This was an article which I wrote for Opportunities4Women, a website aimed at helping women advance in business and offer tips and tricks on ways to climb the career ladder. The site is part of the Square Peg Media publishing house, which is why I was tasked with writing for it. The final version features an added introduction by the editor to adapt the work for the target audience. Here is that final version, as can be seen on the website.
More men than women are using LinkedIn, 46% of users are women, according to internetserviceproviders.org. Are we missing a trick? Are you logged on to LinkedIn but are not sure if you’re making the most of it? Check out our ten tips for boosting the power of your profile…
Social networking and careers site, LinkedIn, has become an invaluable tool for making contacts across a wide variety of industries. It now boasts over 200 million members across 200 countries. The most common sectors are Information Technology (with four million members), Financial Services (2 million members), and the Higher Education sector (1.95 million), but whatever sector you work within, you’ll likely to connect with past or present co-workers and others in your field.
With all these people jostling to advance their careers through the site, how can you stand apart from the rest? Below are ten tips to help make LinkedIn work for you…
Write a good headline
You get the opportunity to write a short headline for your profile. This short description will appear below your name in search results, and is basically the second bit of information people will see about you. The key here is to sell yourself in as simple a way as possible. It needs to be catchy, but at the same time show the people browsing through the list why they should click on your profile. Add key words, such as job titles or skills, and maybe even your email address, so people can contact you more easily. This leads to…
Remember SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
If an employer is looking for someone with a specific skill, they will search for that skill. Your job is to ensure you are among the top results for everything you want to be known for. Think of it like a Google search: you want to be on the first page of results, not on the sixteenth. Think both broad and focused. If you are a good manager then say so, but are you good at a specific area of management? State that as well. LinkedIn searches will look through your headline, name, company name and job title first, so those are the places where you need to place keywords.
Include a picture of yourself
It doesn’t need to be a professional photo shoot, but a good, clear photograph of you is regarded as vital. Not only does it prove that you are an actual person, but it also builds up a degree of trust. Being open and ‘real’ makes a good first impression: and will put you above any profiles that are left without photos.
Be Social
Don’t forget that the site is a social network. You have the opportunity to build a diverse catalogue of contacts from around the world. Search for people that you would be interested in working for, or who have well-established profiles. If they have a profile you can also add your existing contacts from your address book. It doesn’t look very impressive if your only contacts are the team in the accounts department…
Use your contacts
If you have added work colleagues – past or present – and you want to strengthen your own and their profiles, add an endorsement or recommendation. These allow you to announce on their profile that you trust them and would recommend them to future employers. It’s like peer reviews but on a global scale. Remember that this is about give and take, and you should hopefully get a few positive reports yourself.
Be informative
You have many opportunities and different ways to sell yourself on LinkedIn. There are multiple categories and fields to complete. This may appear daunting, but which ultimately will help build a comprehensive biography of your career. One of the best things about LinkedIn is that you can add multimedia files to your page. If you’re great with speeches, attach a highlight show reel or audio file as a taster of your skill. The same applies to any type of specialism – such as a portfolio, website or blog – add it to your profile.
List achievements
If you have won an industry award, or are certified in a particular area, add it to your profile. If you volunteer for a cause, have completed a related course or speak a language, add it. Don’t be modest with your achievements.
Stay current
If you’ve taken the time to sign up to the website, added your CV, skills, work experience, etc – don’t let it fall into disarray. Your profile should stay up to date and ‘alive’. As long as you are doing something, there is something to add, and if you aren’t currently working, there’s always the opportunity to revise what you have written and start on the next tip, which is…
Get involved
It’s a cliché but true: it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Although LinkedIn won’t allow you to just start messaging Richard Branson or the head of Apple, it does let you join a group and start up a dialogue with anyone else in that group. Use this chance to share experiences and tips and build your contact base.
Connect to your business
If you work for a well-respected multinational company, show off this fact and use its reputation to bolster your profile. Add a link to their site, and, basically, say ‘I work here!’ If you work for a small office or business that might not be as well known, show how you impact and help keep the place running. It doesn’t matter if you’re a major gear or minor cog: tell people what you do and what experience you have gained.
Stay connected, get linking, and happy networking!
Jason Gray's Writings 