Different Ways to Make your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out

Savvy professionals make an account on LinkedIn at the beginning of their career because recruiters are known to use this platform when searching for qualified candidates for job opportunities. Yes, you have a profile on LinkedIn, but are you using it to its fullest potential? It is essential to bear in mind that LinkedIn is not just an online resume to be used for landing a new job. Instead, it is consolidated and professional place where you showcase the work you are doing in your industry and connect with others for building your brand. There are more than 450 million global members on LinkedIn, which means it is even more important for you to move away from the stale resume rehash and make your LinkedIn profile stand out.

How can this be done? Here are several ways to go about it:

Add a professional profile picture

Remember that LinkedIn is very different from Facebook. Your profile picture on the former has to be professional if you want to leave a positive impression. Silly or inappropriate pictures are going to get your profile added to the discarded pile. It is best to opt for a solo picture in professional business attire and the background should also be a solid one.

Come up with an engaging headline

You automatically add your recent job title in the headline after adding your experience. This is a dull and boring approach because it is used widely and it is best to play around with your headline to ensure it is an engaging one. The headline is the first thing that people will see in the search results and it has to be good enough to get them to open your profile and give it a proper look.

Give it a personal touch

Yes, LinkedIn is a professional platform, but your profile doesn’t have to be exactly like your actual CV. Here you have the option of getting a bit conversational and take a more personal approach in defining yourself and highlighting your accomplishments. Write in the first person is one way to make yourself relatable. Mentioning what you do and the things you care about also makes your profile more approachable.

Don’t forget to use keywords

There would be no point in having a profile on LinkedIn when no one can find you. How can you ensure you come up in searches related to your field or industry? The simple solution is to incorporate keywords in your headline, profile and summary as well as in sections on work experience. Put some thought into the keywords recruiters will use when looking for candidates and add them in your profile to drive traffic.

Add multimedia to your profile

Sure, you can tell people you are good at something, but a better option is to show them and this can be done by adding multimedia. Use videos, images, sound bites and even PDFs to your profile as a way to add color and context to your words and enhance your profile.