When it comes to using social media to find work, or to network with people who work in a similar field as you, LinkedIn is arguably the best platform to use. For that reason alone, making sure that it looks professional at all times is very important. The last thing you want if you are looking for work or some new clients is a profile that lacks any appeal. Here we will look at some of the very simple steps you can follow to make sure that your LinkedIn profile looks professional at all times, ensuring that your networking is a success.
Keep It Up To Date
This is probably the most obvious step when it comes to your LinkedIn profile, but it is something that is surprisingly overlooked. Whenever you start or finish a new job, you should update your profile as soon as you can. What most people forget however is to update whenever they complete a new project or reach a certain level of achievement.
When it comes to LinkedIn, everything is relevant. If you are looking for work, then potential employers will naturally want to see that you are very active in your chosen field. When it comes to networking, there is nothing more appealing to potential clients than seeing that you are constantly achieving new things and completing new projects. If you are able to provide at least a little update every few weeks then your profile will get that little boost of professionalism.
Turn Off Your Activity Broadcast While You Update
There are times when you will think of something that you did several years ago that you think would be great for your LinkedIn page. It’s fine to post anything onto your profile no matter how old it is, but because of the nature of broadcast feeds on the site, the people you are connected with will mistakenly think that what you have posted happened recently. This would certainly be a particular problem if you are planning on posting several job updates, as it would annoy your connections to see their feed flooded with your updates.
The best thing to do is turn off your activity broadcast while you do the update. Simply go to ‘Settings’ and then ‘Privacy Controls’ to turn notifications off while you get your page sorted. This of course should only be reserved for an update that occurred a while ago. If you are posting something new, then it’s important that your connection does see it on their feed. It lets them know that you are still active and working away in your field.
Pick An Appropriate Profile Picture
In most cases, it’s fair to assume that whatever you have as your Facebook profile picture would not be suitable for LinkedIn. Your profile picture needs to be professional, and rather simple. It should be treated like you are making a headshot to be sent in for potential acting jobs. Also, make sure that the picture of yourself is very recent, so then it’s clear that your profile is kept up to date regularly.
The best thing to do is set aside a little time to take a picture you think would work well. Just get someone you know to spend five minutes taking some photos until you find one you think is appropriate. Just make sure that it is clearly you in the photo and that it is of high quality.
Proofread Everything
There is nothing worse than being caught out with a spelling mistake or bad grammar even in the best situations. It is even worse when your LinkedIn page is being held up as a beacon of your professionalism, only for it to look thrown together without much care and attention.
Whenever you post an update, make sure you proofread everything closely. If you haven’t checked what you have on your profile already, make sure you set aside some time to do that soon. When you are trying to seem professional, the last thing you need is to be caught out by an amateur mistake.
Join LinkedIn Groups, And Keep Active
Have a search through the LinkedIn groups and find the ones you think you would like to join. Once you become a member, it is very important that you remain active in them. Whenever you get the chance, just spend an hour going through what has been posted by other members of the group and make comments on them. Also, make sure that you post things yourself on a fairly regular basis.
The group’s system on LinkedIn is a very useful resource for networking, as it allows you to connect with people who have similar interests, and who are also not among your network of connections. If you correspond with them often enough though, you could find that many of them will be part of your connections list soon. After all, it never hurts to have a few more content in your chosen field.
Have LinkedIn Badges On Your Site
When you have your profile up and running and looking very professional, then you will want as many people as possible checking it out. For that reason alone, it is important to have LinkedIn badges on your website. This way all the potential connections that visit your site can find your profile quickly and easily.
When it comes to your online profile, LinkedIn should be put front and center with every professional. This is why you want as many people looking at it as possible. Having the badges on your site will increase the amount of people who check it out substantially, and naturally will also increase the odds of finding the right clients.
Connect Your LinkedIn With Twitter
Just a simple extra trick more than anything, try adding your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn profile. This is a really easy way of showing potential employers and clients that you are quite active on social media and that you have enough internet knowledge to link your profiles together. If you would only like certain tweets to appear on your profile page, then that is okay. All you have to do is use the #in hashtag to make it appear on your profile.
These are just a few simple steps that can make a whole lot of difference. Simply by making sure that everything is updated and kept polished and active as often as possible, you can make your LinkedIn profile look very nice and professional. That’s something that certainly makes a whole lot of difference when you are looking for a new potential employer, or for new clients for your business.
