LinkedIn is one of the most powerful networking tools at your disposal right now. The best part? Most of its features are completely free! This social media platform is helpful no matter where you are in your career, whether looking for your first job or well-established in your current company. Building a professional network is key for maintaining upward mobility in your career and collecting resources that might be helpful in the future. Below are five tips for improving your LinkedIn profile to get the most out of it.
Optimize Your Headline
Your headline appears right below your name on your profile and is one of LinkedIn’s primary tools to compile search results. To ensure the right people can find you, you must implement some search engine optimization (SEO) principles. Think about the kinds of things people might be searching for that are relevant to you and your career–these will be your keywords. If you’re a dentist, you might come up with keywords like “dentist,” “healthcare,” “oral health,” or “patient care.” Then, integrate some of these keywords into your headline!
Keep Your Summary Simple
The summary section should be a quick overview of your experience and skills. Highlight some of the things you are good at, some of your biggest strengths and accomplishments, and possibly some of your career goals. Don’t make it too long, or people might not read it, and make sure you check it for spelling and grammar.
Research and Connect Strategically
Having a great profile won’t do much good without any connections. Look up your colleagues and other existing professional contacts and consider researching people you would like to connect with. This might be other local professionals in your industry or other professionals in fields you work with. Don’t just send generic connection requests, though–take the time to research and explain what you noticed about them why you want to connect as a result.
Post Regularly
Posting regularly will help your account stay active and make it more likely to appear in searches. Don’t feel like you have to write unique posts every day, though; you can simply share industry articles you find interesting or share other people’s posts with a brief commentary.
Show Off Your Background
Finally, leverage your background. Take the time to input your employment experience, educational background, and any certifications or awards you might have. Not only does this help optimize your profile, but it also opens up the opportunity to connect with fellow alumni from your school and other professionals with similar backgrounds and experiences.