Six Quick Ways to Take Your LinkedIn Profile from Eh to Yay!

Interviews and resumes are no longer the means of making a lasting first impression with a new company or client. In today’s digital age the best way to get your foot in the door is to have the most note-worthy LinkedIn page. So in order to practice what we preach, we did a Lunch & Learn with the team last week to stay on top of the latest trends. Read on for Curley Company’s top six steps to amp up your profile

1. Customize your headline. Think of this as your digital salutation. Shoot for a headline that sums up your experience and capabilities, and promotes your personal brand. Incorporate keywords to make it more search-friendly.

2. Be authentic—nail the voice. You want your profile to come across as though a real person is behind it. This is your chance to add some color and personality to your professional story. The best profiles are usually written in first person.

3. Summary statement is key. Think of this as your “elevator pitch”—communicate who you are, what you’ve done and what you can do – but be succinct.

4. Visuals are your friend. #DYK, studies show the human brain processes visuals up to 60,000 times faster than text. While you should aim for a professional-looking headshot, the banner image is your opportunity to personalize your profile to showcase your interests and/or professional brand. You can also link to media or videos of past work to help break up that text.

5. Highlight relevant work experience. Make sure the experience you share is up-to-date, relevant to your career and appealing to a wide audience – consider adding a couple of career wins – without the industry jargon.

6. Let’s get social. The more active you are on LinkedIn, the more you’ll improve your profile visibility. This doesn’t have to take up all your time though. For starters, consider engaging with contacts by liking, sharing and commenting on their posts. Joining groups is also a great way to network and help build your brand.