Want to break through the deadlock in your career progress? If you haven’t already, it is time to get with the 21st century and embrace online services like LinkedIn.
Everybody is online these days, especially employers who are in growth mode (like technology companies).
Hans Eckhardt has made great use of his LinkedIn profile to advance his career, going from a dead-end position to a prominent post in his field.
In this article, we’ll show you how you can optimize your LinkedIn profile so you can elevate your career to new heights.
1) Make your profile look great
Despite changing times, the age-old rule about making a good first impression is still in effect. In fact, it has become more important than ever, as their first contact with you will be through your profile page.
Make sure that your profile photo is sharp, with you dressed up in your most professional clothes and with an appropriate pose.
Describe your employment history, skills, and other relevant experiences in clear and easy to understand language.
Avoid jargon, unless you have good reason to believe that most visitors to your profile will understand what you are saying.
Update information regularly, as it will look bad if the information on your profile is out of date. By doing this and the other measures described, you will be putting your best foot forward.
2) Publish blog posts on your profile
One major advantage that LinkedIn has over resumes and cover letters is that it allows professionals to flex their creative muscles through the publishing of blog posts.
This way, you can demonstrate to potential business partners or employers the breadth of your knowledge in your field.
By engaging commenters, you will be able to interact with people who could become fellow colleagues or business partners in the future, as this function opens up the opportunity for networking.
Branding is one of the most important qualities that anyone competing in the 21st century marketplace needs to understand.
By posting on a regular basis, you’ll be able to define who you are before any negotiations or employment interviews commence, giving you a much better chance for success in either endeavor.
3) Highlight top skills and best accomplishments
One of the best used (and most abused) features of LinkedIn lies in its ability to allow you to list skills you possess.
You can get friends to vouch for you in certain areas, granting social proof to specific qualities that you may possess.
If you can, you’ll want to attract endorsements from people that LinkedIn has deemed as an experienced person in their field.
Additionally, you’ll want to order your list so that the skills you deem as the most important appear at the top.
This will gain you interest from people who may be able to help you – either with employment or through collaboration between businesses.
4) Follow pages that best highlight your interests
Finally, LinkedIn allows you to follow topics that interest you professionally. While you can pick from a wide array, it’s best to concentrate your selections so that visitors to your profile will be able to further define who you are as a professional or entrepreneur.