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Top tips for creating a professional LinkedIn profile - Search Consultancy

Written by: Search Consultancy
Published on: 13 Jan 2016

LoveLocalJobs.com are happy to share the latest news from our Founding Partner Search Consultancy.

For many people, creating a professional LinkedIn profile is a tedious task that consumes a lot of time and rarely plays a part in getting a job. That is why many job seekers often disregard their LinkedIn profile and miss a great opportunity to promote their skills and experience to potential employers.

As an established recruitment agency with offices around UK including Brighton, Search has extensive experience in helping people find the ideal job for their skills. The way you write your CV, resume and cover letter makes a big difference when it comes to impressing a potential employer, but what candidates often forget is that as part of the recruitment process their online presence is also evaluated. That is why having a professional LinkedIn profile is important. To help you with this task we created a list of top tips for creating a professional LinkedIn profile.

1.     Create a detailed profile

A LinkedIn profile is quite similar to your CV or resume, as it displays your education information, work experience, skills and current work position, but it also gives you the opportunity to expand on all of these. As the standard size of a CV is 2 pages, fitting all your relevant experience in might be challenging. In your LinkedIn profile you can describe all your interests, career aims and experience and be as detailed as you want. In your LinkedIn profile you should also add a profile headline and summary that introduce you and your professional profile to potential employers.

It is important to use keywords in your headline, summary and in your entire profile. These could be your career interests, profession or passion and will help your LinkedIn profile rank higher on search engine results. Whether you are looking for call centre jobs, or you are basing your job search in Glasgow area, these are facts that you need to put in your LinkedIn so that you could be matched with the corresponding opportunities.

2.     Turn off your activity broadcast while updating your profile

If you are one of those people who have a LinkedIn profile and have already connected with people, but have not included any key information, you should turn off your activity broadcast while you update your profile. Otherwise you risk spamming your connections with update notices and potentially create confusion. Update your profile and then turn on the activity broadcast. This is done by going to ‘Settings’, selecting ‘Privacy Controls’, and you should be able to see ‘Turn on/off your activity broadcasts’.

3.     Use the right visuals

LinkedIn is a visual platform so when you create/update your profile choose a professional, high quality, recent photo and avoid any “fun” or “crazy” pictures you would use on other social media platforms. Remember that LinkedIn is for professionals and you need to use it to promote yourself to potential employers. Use a professional photo and choose a cover that represents your interests or skills.

Upload files that exemplify your experience and the projects you have worked on. This could include presentations, materials, photos from events, and so on. These help the potential employers and your connections learn more about your skills and past experience.

4.     Proofread your entire profile

Once you finish updating your profile, proofread everything you wrote. Any grammatical or spelling errors could cost you a potential job. Make sure that everything is easy to understand and that you are communicating effectively with the reader. You can also ask someone to screen your profile for second opinion. Treat your profile the way you would treat your CV or job resume.

5.     Provide accurate information

Make sure that all information you provide is accurate and correct. Lying about your experience is not tolerated in the professional world especially when your can easily get caught. Most things can be checked and confirmed (or not) on the Internet. Plus, being honest presents you as an ethical and trustworthy person.

6.     Join LinkedIn groups and network

Joining LinkedIn groups can be extremely useful in your jobs search. Through them you get access to specific industries or areas of interest and like-minded people. Be actively involved in these and create connections. You could also find job postings through these groups.

7.     Promote your LinkedIn profile

Once your professional profile is complete you can start promoting it. Connect it with Twitter, add it to your email signature and even your CV. Through it people will be able to find you and learn more about your skills, interests and career plans.

Find opportunities with Search Consultancy 

Search is an established recruitment agency that has offices all over UK. Some of our other locations include our recruitment agency in Manchester, recruitment agency in Edinburgh and other large cities. We specialise in assisting jobseekers with their job search, by providing quality advice and guidance with all job related issues. We have a range of job opportunities available including call centre jobsIT jobspart time jobs and others. Contact us today to learn more.