How to create the Ultimate LinkedIn Profile?

Your LinkedIn profile is a place for you to build your professional brand, showcase your achievements and skills, share content with other professionals, and connect with colleagues, business partners, and potential employers.  But fleshing it out with all the necessary details can either feel a bit ‘Yawn’, or, for some, a bit ‘cringe’.  No matter how you feel about this task… sadly it still needs to be done.  So let’s dive into this together!

With people being hired through LinkedIn every minute, it is more important than ever to have a profile that stands out – especially if you are on the lookout for your next potential role!

Here are 9 fantastic tips to create the ultimate LinkedIn Profile, to get yourself noticed & to have you standing out from the crowd!

9 tips for the Ultimate LinkedIn profile

1. Make the most of your headline 

Your headline can really help boost your profile impact. Therefore the first think we need to realise is, your headline doesn’t have to just be your job title. You can use it to say a bit more about how you see your role, why you do what you do, and what makes you tick…  A good headline not only provides an overview of what you do, but it will also encourage other LinkedIn users to click on your profile.

2. Back up your buzzwords

People love a good buzzword when it comes to the ultimate LinkedIn Profiles, however buzzwords on mean nothing unless you back them up. Just because you use terms like ‘strategic’, ‘leadership’, ‘focused’, ‘specialised’ or ‘experienced’ to describe yourself doesn’t prove you have those qualities. Try and demonstrate your abilities throughout your profile and in your posts as well as just listing them.

Tools like LinkedIn ‘Recommendations’ is a fantastic opportunity for this.  People are more likely to believe what we are saying about ourselves, if others are also saying the same things about us!

3. Use your summary to be a storyteller

Everyone has a professional story to tell, and your LinkedIn summary lets you tell it however you want. While some professionals simply use it as a way to list their recent job titles or most valuable skills, it’s got potential as a way to connect with prospective employers and colleagues by providing more information about who you are — what led you to your current job. Why? What are you looking for next?

And here is a big tip, people are more likely to remember a relevant & captivating story, than they are to remember a list of dot points… You can save the skills list for the Skills section of your profile

4. Quality networks over quantity

Having 500 connections establishes you as a networker and influencer on LinkedIn, and the more connections you have, the more likely you are to be seen by businesses. However, it’s no good connecting with just anybody. It’s best only to make quality connections that are relevant to you. Connect with present and past colleagues and prospective employers for the best results.

You can also search for organisations and charities which align with your values and connect with like mined people that way

5. Pick the perfect picture 

First impressions matter on social media, so choosing the right picture for your LinkedIn profile goes a long way. Make sure you are dressed appropriately and that your face is clearly displayed. Add a smile too, to appear approachable and confident.

According to Senior Content Marketing Manager at LinkedIn, Jane Deehan, your profile picture should be recent & look like you (sounds obvious but you would be surprised at how many miss this step) . The goal here is to look like you normally look at work, in turn making it easier for prospective contacts who may have only met you virtually to recognize you from your profile picture.

6. Show off your (relevant) skills

Adding your skills should be the easiest thing to do on LinkedIn – simply scroll through the list of skills and identify those relevant to you. Although, the keyword here is ‘relevant’. While a long list of skills may look great, if you can’t do something to a high standard, it’s best to remove it from your list as you could be tripped up if an employer asks about it.

7. Request recommendations

Although skill endorsements are great to highlight your areas of expertise, recommendations take things to the next level with a personalized testimonial about time spent working together, projects completed or skills developed.

Consider reaching out to close contacts for recommendations that are relevant to your current role — or next career goal.

Like we said before, people are more likely to believe what we are saying about ourselves, if others are also saying the same things about us!

8. Take a skills assessment

A skills assessment is a voluntary online test that demonstrates your skills and displays a Verified Skills Badge on your profile. These badges can increase your employability factor when recruiters review your profile.

The best thing about the skills assessments? You can retake the tests as often as you like before adding them to your profile, so they’re worth the effort.

9. Follow industry experts

The people you follow on LinkedIn will dictate what you see on your feed. So, follow others in the same industry as you to see a range of interesting and relevant content. You can then share this content to your page and add your opinion to demonstrate your expertise in the field.

If you follow all 9 of these tips you will be well & truly on your way creating the ultimate LinkedIn Profile, to getting yourself noticed & having you standing out from the crowd!

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