Katie Roberts Career Consulting

Having an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile that captures your value and gets people’s attention is a vital tool in your job search kit. Even if you’re not currently looking for a job, there are many benefits to keeping it updated. But it can be easy to ignore your LinkedIn profile, or to know where to start when it comes to updating and optimising it.

Writing your LinkedIn profile is quite different from writing your resume. The content in your profile should be more general, as it needs to cater for a broader audience. It also needs to project your personality, while your resume is more a record of your past work and is usually tailored to specific roles.

Here we share our 10 steps to creating an attention-grabbing LinkedIn profile – including tips and tricks that many people don’t know about or simply don’t use.

Step 1: Create a headline for success. Your headline is the most important part of your LinkedIn profile. It’s a vital place to include relevant, career-focused keywords, and it shows up in key LinkedIn locations including search results, connection invitations, employee listings, company pages and messages. Don’t just use your current job title as your headline – make it something that summarises who you are as a professional and captures your value. But don’t get too creative – it still needs to be something searchable that will help people who are looking for the services or skills you provide to find you.

Step 2: Upload a professional-looking photo. According to LinkedIn, profiles with photos are far more likely to receive views and connection requests than those without. Your photograph is a visual representation of who you are to the world of LinkedIn. Having a blurry or inappropriate photo, or no photo at all, will influence whether someone decides to reach out to you. Your best bet is to use a professional head shot – although that’s not always necessary. Read our article on how to achieve a professional headshot without using a photographer.

Step 3: Customise your URL. By default, most users have a URL that’s some combination of their first and last name plus a string of random numbers or letters. But many people don’t realise that you can actually customise it. Customising your LinkedIn URL makes it easier for people to find you by searching for your name. Otherwise, they’re left sifting through the (sometimes many) users with similar names. You want to ideally shorten your URL to your first and last names, but if that’s taken, aim for a memorable combination of your full name and/or initials.

Step 4: Write a standout summary section. Some people skip this, but it’s important to make your summary the focal point of your profile. This section gives you an opportunity to shine and to differentiate yourself from other professionals. Your summary should capture your unique value, expertise and skills, and include:

• A brief overview of who you are as a professional
• What you can offer in terms of experience, expertise and skills
• Any relevant (and impressive) career accomplishments
• A list of your specialities, including as many keywords as possible.

LinkedIn also allows users to include images, videos and slideshow presentations in the summary section. So instead of just talking about your work, you could include examples or show yourself in action.

Step 5: Keep your work experience comprehensive but concise. Resist the temptation to cut and paste your resume into the experience section of your LinkedIn profile. Instead, try to create a concise, high-level picture of your skills and talents. Descriptions of each role should be shorter than your resume, so include only your most important responsibilities and achievements. We recommend including your employment details from at least the past 10 years (if relevant). This provides more opportunity to use keywords and to connect with past colleagues, managers, clients, partners and suppliers.

Step 6: Include past and current education. You should list all your qualifications in the education section. This includes study you’re currently undertaking with an estimated completion date. Completing this section in as much detail as possible can demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning, which is important to many employers. It also creates opportunities to connect with former classmates, teachers and alumni groups. Include other courses or training completed under the relevant ‘Courses’ and ‘Certifications and Licences’ sections.

Step 7: Highlight your accomplishments. Have you won an award? Do you speak multiple languages? Have you written something that was published or presented at a conference? Do you volunteer for any charity or not-for-profit organisations? Adding these additional accomplishments is a great way to showcase your unique skills and stand out from the crowd.

Step 8: Ensure your skill endorsements are appropriate. Endorsements can be a great way to show off your key skills. The secret to making them work for you is to keep them updated. As you transition between jobs, develop new skills or take on new responsibilities, drop outdated skills from your profile and add the new ones you want to be known for.

Step 9: Keep your contact details current. Add your email address, blog, Twitter handle or other details to the contact information section of your profile. You’d be surprised how many people leave this out! But it’s important if you’re actively seeking new opportunities.

Step 10: Join relevant groups. LinkedIn groups are a great resource and can really help with your job search. By joining groups relevant to your profession or industry, you can show that you’re engaged in your field. But more importantly, you’ll instantly be connected to relevant people and discussions.

