When I review a LinkedIn profile, we spend an hour on the phone and I guarantee to tell you three things, personal to your goals, which will increase your LinkedIn results.
Below are the three areas most people need to improve. Do you need to work on yours?
Photo: It has to be a headshot of you looking business ready, ie dressed in what you’d wear for work. If you’re a professional, it makes sense to get a photographer to take these for you. It’s a reasonably small investment and it can make all the difference.
Headline: This is not necessarily your job title. Especially if you have a generic sounding role like Account Manager or Director. Be more specific. Enterprise Software Account Manager for UK based Financial sector clients. Or Human Resources Director for FTSE 100 Utilities company. Include other keywords that tie in with your specialist skills and experience.
Summary: LinkedIn allow you to write 2000 characters summarising your key skills and experience, as you would want to tell them, to the person you hope is reading your profile. If that dream person – new boss, leading headhunter, perfect client – is reading your LinkedIn page, what do you want to tell them? You’ve got 2000 characters to blow their socks off. What are you going to tell them? How can you get their attention? Impress them even? Better still, make them want to get in touch with you….
LinkedIn has been my best online business friend for ten years – it’s our anniversary this week. Just waiting to see if LinkedIn will send me flowers… chocolates… a special profile badge.
[Tweet “Are you getting results from being on LinkedIn? If not, I can tell you, it’s not because LinkedIn doesn’t work. Something quite small can make a huge difference.”]
To celebrate my LinkedIn anniversary I’m offering free profile reviews all month (while I’ve still got space in my diary, that is). If getting me to cast my eyes over your profile and telling you three things – personal to your goals – that will make all the difference to your results would be a game changer for you, email me now at [email protected].
Warning: this stuff really works and most people say their lives have changed as a result of using LinkedIn better. Do not get in touch if you’re happy with what you have right now.
Julie Holmwood has worked in the career industry for eighteen years. Including almost twelve as an international headhunter and recruiter. She started using LinkedIn on 1st April 2004 and has used it in earnest ever since. A true LinkedIn lover she is passionate about helping people find the benefits of a good profile and the advantages of leveraging online networks. For more information please look her up on LinkedIn and feel free to mention this article if you’d like to connect.
