Successfully navigating LinkedIn and boosting your profile!

Wondering how to boost your LinkedIn profile? Looking to get some exposure and ready yourself to make professional connections? Are you a student going through recruitment and hoping to catch the eyes of some potential employers? Here are some tips to strengthen your profile and achieve the aforementioned points!

First and foremost, make sure your profile is public! Recruiters and potential employers won’t be able to find you if your profile is hidden from public search. Here is a guide to LinkedIn’s profile settings. Be sure to also include your location to increase your chances of being found by those interested in what you may have to offer.

Second, have a profile photo! Did you know that profiles with profile photos are 14 times more likely to be visited as opposed to profiles without one? Be sure to have a professional, high-resolution headshot you can check out the Muse’s article on how to do so here that encompasses your personality. Wear clothes that you would wear to work and showcase your best smile. 

Third, make your headline stand out! Most people tend to use their headlines to display their qualifications - but by no means are you required to do just that! The Muse suggests adding quantifiable attributes to complement your designations such as the number of years you’ve held a position or specifying a level of accomplishment that you’ve achieved. Instead of simply stating that you are a “student at SFU” you could also optimize your headline by including any internships or related experience you may have industry-specific keywords that recruiters may search for, and any hard skills you possess! Resume Worded provides some great examples for student LinkedIn profile headlines! 

Fourth, market yourself by customizing your summary to reflect your story. A huge part of creating an effective presence online and within your network is through personal branding. In addition to your profile photo and your headline, your summary is the third most eye-catching part of your profile. Therefore, use your summary to go beyond just your skills and achievements. Tell a story, share why those skills matter and what you’ve done to apply them! How have you used your abilities to help others? How have you made an impact? Have you made a difference in your previous workplaces or community? How and what did you learn?

Fifth, seek endorsements and testimonials! Similar to providing references at an interview or to a potential employer, endorsements back up your claims at being skilled or experienced in something. Did you know profiles with at least five skills are viewed up to 17 times more than profiles without any skills?  You can seek endorsements from anyone you’ve worked within the past or anyone that is aware of your capabilities. LinkedIn also displays if you’ve been endorsed by someone who is highly skilled in what they’ve endorsed you for to increase credibility. However, be sure to pick the skills you choose to be endorsed in wisely! It’s always best to select skills that are in-demand, relevant to your industry, or that reflect your personal brand. The Muse suggests removing any lacklustre and ‘run-of-the-mill’ skills such as ‘Google Docs’ or ‘Microsoft Word.’ Additionally, avoid using social media as a skill as well unless it directly relates to your brand or expertise.

Be sure to organize your skills so that your strongest and most appealing ones are near the top of your list! You can also continuously update your skillset by taking courses on LinkedIn learning and earning certifications to highlight your achievements. 

Testimonials can be acquired in a similar way to endorsements. Simply request them for a friend, colleague, or someone you’ve worked with before. As recommendations require explanations and directly address you as a person, you may be hesitant to ask someone to complete one on your behalf. But fear not, the Muse has created some templates to help you ask for a LinkedIn recommendation.

Sixth, be an active and contributing member! LinkedIn is a social network, after all. According to Forbes, being active on LinkedIn raises your score in algorithmic search results. You can engage in activity within the platform by reacting to others’ posts and commenting your thoughts and ideas. Have something you’d like to share with your connections or even the general public? Share a post - a story, memory, learning experience, something interesting or insightful you saw in the news - and add relevant hashtags or keywords to gain an audience! You can even join groups of like-minded people to discuss topics and issues that appeal to you. LinkedIn has an enormous amount of potential - use it to your advantage! Create connections, network, and reach out for coffee chats - the options are endless!