5 Tips to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile

1. Be Human

LinkedIn is a business platform. This means it’s all about professionalism, and professionalism must shine through in your writing style. If you’re not sure if your LinkedIn profile exudes authentic professionalism, re-read and tweak your profile until you feel comfortable with your tone. Also, make sure you don’t “over-compensate”. LinkedIn is a platform that allows you to be very professional at times, but also very casual at other times. Your tone should be appropriate for your profile, but also allow you to be yourself. LinkedIn has algorithms that will determine who views your profile and who clicks to explore further. If you come across as “too formal” or “too casual,” it could actually hurt your chances of being viewed and clicked. Make sure you’re being human, but also make sure that your profile looks professional.

2. Show, Don’t just Tell

I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, “Show, don’t tell.” Well, this is what your entire LinkedIn profile is about. If you don’t know who you are, then neither will potential employers. There are many ways to show, not just tell.

Some of them include:

• Using active verbs: When you use active verbs, you’re showing that you’re doing things, not just telling the reader that you’re doing things.
• Using a clear, concise sentence structure: Make it easy for your readers to understand what you’re putting in your profile.
• Adding a photo or video: Photos and videos bring your profile to life. Adding a photo or video will allow your profile to be more than just words and allow your reader to actually begin imagining the person you are.
• Making a list: Adding a list will allow your reader to see what you’re all about in one simple list.
• Making a graph: Graphs are a great way to show off your key skills, along with your accomplishments, in one simple visual.

3. Re-Engage Your Network

One thing we all do when looking for a new job is to send our professional network a LinkedIn message. If you haven’t re-engaged your network, now is the time to do so. There are a few ways you can go about re-engaging your LinkedIn network:

• Send a quick message: Make it a quick message where you invite your network to check out your new profile. Make it easy for them to re-engage you by including a link to your new profile.
• Share your new profile: You can share your new profile to your network.
• Respond to your connections: LinkedIn allows you to respond to your connections. It’s a great way to re-engage your network.

4. Showcase your Skills

If you haven’t started showcasing your key skills and accomplishments, now is the time. LinkedIn allows you to include up to ten bullets for each skill section. If you’re only showcasing three skills in your profile, then your potential employer has up to three bullet points to research you on. If you don’t want your potential employer to spend time researching you, make sure you showcase your key skills and accomplishments.

5. Update When Appropriate

If you haven’t updated your LinkedIn profile in the last six months, now is the time. If your old profile is very old, the potential employer could view you as “out of date” and could even avoid reading your profile. Update your LinkedIn profile when you have new information to add to your profile. This includes any new information you want to include, such as a work experience, new education or additional certification.

Final Thoughts

It’s not enough to just add a LinkedIn profile to your digital resume. Your LinkedIn profile needs to be top-notch in order for you to stand out from other job seekers online. If you want to stand out from other job seekers, make sure you’ve read these five tips on how to improve your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is a digital resume, and your online profile requires careful thought and attention. With the help of these tips, we hope you now have the tools to make your LinkedIn profile more appealing, professional, and interesting in order to catch the attention of prospective employers.

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