What makes a winning LinkedIn profile?

No matter what stage of your career you’re at, you will always need a LinkedIn profile that stands out.

With over 660 million users worldwide, LinkedIn is easily the largest professional network in the world. If you are serious about your career path and professional advancement, a LinkedIn profile that is optimised and up to date is a must. Your LinkedIn profile is your chance to get your face and name in front of hundreds or even thousands of professionals in your industry. If you are looking for a new role, this is vital.

However, it’s not enough to just have a profile. You need an eye catching profile that attracts potential employers. This helps you connect with the right people who can help you expand your career. Here are five simple tips to help make your LinkedIn profile stand out from the crowd.

Include your headshot

The most simple thing you can do to upgrade your profile is to add a profile photo so people can see a face with your name. Be creative if that fits with what you do and who you are, but remember this is the first impression people will have of you on this platform. If you don’t have a professional headshot to use, it might be worth getting one. With so many people on LinkedIn, those without a profile photo can be easily overlooked.

Create an eye-catching headline

Your headline is positioned right below your name on your profile and it will be the first thing visitors will read. You have 120 characters to work with, so make sure you write something that interesting and intriguing to entice potential employers to read on.

Write an interesting summary

Your LinkedIn summary gives you the opportunity to tell your story. It can be a longer form of your headline, you have 2,000 characters to work with so you can dive in a little bit deeper. Try not to focus too much on your past experience but what you do well and what you can bring to a prospective employer. Keep in mind that keywords are crucial. Use words that you want to be strongly connected to in your field.

Use visual media

Most people don’t know this, but you can add a background/cover photo on LinkedIn. It’s simple to do and it makes your page stand out from the rest. Pick a theme that speaks to your profession or personality. LinkedIn also allows you to connect other media to your profile such as Youtube videos.

Keep your page active!

LinkedIn is more than an online resume, it’s a networking platform so you need to get the most of it. It’s important to be present and active on your page by posting career highlights or sharing articles that you find interesting. If you need ideas, you can check out what other people are posting and engage with them by leaving comments, and sharing. You can also join groups that are on LinkedIn to stay on top of the latest news and innovations relevant to your industry. Whatever your professional interests are, there are sure to be groups talking about it.

LinkedIn can be a powerful tool, one that’s really simple to use. Make the most of it and start optimising your LinkedIn profile today!