If you’re in the middle of a job search, LinkedIn is your friend. Not only is it a great place to network and search for jobs, but it’s also a great place to sell yourself. Your profile is like the digital storefront of your career. Don’t sell yourself short! Especially when companies like us allow you to apply for positions with your LinkedIn profile. These quick tips will help you shape up your profile fast.
1. Brand Yourself in Your Headline
Under no circumstances write that you are unemployed in your headline. Recruiters aren’t searching for the term “unemployed” in the LinkedIn search engine so don’t waste that valuable real estate! Instead, use the headline to focus on keywords that recruiters will be searching for in your industry — you could even go so far as to write the title of the job you really want. The headline is different from your last or current job title. It’s a place where you can write almost an entire sentence about who you are and what you’re looking to do. Just don’t forget those keywords.
2. Upload a Quality Photo
A bio photo seems like such a simple thing, and yet so many people fail to upload one that’s appropriate. In your bio photo, you should be dressed appropriately — forgo the tank top, sunglasses on your head, and the beach in the background. Save the vacation photos for Facebook. The image should be crisp and clear. There is no excuse for a blurry, out of focus image here. And you should be the only person featured in the image. Don’t upload a family photo or a badly cropped photo where someone else’s face is clearly pressed against the side of your head.
3. Write with Personality
LinkedIn bios have the same problems that many resumes do. They have too many buzzwords and they are too stuffy. Inject some personality into your bio by writing in the first person (not the third person) and getting more creative with your copy. Tell the story of who you are why you came to be in this industry. Talk about what makes you different. As of now, LinkedIn is different from your resume. It’s a place to take a few more chances and be more open about what you’re looking for in a new job and to stand out from other candidates.
P.S. Before you tackle your profile, read 10 words you should remove from your LinkedIn profile immediately as well as the ultimate LinkedIn etiquette guide.
Image via Esther Vargas/Flickr.
Spectrum Brands Careers Blog 
July 9, 2015
Career Advice