want to know what you do. A good Linkedin profile is simple and straight to the point.
Keep your Profile Succinct
There’s no need to go back 30 years in your job profile and list everything since high school. A lot has changed in 30 years and highlighting your accomplishments using old tech won’t help you compete with the Tiktok generation for new roles. Align your Linkedin profile with your future career plans, what will spark employers into action is your plans for the future beyond today, not the past.
Get Recommendations
Recommendations on your profile are the social currency gold of Linkedin. Recommendations from clients and colleagues on your accomplishment will go a long way to painting you in a positive light. The only way to get recommendations is to ask for them. Write the recommendation yourself for someone to post on your behalf on your profile.
Add Multimedia and your Interests
Linkedin allows you to pin multimedia files to the top of your profile. This is a great opportunity for creatives to showcase your work. The other interesting feature buried in the Additional Information section is that you can list your interest. It’s a chance to show potential employers and recruiters that you are human outside of work, and you can use this to build your network. A shared interest in hot air ballooning may open the door to a bigger opportunity.
Keep your contact information updated
Stay on top of your contact information, it’s an overlooked detail. Be sure to provide an email address and contact phone number to ensure that you don’t miss out on any potential opportunities. If you can’t provide a work email address then stick to a professional-looking Gmail address. Don’t worry contact information is only visible to first degree connections and can’t be seen by anyone else beyond that.
Don’ts
Thou Shall Not Repeatedly Contact People
Some people will fall into the temptation of connecting with profiles like they are collecting baseball cards. Send one request, wait a while and then follow-up; you want to look confident and not desperate.
Thou Shall Turn Off Updates
There’s a setting on Linkedin that allows you to turn off notifications to your entire network every time there’s an update to your profile. Too many updates will give the impression that you are looking to jump ship from your current role. Turn off the notifications and be strategic with your profile updates.
Thou Shall Avoid Selling
Don’t blanket your network and groups with sales ads, avoid spamming people with sales material as this is considered to cause bad juju in the Linkedin digital universe.
Thou Shall Not Post Broken Links
Keep your profile up to date and ensure all your links remain active. There’s nothing worse than posting a broken link to your portfolio or a great piece of work on your profile.
Thou Shall Not Treat Linkedin as a chore
Linkedin needs to become a daily part of the routine and shouldn’t be a chore. Be active, stay up to date on trending conversations and look to add value to groups. Don’t simply copy and paste other people’s posts to your profile. Take the time to comment and add something to the conversation. You don’t know what door it could potentially open in the future.