Creating a LinkedIn profile that reflects your value and gets people’s attention can be challenging. You might not even know where to start. Our team of professionals are here to help with LinkedIn profile writing and resume writing.

Have you ever wondered how to get more eyes on your LinkedIn profile? Enhancing it for SEO (search engine optimisation) is one of the most effective things you can do. SEO – in relation to LinkedIn – refers to the way you write and use your profile to increase its ranking in a search and therefore its visibility. The higher your profile is ranked when someone searches for a particular term, the more views your profile is likely to get.

There are many factors that affect your SEO and visibility, including LinkedIn’s ranking process. Like most search engines, LinkedIn uses algorithms to select and order the results provided when someone searches something. Each LinkedIn user is given a unique relevance score based on various factors to determine the order in which profiles are ranked. These algorithms and factors are complex and kept secret by LinkedIn.

However, there are many things you can do. Other factors that influence your ranking and visibility include keywords, profile completeness, user activity, number of connections, content relevance, endorsements, recommendations and your relevance/relationship to the person searching.

To optimise your profile so more people view it, try focusing on these areas:

• Keywords: Come up with a list of words or terms that a recruiter looking for someone like you might use when searching – for example, ‘project management’ or ‘software development’. Then use these keywords throughout your profile in as many sections as possible, including your headline, role descriptions and Skills & Endorsements. In the Skills & Endorsements section, LinkedIn prioritises skills already in its database, so when adding a new skill, start typing it, then select the most relevant suggestion that appears.
• Headline: Customising your heading is not only critical for SEO, it’s also an important part of your personal brand. LinkedIn automatically populates your headline with your current or most recent position – however, you have the option to customise it. We always recommend doing so, as well as using all 120 characters available to create an informative and impactful snapshot of yourself. For example, a profile’s ‘automatic’ headline might read “CEO at ABC Company”. But a better option is to customise it to something like: “Senior Leader & CEO ♦ Technology Sales/Operations ♦ Transformational Change ♦ Business Turnaround Expert”. The second headline is much more descriptive and impactful, and helps to build a strong personal brand.
• Profile completeness: If your profile isn’t 100% complete, try to fill out every section with clear and concise information that includes your keywords. Consider using bullet points rather than paragraphs, and format the text so it’s easy to read. Using up all the character limits in sections can also help improve your SEO. Use LinkedIn’s automated guidance to help improve your profile – it prompts you to add to incomplete sections. Broaden your network with quality connections – think superiors, colleagues, clients and customers. The more connections you have, the better chance you have of being found, but it helps to focus on quality over quantity.
• Job title optimisation. Including keywords in your job titles assists with SEO. Ensure they are optimised for the roles you are seeking and they accurately reflect what you did. If a title doesn’t properly reflect the role, consider tweaking it so that it does.
• Vanity URL. LinkedIn allows you to personalise your URL, changing it from the automated URL, which is usually quite long and contains a random assortment of numbers. Taking advantage of this feature can make it easier for people who know you to find you. You can also more easily add it to your email signature, business cards and other marketing material.
• Group Participation. Joining, and actively participating in, groups may improve your profile’s visibility, while also helping to expand your network with like-minded people. Here’s a bonus tip: choose groups relevant to your keywords. They appear publicly on your profile, so your keyword usage increases. Join local groups but also seek out national or international groups. These can help increase your ranking as well as showcasing your successes and the value you’ve created. Don’t be shy – ask colleagues, superiors, customers, etc. for recommendations on work you have done in the past. If you feel uncomfortable asking, you could offer to write one for them and ask them to return the favour.
• Photo. Profiles with photos are viewed significantly more than those without. Include a clear, good-quality photo of yourself taken against a white or plain background. You ideally want to show head and shoulders and be dressed in professional attire. Read our previous article for tips on how to get a professional head-shot without hiring a photographer.
• Anchor text links. Where you include a website address, you can customise the ‘anchor’ or ‘search’ text to a title that makes more sense – for example, your personal blog might be called ‘xyz.com.au’ but you could change the anchor text to ‘CEO Advice Centre’. Again, this is an opportunity to include your keywords.

