LinkedIn is one of your best assets when planning for your future career.
It is the perfect place to make contacts and network, show off your skills and get noticed by the people who are looking for the best employees in the industry.
Refining your profile is the best way to stand out, so here are six things you need to create an epic LinkedIn profile.
#1 Use a professional photo
Your profile photo might be the first thing that an employer sees and bases their first impression on.
Use a professional photo, where you look nice and presentable. No one should be in the background and it should be rightly proportioned.
In this photo, you should look the way you would at an interview. If you’ve done that, you can’t go wrong.
#2 Write a strong headline
A LinkedIn headline is where you describe yourself in 120 characters or less. It is a brief description and should entice readers to click on your profile to learn more about you.
Make sure your headline is strong, makes sense and showcases the most important aspects of who you are and what you do.
#3 Education, experience, achievements
If you have done all of the hard work in education, worked up lots of experience and have scored many achievements, showcase all of that.
Listing your accomplishments in detail will help highlight why you would be the perfect candidate for a job.
#4 Connect with relevant people
Connect with as many industry contacts as you can. If your name keeps popping up with different employers when they are looking for graduates, seize the opportunity to network.
Also look out for previous graduates, as they can give you valuable advice and experience.
#5 Follow industry groups
Be active in your industry. Follow different groups to see what they are up to and what you can learn.
Learning about different parties in your industry can be very valuable and will also allow you to see if any groups are looking at hiring.
A knowledgeable graduate is a valuable and employable graduate!
#6 Stay active online
Maintain an online presence. This will show your enthusiasm for your industry and will help you connect with fellow peers, alumni, companies and valuable contacts.
Follow these six steps and you will find yourself with a cracking LinkedIn profile that will make you and what you offer shine.
In addition…
Register for the LinkedIn workshop, which covers all things getting set up and stepping close to your dream career.