6 Tips to Create a Linkedin Profile That Stands Out

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with more than 525 million users.
It’s a great place to build your professional network, find new opportunities, and grow your career.

With so many professionals on LinkedIn, it can be challenging to stand out among all the other profiles.

But don’t worry! You don’t need to have an Ivy League education or work at a high-profile company to make your profile stand out.

In fact, some of the most successful professionals on LinkedIn have rather unassuming profiles.

What they lack in flash they make up for in substance.

A solid LinkedIn profile is one of the first things hiring managers look at when considering potential candidates.

If you want to be taken seriously as a professional by hiring managers and other users, it’s crucial that your LinkedIn profile represents you well from the get-go.

Here are 7 tips to create a LinkedIn profile that stands out.

Build a strong professional brand

Carefully consider how you want to position yourself as a professional.
This will help you to:

• Determine which industries you want to target.
• Identify which skills you want to highlight on your profile.
• Clarify how your experience can add value to a company’s bottom line.

We’re all human and occasionally fall back on old habits or traits, but with some thought, you can put yourself in the best position to be successful.

Focus on your strengths, tailor your messaging to the companies you want to work for, and don’t be afraid to promote your personality and culture fit.

Use quality, recent photo(s)

It’s a misconception that you don’t need a photo on your profile.

In fact, 93% of recruiters say that they use LinkedIn to source candidates, and 82% of them say that a profile photo is essential when vetting new connections.

Because LinkedIn is a professional network, it’s important that your photo represents you well.
Don’t just take a selfie from the bathroom mirror or a picture from your last vacation.

Instead, hire a professional photographer to take a headshot photo or shoot a photo at your office.

It might cost a few extra bucks, but it’s worth it when you’re able to put your best foot forward to potential employers without hesitation.

Don’t just write – talk!

The headline and summary are the first things hiring managers see in your profile.

These two fields are meant to inspire dialogue between you and the reader to learn more about your experience and skill set.

The headline is a short but powerful description of who you are and what you do.

It should be short enough to fit in the space but descriptive enough to communicate value to the reader.

The summary details why you’re the best person to fill a position and why a company should hire you.

It should be written conversationally, like you’re telling a friend about your experience and what you can do for their company.

This will make it easier for the hiring manager to read and put them in a positive mindset before they start reading your experience.

Be transparent

There’s nothing wrong with being honest about the challenges you’ve faced in your career, even if they’re something that might make you appear less qualified than other candidates.

For example, if you’ve had to take time off from work to care for a loved one, you can still have a successful career in your industry.

In fact, it’s good to be transparent about this so that hiring managers know that you are someone who is capable of overcoming adversity.

It will also show your future employers that you have a history of being resourceful and creative in finding solutions to problems.

Your experience doesn’t have to be perfect to be valuable to an employer.

What’s important is that you demonstrate your ability to get back on track and make the most of the opportunities you’ve been given.

Show your skills shine-through

In the experience section of your profile, you can use keywords that hiring managers are likely to search for when sourcing candidates.

Use these keywords sparingly and creatively so that you don’t come across as spam or over-optimized.

To do this, try to think about the problems your employers face and how you’ve solved them in the past.

This will help you determine which keywords you should use and how to use them so that they stand out.

Add an endorsement from a trusted source

As you’re building your profile, seek endorsements from trusted professional connections (preferably ones that you’ve worked with in the past).

This will help to add to your credibility as a potential employee.

If you’re applying for a position at a specific company, try to find someone at that company to endorse you.

This will help to boost your profile’s standing and give hiring managers a reason to consider you for the position.

Wrap-up

Successfully creating a LinkedIn profile that stands out will give you an advantage against other job seekers.

Make sure to follow these tips to help your profile stand out from the crowd.