Tips for Refreshing Your LinkedIn Profile

𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 LinkedIn? Let me share a 3-second story that might just change your mind. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩: I recently helped someone struggling with their job search revamp their LinkedIn profile based on a few strategic tips I shared. They took the advice to heart and implemented the changes. Fast forward 2 weeks and they’ve been contacted by 𝟕 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 and are currently navigating 𝟒 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬—all this after 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐎 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by LinkedIn or unsure if it’s worth the effort, here’s why you should reconsider: 🌟 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫: LinkedIn isn't just another social network; it's a critical tool in today's job market. Yes, it might seem daunting, especially when you're feeling frustrated with your job search, but a few tweaks can truly turn things around. 🛠️ 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞: 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞: Start with a clear, professional photo. No need for a pricey photoshoot—you can take a great photo with your phone and fix it up with Canva. 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: This is prime real estate. Beyond your current role, highlight your unique skills and what you excel at. Make it compelling! 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Your chance to tell your story. What are your strengths? What drives you? Make it personal and engaging. Experience Section: Go beyond job descriptions. Focus on what you've achieved, how you've made a difference, and what sets you apart. 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Keep this updated and engage by endorsing others too, which often leads to reciprocation. 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: More than just your degrees, highlight how your education aligns with your career goals. 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: These are incredibly powerful. A good word from a peer or manager can make a huge impact. 🌱 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬: - Maintain a simple, clean layout for ease of reading. - Focus on aligning your achievements and skills with the roles you are targeting. - If you’re more reserved, engage with content through comments, collaborative articles, shares, or likes—it's networking that doesn’t feel like networking! 🔗 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞: - Taplio for smart profile insights. - Teal AI for hands-on optimization help. - HeadshotPro.io for top-notch headshots. - Canva for all your graphic needs. (You can use for headshot, LinkedIn banners, post creation, and more!) You've got this, and I’m here cheering you on! 🎉 #jobseeker #jobsearch #linkedin

This year, I've connected directly with or seen public posts from frustrated job seekers who feel they've tried everything. When I look at their LinkedIn profiles, there is often plenty of room for improvement. Here are 3 quick tips to make your LinkedIn profile more appealing to recruiters: 1. Your profile photo matters A high-quality headshot is ideal. You don't need to hire a professional - having a friend take your photo using iPhone portrait mode with a good background is a great option. You can take several versions of your headshot and test them on Photofeeler's Business mode, which collects votes from real people and scores your photo on 3 categories: Competent, Likeable, and Influential. 2. Optimize your headline A strong headline highlights your ideal role and the expertise you offer. Headlines like "Open to work" or "Seeking opportunities" don't market your value to employers. Employers don't care that you need a job. They care about what you can do for them. 3. Flesh out your work experience Consider this section to be your public resume. A strong resume will include 3-5 bullet points for each of your most relevant past roles. Each bullet point will be an impactful accomplishment with a quantifiable result. Remember, your LinkedIn profile is your professional billboard. You've no doubt done great things in your career. Let the world know about them! #jobmarket #recruiting #jobsearch #linkedprofile

[Help Offering: LinkedIN Tips] Been silent on here a while - Takes a second when a hoard of your friends and network makes this month’s latest layoff rounds. As someone who has been helped countless times by her professional network (A lot becoming legit friends - no joke - Tech conferences become like family reunions), I’d like to offer what I’ve learned for those getting started to those even in mid-late careers. STARTING WITH → The WHYs for updating your LinkedIn, Common mistakes, followed by tips for optimization. 1️⃣ Why should we have our LinkedIN updated even if we aren’t looking for a job? ⭐Strong Network⭐ Even if you’re not looking today, building a pipeline, so in 2 years when you may be looking, or your company undergoes layoffs, you already have that network in place. ⭐Speaking Engagements⭐ When you post what you’re passionate about, and what you’ve accomplished, people/companies may reach out to your to speak on podcasts/events. 2️⃣ Common Mistakes ⭐ Don't just copy your resume and paste it on LinkedIn⭐ You want to integrate elements, but LinkedIn is opportunity to share your career as a story. Write in first person! Instead of “my responsibilities are” say, “I had to learn how to A-B-C, resulting in...” Storify it. ⭐ Not consistently posting⭐ Post your own posts and like/share other peoples to get organic reach, exposing you to other companies/industry leaders. Study what kind of posts people you admire are posting and post in a similar way. Doesn’t have to be that complicated. ⭐Not having a professional brand⭐ What are you good at? What do you love? What part of your work brings you in that state of flow? What might other people say that you’re good at? ⭐ Leaving your "About Me" Section Blank Reflect on your dream job, areas of expertise, and implement into your profile. Just like, you want to dress for the job you want, you have to set your profile up for the job you want. Mention your background, but EMPHASIZE what you want your future job to be through your passions and on-brand experience. Leave the fuller picture to "Experience" section. 3️⃣ General Tips ⭐Who are the bosses of the jobs you want? Start to follow those people and engage with their content (ie comment, share, likes) - They’re going to notice and then in a few months you can ask to connect ... say, “I’ve followed you for a while now and love your content, I’d love to connect with you," and they’re more likely to accept that. Someone eventually is going to say yes. ⭐ Blend in personal projects and relevant hobbies on LinkedIn⭐ Recruiters LOVE to see what you’re working on. Even if it’s outside of work, they like knowing what you’re interested in outside of your day job. ⭐ Headline optimization⭐ Search engine shows only your picture and your headline. Title, company and something else about you to give more information and entice them to click on your profile. ⭐ Apply these steps BEFORE paying for premium membership resources and perks.

