Tomorrow will bring its annual round of little ghouls, witches and goblins to your door for treats, but don’t let that scare you away from updating that old LinkedIn profile!
I like to link recurring but infrequent tasks to memorable occasions—so if you’re decorating for Halloween, think about redecorating your profile, too! Check in to see if you still like your photo, if your background image looks good, if you’ve missed any interesting activity from your connections. It’s not so scary to give your info a little refresh.
Here are some insider tips from recruiters that I’ve collected over the years:
- Highlight your unique skills in your headline. Get rid of that old employer info. Instead, focus on you: What are you confident sets you apart? What’s a hook that will make people stop and take a longer look? And while you’re at it, add some personality, too. Give the whole thing some flair and make it really you:
“Social Media Marketer ● 6+ years of creating click-worthy content ● craft beer enthusiast” - Get a nice photo for your headshot. It doesn’t have to be a professional photo (though definitely get one of those if you can!) as long as it’s a good, clear, recent photo of you. Ideally you’ll have a pleasant backdrop and be smiling, but those are more suggestions than rules.
- Highlight your best stuff. Sure, you’re good at Microsoft Office, but is that really the most interesting thing about you? Think about the things you’re really proud of having accomplished professionally, and be sure to link to any articles you wrote or are quoted in! Add numbers if those make sense.
- Engage! This is clearly more important if you’re actively seeking a new role, but I think it’s a good habit to be in, regardless. Sharing articles, insights, and professional updates will keep you front-of-mind with people who might have good opportunities for you. It also lets you stay active with your contacts without a lot of heavy lifting on your part.
- Yes, go ahead and list your work details. You’ve taken the time to craft those bullet-points for your resume, so paste them in under your roles on LinkedIn, too. A recruiter probably can’t tell all that you do from your job title alone, so let them see what you can offer. (Bonus: if you ever have computer issues, your resume is replicated right there! No need to recreate the whole thing.)
- Choose whether to have dates. A degree or piece of experience from too long ago raises the potential for age discrimination. But at the same time, a lack of dates on your degrees is unlikely to make a recruiter think you’re 23. So the best decision is the one you feel is right. Most recruiters I’ve talked to recommend including dates going back around 15 years, and removing them prior to that. You can still claim your experiences and education, just minus that date info.
- And finally, get those recommendations. I know it can feel awkward to ask for them, but you have a few options to do so. One is to write a recommendation for someone else, and then ask if they’re willing to do the same for you. The other is to find a job-search buddy or accountability partner and write them for each other. And finally, you can let former colleagues know you’re updating your profile and ask if they’ll help you out. Those other voices can be powerful in making an impression on a future employer—and you can also re-read what people have written if you’re having a bad day.
