How to Stand Out?
With over 700 million users, LinkedIn is easily one of the largest social networking platforms. LinkedIn allows you to build professional connections. Your interactions with others will not only help prospects find you, but they can also act as a form of social proof. This in turn will increase the chances that a prospect will pull and view your profile more frequently. By growing your network, it increases your credibility to skills you can bring to the table. As your visibility grows on LinkedIn, it leads to potential opportunities. Selling yourself is an art, and what better way to showcase what you have to offer on a continuously growing networking platform. Here are 4 effective ways to make your LinkedIn profile attractive to the eyes of prospects.
Add a Profile Picture: First impression matters. Nonverbal cues through facial expression, body language, and looking presentable can make a difference between success and failure, even before you say a single word. It is also a benefit for prospects to be able to put a face to a candidate’s name. This can help make candidates more memorable or even provide a sense of familiarity when connecting. Lastly, with the large amount of people utilizing LinkedIn, those without a photo can easily be pushed aside from being considered for potential opportunities.
Headline: Your LinkedIn headline is one of the most visible sections on your profile. It is key to making a positive impression, and will help you stand out. By default, LinkedIn creates your headline based on your current role. Instead of having your headline on default setting, why not make it unique and eye-catching! Utilize the 120 characters you have to highlight key words in your headline and allow your profile to appear in searches more often. Always remember to write your headline to the targeted audience you are trying to reach.
Provide a Compelling Summary: Your LinkedIn summary gives you the opportunity to dig deep and tell your story. Just like a resume, the LinkedIn summary section is a way for you to get creative and paint a picture of who you are as a professional. Use this space to demonstrate the value you offer. A good personal summary will help expand upon the keywords highlighted in your headline section, and tells the audience why you would be a perfect candidate for a position. Overall, keep this section simple, but provide a sense of personality that depicts who you are, your interests, and accomplishments, etc. Also include your contact information to provide a direct way for recruiters and prospects to reach out.
Have a Portfolio with Samples of Your Work: A great way to display what projects you have accomplished, and what you can do on your LinkedIn is by including links to your work samples. Having a portfolio shows you are more than just a resume. It allows an individual’s personality to shine, and a way to find your dream job in the digital world today.
Connect with Sabrina Lovan on LinkedIn.
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