In today’s fast paced and competitive job market, especially in fields like IT and cybersecurity, your LinkedIn profile is often your first impression. As I navigate through various profiles for people who want to work for me, I’m surprised to see many that lack essential elements like a profile picture! Yet they display the open for work status on it too. So, here are some straightforward tips to make your profile stand out, especially if you’re job hunting: 1. Profile Picture: This is non negotiable. A professional photo makes your profile many times more likely to be viewed. It doesn’t have to be shot by a professional; just make sure it’s clear and professional. Is a cartoon or AI generated one good enough? I am seeing this more and more and most of the mentees that do this are struggling to find work. Perhaps if you are not applying to jobs that make cartoons or is an AI profile picture company, maybe just maybe, be open to just having a nice real picture of yourself. Change it back when you are not looking for work. Just being real... 2. Complete Profile: An incomplete profile can suggest a lack of seriousness. Take the time to fill out each section with relevant information about your education, experience, skills, and certifications. Emojis 🤓🚨 are so popular, but if you want to have a valid account and that checkmark next to your name, it has to match a government ID or passport. So unless emojis are in your legal name, ditch it. You do you of course. But for those who need work, I just say remove them. 3. Headline & Summary: Your headline should capture your professional identity, while the summary is your elevator pitch. Use this space to showcase your ambitions, skills, and what makes you unique. Just being funny here can work if you are working to be a stand up comic, but for the rest of us this line is read by recruiters and hiring managers who are busy people so it helps to make this shine. 4. Recommendations & Endorsements: These add credibility. Don’t hesitate to ask colleagues or classmates to vouch for your skills. Don't play that game of having people endorsing skills. 5. Regular Updates: Share articles, post about your learnings or achievements, and engage with others’ content. It shows you’re active and invested in your professional growth. Its ok to be yourself here. Ok, you must be wondering about my profile: Yes, I get countless job offers all the time for just being me and I am not looking for work! Proud of it too! What you see is what you get. I worked very hard on improving myself by listening to my mentors over the years to get here. Remember, your LinkedIn profile is essentially your online resume and a window into your professional persona. A well crafted profile can open doors and create opportunities. If you’re serious about your career in IT or cybersecurity, let your LinkedIn profile reflect that commitment. #LinkedInTips #CareerDevelopment #ProfessionalBranding

As a technical recruiter, I come across hundreds of LinkedIn profiles, and I wanted to provide some tips on how to make yours stand out. Having an active LinkedIn presence is crucial for any job seeker or career professional. But it's not enough to just create a profile - you need to keep it updated, showcase your skills, expand your network, and participate actively. This increases your visibility and shows your dedication. In addition to being active, your profile itself needs to make a strong first impression. Treat your LinkedIn profile like your professional resume - it offers a snapshot of your best attributes. Here are some key areas to optimize: 📌 Headline - Summarize your current role and specialty using relevant keywords 📌 About section - Share an overview of your background, skills, and passions 📌 Experience - Detail your responsibilities and achievements for each position 📌 Skills - Include keywords recruiters search for 📌 Recommendations - Get colleagues to endorse your work 📌 Media - Spotlight projects, publications, certifications 📌 Network - Connect with professionals in your industry The more complete and compelling your profile, the more likely you are to be discovered and contacted by recruiters like me. The visual presentation also influences others' perception tremendously. I'm happy to provide more specific tips - feel free to connect with me here on LinkedIn as you update your own profile. Leveraging your personal brand effectively here can truly make a difference in advancing your career. #prosourceit #personalbrand #jobseekers #linkedinprofile

2016: I’ll check your CV 2024: I’ll check your LinkedIn profile 93% of the recruiters use LinkedIn to hire candidates. As a recruiter myself, I also check LinkedIn profiles to get more info and find more candidates. LinkedIn isn’t the same job-hunting platform it used to be a few years ago, it has become the prime hotspot for recruiters and hiring managers. It’s 2024, and merely having a LinkedIn profile won’t set you apart. Here’s what you should do to be an extraordinary candidate ↴ → Showcase your expertise by sharing and engaging with insightful content regularly. → Show career advancement in your experienced section. (having the same job title for years could indicate career stagnation). → Use appropriate keywords and highlight relevant skills that match the job description. → Focus on networking and add the right people to your community to get more opportunities. While having skills is still the #1 requirement, having a presence on LinkedIn makes you stand out. Don’t just treat it as just another social media platform, build your profile, and it’ll help you build your career. ----------------------------------- P.S. I'm Shreya - a professional growth coach and a recruiter. Follow along in my journey for invaluable career guidance.