Writing a great LinkedIn profile

Social media: writing a great LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn is a free online resource with over 467m users and is an excellent place to showcase your professional skills, to look for a job and to research prospective employers. We know that most clients will use it to look up candidates at the pre-interview stage so advise all our candidates to have a profile there. Lucy from RecruitAbility has some advice on how to create a great LinkedIn profile.

Have a professional-looking photograph

First make sure you have a suitable photograph. It does not have to be taken by a professional but should not be a selfie, a holiday snap or a photo taken down the pub. With a little help from someone else you can take a decent shot with your phone. This blog on LinkedIn has some excellent tips.

Complete your profile

Incomplete profiles will really put employers off so make sure all sections of yours are complete. Check that there are no discrepancies between your CV and your LinkedIn profile. Use the “experience” section to cut and paste your previous job roles from your CV. If you have done any voluntary work add that too.

Write a great summary

All recruiters agree that the “summary” section is the most important. You need to grab an employer’s attention with your summary because unless you do, they will not read the rest of your profile. Write a concise headline - you have 120 characters to impress an employer so make them count. In your summary describe what you do and show why someone would want to work with you. Use keywords so your profile will appear in searches – you can find the best ones to use by reading job postings for roles you would like.

Some general advice

Make sure your profile is public. Turn off notifications so your connections are not bombarded with information every time you edit your profile. Check your spelling and grammar and do not use clichés or jargon.

A resource for you

Finally, remember that LinkedIn is a resource for you too. Use it to research the companies that you admire, join groups you might be interested in, find industry-specific news and make connections with others. Making a decision to improve your LinkedIn profile could really pay off and help you find exciting opportunities for 2018.