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Climbing the ladder in today’s uber competitive world can be a feat. Couple that with the rise in social media and it’s not just our paper CVs we need to worry about anymore. The digital age demands that we keep all of our online profiles up-to-date and projecting our best possible selves. From Instagram to Twitter, LinkedIn to Facebook, it’s an endless sea of online activity and with a recent study finding that 60% of employers now look up your social media accounts, it’s never been more important that our virtual selves project the right impression.
Perfecting the perfect profiles takes time and dedication, but here are three easy, top tips you can apply to your LinkedIn account today that might just put you in the running for a better tomorrow…
Optimise Your Headline
Darain Faraz, Head of Global Consumer Communications at LinkedIn says that the headline and URL of your profile are instrumental in making your profile inviting for employers. Faraz explains that, “your headline follows your name in search hit lists and sums up your professional brand, so make sure it’s eye-catching [and] includes industry buzzwords – and don’t forget accreditation initials specific to your field, which recruiters also search for”. And given the fact he works on the platform we’d listen to him, so make sure you customise your URL and then sit back and wait for the hits to roll in.
Ditch the Selfie
Out of 2,186 employers surveyed by Envirofone 58% said they would point-blank not hire someone that had used a selfie on their LinkedIn profile! With a staggering 88% claiming it makes the profile seem unprofessional. While selfies have their place, and angles and apps can work wonders for our social lives, the selfie obsessed society we now live in might just be damning to our career aspirations.
So what type of picture should we use on our business profiles? Career expert Corinne Mills recommends keeping it simple. “Avoid any photos with busy backgrounds and stick to head shots that show your professional side. It’s best to appear business-like and dressed in the way that you would normally be at work.” Keep the holiday snaps for Facebook and strike a different pose for LinkedIn – simple!
Don’t Be So Modest!
When it comes to our careers modesty is a trait that certainly won’t serve you well. But unfortunately, us females in particularly fall victim to self-deprecation a lot of the time, having an innate tendency to feel embarrassed about showing off our achievements. However, in order to make our profiles stand out we need to learn to shout about them. A great way to start interjecting our achievements into our LinkedIn profiles is to drip feed rich media – think about creating an infographic CV or a mini presentation. Share sound bites of your success on your status regularly and it will start to become second nature. Remember to link out to any to blogs, articles, websites or published papers, that show people your capabilities and accomplishments.
