LinkedIn is a social network for the business community, creating worldwide opportunities. For job seekers, LinkedIn is a great platform for finding job opportunities, building your professional network as well as getting recognised by employers who use LinkedIn to source talent.
If you are new to LinkedIn or are unsure of what makes a great profile, Hastings Direct Recruitment Team have provided the following 6 top tips for creating a Linkedin Profile:
Photo
Upload a recent headshot of yourself that is semi-professional. A photo headshot will get 9 x more connection requests, 21 x more profile views and 36 x more messages. (LinkedIn)
Summary
Draft a compelling summary about yourself. This is similar to an elevator pitch, where you will introduce yourself, summarise your character and passions whilst also including career accomplishments and aspirations.
Work Experience
Here you should include your current and previous roles and work experience. This should be written as a paragraph outlining what your roles and responsibilities were within these positions. You can also add rich media (photos, videos, presentations, web links and documents) to your experience to highlight projects you have worked on. Linkedin profiles with up to date positions receive 5 x more connection requests, 8 x more profile views and 10 x more messages. (LinkedIn)
Volunteer Experience
Include any volunteer work you may have carried out. Profiles with volunteer experience and causes get 6 x more profile views than those without. (LinkedIn)
Skills and Endorsements
Include skills you have gained as a result of your education or work experience for other members to endorse. Members who add 5 or more skills receive up to 17 x more profile views. (LinkedIn)
Request Recommendations
Request recommendations from your managers, colleagues or stakeholders to help build your credibility and validate your skills. When requesting a recommendation be sure to personalise the request. Some people, such as your manager may prefer for you to draft something that they can then work with and amend. This helps them understand what you are requesting a recommendation for – for example do you want them to recommend you for your teamwork skills oryour communication skills in a recent project, etc.
Once your profile is set up, follow Hastings Direct to view our latest opportunities and updates within your LinkedIn home feed!