Let’s be honest, creating a profile on LinkedIn that will make recruiters consider you kind of intimidating. You visit all these professional profiles and look at their achievements, and suddenly you feel like yours is a little bit too bland or empty. Maybe you don’t have enough experience? Maybe you should add more skills? Is it the profile picture? Or worse, it has unnecessary information you shouldn’t include in the first place. 

As an average adult looking for a job, creating a profile on LinkedIn should be one of your top priorities. 87% of recruiters are looking for candidates on LinkedIn rather than Facebook, so if you want a higher chance of getting employed, LinkedIn is one of the best places to advertise yourself.

Don’t be afraid to stand out

When you’re applying for a job and aiming to land a job in a cool environment that will appreciate your skills, you should check your profile to see if it can pass the initial screening. To make the most of your LinkedIn profile, here are some tips to make sure you stand out. 

Upload a good professional profile picture

According to Jane Deehan, Senior Content Marketing Manager at LinkedIn, your profile image should be current, represent you, and have your face occupying about 60% of the space. The idea is to appear as professional as possible so that potential contacts who may have only met you digitally can more easily recognize you from your profile photo.

Create a short, concise, and effective introduction with important details about yourself

This is the part wherein you can show your creativity, and it’s a great way to let your profile followers or viewers become familiar with you. Let your introduction show your personality and let them glimpse what it will be like working with you.

Cut the buzzwords

Sometimes glittered words are not attractive, especially when they’re overused. On a platform like LinkedIn, words like “creative”, “expert”, and “passionate” are definitely on the majority of profiles. Instead, make a believable statement that you can incorporate into the skills you will include in your profile.

Highlight your skills (soft skills and hard skills)

When adding this, aside from the automated options for you, you may include the ones that are truly relevant to your experiences like SEO, Google Analytics, and HubSpot, and don’t forget to provide a supporting link to your projects if necessary. This will help recruiters identify which field or area you’re good at, making you a possible candidate to be added to their list.

Update your contact information

You can lose out on opportunities if your contact information is outdated. Others prefer emails or phone calls, while certain recruiters and connections will use the built-in LinkedIn chat tool. By keeping your information up-to-date, you boost your chances of connecting.

Curate your network

Aside from connecting with your friends and colleagues to increase your network, joining LinkedIn groups is a great way to develop relationships on the platform. Here, you can take advantage of professional insights, and don’t be afraid to engage with their posts. This will help you make connections and at the same time, learn from other people in industries you’re interested in.

Make regular improvements

Last but not least, avoid leaving your profile unattended for too long. It’s a good idea to constantly update your profile with updated information about your current employment or job-seeking status, new talents you’ve acquired, or projects you’ve finished, in addition to actively participating on the site to create new posts and engaging with new connections. This not only shows consistency but also demonstrates your ongoing desire to learn and grow, which is something potential employers or business partners are constantly seeking.

Conclusion

The more impressive your LinkedIn profile is, the greater your opportunity to network with thought leaders, attract the interest of other professionals, and discover fresh growth opportunities. While there is no such thing as the “ideal” LinkedIn profile, these pointers can help you get pretty close. Keep your profile as concise as you can and make sure all the important details that recruiters need to know are present and easy to view.