Follow these simple tips for optimising your profile and watch your activity rise. LinkedIn has a feature that lets you see who has viewed your profile in the last 90 days and allows you to access trends and insights – so use this to monitor your success.

Do you need to strengthen your LinkedIn profile so you can get more views – and more opportunities? We can help you develop a professional, keyword-optimised profile that sets you apart from your competitors. Learn more about our LinkedIn Profile Writing Service.

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network, with more than 575 million users. It’s become an indispensable tool for recruiters, which means your profile is often the first impression a recruiter gets of you. Does your profile help you put your best foot forward? There are many ways to get it right – and many ways to get it not so right.

Here are the most common mistakes we see and how you can avoid them.

Mistake 1 – No profile picture: LinkedIn says that profiles with a photo are 14 times more likely to be viewed than those without one. And a professional-looking photo makes a big difference. For tips on how to get a great-quality photo without paying a pro photographer, read our previous article on getting a professional headshot. Just remember: no dogs, babies, partners or party shots!

Mistake 2 – Not customising your headline: LinkedIn automatically populates your headline with your current or most recent position, but you can, and should, customise it. We recommend using all 120 characters available to create an informative and impactful snapshot of yourself. This is an important part of building your personal brand.

Mistake 3 – Skipping the summary: This is one of the most common areas we see clients overlook, but this is a wasted opportunity. Use it to provide an overview of who you are, who you help, what you specialise in and what you’ve achieved, using short, sharp wording broken up with subheadings and bullet points. Optimise your summary using keywords related to the roles you’re seeking.

Mistake 4 – Not making it consistent with your resume: LinkedIn should not be a cut-and-paste of your resume, but the two should align. While LinkedIn is more personal, less formal and may contain additional information, make sure your roles, dates and qualifications match up.

Mistake 5 – Forgetting to customise your LinkedIn URL: When you set up your profile, you’re automatically assigned a long combination of random letters and numbers as a unique URL. Take advantage of the ‘vanity URL’ option and customise your URL to reflect your first and last names or your business name (if you’re a business owner).

Mistake 6 – Not having recommendations: Recommendations are the easiest way to show credibility. They’re the modern-day version of a written reference, so spend some time requesting them. Approach appropriate 1st level contacts and ask them if they’ll write you a recommendation, specifying what you’re after or what you’d like highlighted. Be specific and most people will oblige. If you’re finding it hard to ask for a recommendation, offer to write one for somebody you’ve worked with and ask them to return the favour.

Mistake 7 – Sending random or non-personalised connection requests: While it’s not essential to restrict your networking to people you know well, you should always provide context when sending a connection request. For example, if you know the person, ask them about their business or personal life; if you’ve met the person briefly, remind them how you met; and if you’ve never met, do some research and tailor your request to explain why you’d like to connect.

Mistake 8 – Not building connections: Many employers place high value on a candidate’s connections. In many roles, you might be hired because you know certain people in your industry. You might be amazed at just how many people you know on LinkedIn. Seek them out and connect with them. You should be constantly building your network, adding contacts and accepting connection requests.

Mistake 9 – Not using web-friendly content: To improve readability and highlight important points, use bullet points and subheadings in relevant sections, including your summary and experience. Consider adjusting the order of your experience, skills, education etc. to suit your target role or industry. Be sure to use keywords and phrases specific to the position(s) you’re seeking throughout your profile.

Mistake 10 – Having an incomplete profile: Completing your profile not only helps more recruiters find you, it also sends a great message about your professionalism to people viewing your profile. In addition, it provides more networking opportunities. Complete as many sections as possible to achieve an ‘All-Star’ level.

Mistake 11 – Not including supporting information: LinkedIn lets you link to blogs, websites, presentations, projects etc. where people can learn more about you and your professional achievements. Including this supporting information will help strengthen your profile.

Mistake 12 – Not making it easy for people to contact you: LinkedIn is all about engaging with people. Invite people to connect or to contact you for advice if relevant. Including some personal information like volunteer work can also encourage like-minded people to connect with you. Take some time to learn about privacy settings to ensure you’re happy with how others see your profile, activities, and network information. Set preferences regarding job seeking, including letting recruiters know you’re open to opportunities.

