Do you get stuck and confused when you get into our LinkedIn? It’s a confusing landscape. To use the platform well, here are a few insider scoop tricks from around the web,
- Start with your headline. Your headline is the quick attention-grabber right under your profile picture, so make sure it’s good. Avoid generic language or overly-broad info. It’s not useful for a potential employer to see 7 possible job titles for you, so focus on what you really want next. If that changes, change your headline! Also avoid meaningless jargon or buzzwords so anyone who comes across you can see what you have to offer. And remember, this section is more than just your job title!
- Then focus on your about That’s your space to summarize whatever it is you want potential employers to know about you. It’s a freewheeling place for you to define yourself and highlight what’s really important. You’re not constrained by past job titles or dates, so think about the impression you want to make right away. For some concrete examples, check out this article from LinkedIn.
- Be active. That doesn’t mean you’re posting daily or even weekly, but the more active you are on the platform, the more its algorithm learns about you and finds ways to reward you. You can share relevant articles, congratulate others on their successes, ask questions. Your activity doesn’t have to be huge, it just needs to be there.
- This is my favorite thing LinkedIn does. You can search for people who graduated from your alma mater, people with interesting job titles, folks who work at dream organizations. You can connect with people who follow the same people as you or are in mutual professional organizations.
- But be sure to give context. I have stopped connecting to people I suspect are just trying to sell me something, so if you reach out to someone you don’t know, tell them why you’re reaching out, being sure to clarify that you’re not offering to Grow Your Leads Funnel or Give the Best New Marketing Strategy ever. (I immediately un-connect these people because I don’t have time for that nonsense.)
- Endorse people, or, better yet, write recommendations. This encourages people to do the same for you, and it also feeds the algorithm so the system connects you with more people who appear to be like the people you’ve just praised.
- Manage your skills section. That will allow you to put in the skills you want others to endorse you for, rather than the things LinkedIn thinks you probably have based on your experience. I kept getting endorsements for curriculum development, which I absolutely don’t do, so I had to take that sucker out, lest someone ask me to do it!
- Update your photo and background banner. I know it’s a pain to do, but you want these images to be current and not look outdated. You can choose to be as formal or informal as you want in your photo, but make sure your face shows clearly so people have a chance to feel a human connection with you!
- Keep things relevant. If you’re changing careers, just be sure your most related info is at the top. You can keep your older stuff, of course—it makes for some good talking points—but don’t make them dig for the most important stuff. They probably won’t.
- And finally, don’t be a mercenary. It’s rarely helpful to reach out to hiring managers when you’re applying for something. Put yourself in their shoes: if you had 400 resumes to go through, would it make a difference if half of those people reached out to you online? Chances are good that you wouldn’t pay any attention to those notes, or you might even be a little annoyed. Instead, focus on building and nurturing online relationships with people who are genuinely interesting to you. Those folks are your true network, not the harassed hiring manager.
