Bob Harrington Associates

HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE

Power has shifted from the resume to LinkedIn in terms of its effectiveness as a job searching tool. People with completed profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn. To be found more often, consider these actions:

1. Check your score and if it is below 100%, you should do some work to update and fully complete your profile.
2. Adjust your public profile url so it is as close to your name as possible, e.g. http://www.linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastname to make it more reader and SEO friendly.
3. The LinkedIn summary is more prominent than a resume summary and should be 2 or 3 times in length reflecting your personal branding statement. A good way to structure this is to put the most noteworthy information in paragraph 1, important details in paragraph 2 and other background in paragraph 3. If the reader moves on after paragraph 1, they should still get a good feel for what you are about.
4. If your company doesn’t have a completed company profile, create one. It provides enriching information about the caliber and nature of the employer and their business. Use their website as your guide.
5. The professional headline that appears at the top of the profile just below your name is very influential. So, ensure to prepare an accurate but attention getting headline to draw in the reader.
6. Used wisely, LinkedIn apps can enrich your profile. Where appropriate, install them.
7. Ensure your public profile is set to be visible to everyone and it will appear in search engine listings. Recruiters can then find you through Google searches.
8. People use LinkedIn to see how you present yourself in a business context. Use a good quality photo, or upper torso shot in business attire/business setting.
9. Get well worded specific recommendations from former supervisors. Your credibility is enhanced by offering a reliable reference that can be traced back to you. The more senior the better.
10. LinkedIn experts claim that being active in LinkedIn group discussions will create more links back to your profile. This raises your search ranking and you will appear higher in search results giving you a better chance of being found.
11. Increasing your connections means you will appear higher in search results.
12. Endorsements can help you and you can help others. Add skills in order of importance to you. As you endorse or are endorsed or make any changes to your profile that activity shows in your newsfeed, creating more exposure for you.

The bottom line is that optimizing your LinkedIn profile is more powerful than an updated resume. Don’t make the mistake of waiting until you are unemployed, start now!