Is your LinkedIn profile truly reflecting the competitive professional you are? If not, it’s time to raise your game.
GetSmarter, an online education company specialising in short courses for working professionals, knows how to help you do just that. Use this 3 step guide to make your LinkedIn profile a powerful personal advertisement that employers won’t be able to ignore.
1 Why do I need LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is essentially a platform which gives millions of professionals the opportunity to form connections with people all around the world. Go and Google your best friend. Seriously. We guarantee that their LinkedIn profile will be the first result that pops up on the search page. LinkedIn promotes your online identity in a professional manner and allows potential employers to access to positive information about you. Think of it as your digital CV.
2 What do I need in my profile?
Objective: win the attention of every employer that happens to come across your profile. Even if they don’t hire you, you still want to make an impact. In order to do this, your profile needs 3 things:
- A compelling headline – It’s the first thing they’ll see, so it needs to make them want to keep on reading.
- A concise history of your education and experience – Make sure that this is accurate, up to date, and don’t forget references!
- A gem of a summary section – This is the most important part as it showcases your personal brand and sets you apart from the competition.
3 How do I make it work for me?
Try to update your profile at least once a month in order to make the connections you need. If you’re not sure how to keep the momentum going, try to do the following regularly:
- Share your latest achievements – Consistent personal development is a big plus in the eyes of employers.
- Start following various key influencers – Follow your choice of influencers and share their posts with your connections.
- Share relevant posts and articles via Pulse – Sharing valuable content helps to extend your reach and helps your profile gain visibility.
- Join interesting and relevant groups – Widen your network and gain insight into career avenues that interest you.
GetSmarter partners with top-tier Universities to present career-focused online short courses, postgraduate programmes, and professional accounting programmes. Visit www.getsmarter.co.za.
Want some more tips to help launch your career forward? Check out these 4 Gmail inbox hacks, or bag your dream job in 4 steps.