Mistake 13 – Not responding professionally: Not responding to emails and connection requests in a timely manner looks unprofessional. Likewise, making judgements about people’s motives could be a mistake. Try to treat any enquiries or connection requests in the same way you would treat a business or sales enquiry. You don’t want to waste time obviously, but try not to ignore people you initially perceive as not able to add value.

LinkedIn is a fantastic professional networking tool with many features and benefits that you may not be taking advantage of. Optimise your profile using our tips above and you may be surprised by the results.

Do you need a stronger LinkedIn profile to help you connect with like-minded industry experts or boost your job search? We can help you develop a professional, keyword-optimised profile that sets you apart from your competitors. Learn more about our LinkedIn Profile Writing Service.

The world’s largest professional networking platform is constantly evolving and has become a critical part of any successful career plan. These days, many employers use LinkedIn to find the right candidates. Whether you’re searching for a new role, developing your career while in a stable position, or working for yourself as a consultant or business owner, using LinkedIn effectively can give you an edge.

If you already have a LinkedIn profile, there are several ways to update it to improve your overall presence. Many of these tips are very quick to implement but could make a huge difference to your profile and presence. Here’s how to optimise your profile and help give your career a boost.

Tip 1: Boost your visibility by optimising for SEO

Search engine optimisation (SEO) involves using keywords and other techniques to optimise online content to improve its search ranking. When ranking profiles in a search, LinkedIn considers several factors, including how often a keyword appears. With more and more recruiters using LinkedIn to source candidates by conducting keyword searches, having a keyword-optimised profile will help you rank higher.

We recommend first identifying keywords that recruiters may search to find candidates like you. Use these throughout your profile in as many sections as possible. For example, in the ‘Skills and Endorsements’ section, prioritise skills that already exist in LinkedIn’s database by starting to type a skill, then selecting one of the relevant suggestions that appears. List up to 50 skills and change the order by dragging them up and down. Using up all the character limits in various sections may also help improve your profile’s ranking.

Tip 2: Understand and articulate your value

Your ‘Headline’ and ‘Summary’ are high-visibility sections that allow you to communicate your value as a professional and what you have to offer. These sections also contribute to your ranking. Your headline automatically defaults to your most recent (or current) job title, but this might not capture the value you could provide in a future role, so it’s best to create a customised headline. Change it by clicking the ‘edit’ button next to the headline.

You should also avoid simply replicating the content in your resume. LinkedIn is a form of social media, so we recommend injecting some personality (while remaining professional, of course). The best place to do that is your summary. Create a clear picture of you and your ‘personal brand’, state what you’re passionate about, showcase your success and highlight what makes you stand out as a candidate. Write it in a way that’s warm and conversational – not too formal or stuffy.

Tip 3: Look to the future

An exact description of your past experience may not be reflective of where you’re wanting to head. We often talk to clients about using LinkedIn to create impact and interest for the job you’d like in the future – not necessarily for the job you have right now. This is especially true when crafting your headline and summary, but also when detailing your employment history.

Rather than simply listing your title, responsibilities and achievements, use up the available 2,000 characters to add keywords to improve your rankings (as discussed in Tip 1). Include transferrable skills and talk about experiences and successes in a way that highlights your potential for the types of roles you’re hoping to secure in the future.

Tip 4: Add value and engage

One of the great things about LinkedIn is the ability to share content. This includes sharing content such as articles that are relevant and valuable to your network, as well as adding links to projects you’ve worked on or successes you’ve had. Since each profile edit and update you make can get broadcast to your entire network (check your settings to enable this), you’ll constantly be top of mind.

When sharing content, you can either create your own or share other people’s content. Think about things like videos, presentations, publications and articles, and use them as opportunities to interact with others and have conversations. Ask questions and answer questions. Increase engagement with your network and you should start to see positive results.

If you’re using LinkedIn to find a new role or build your career, updating your profile will increase your chances of success. Stand out from other professionals by highlighting the value you offer. Optimise your profile to increase your rankings, inject some personality, look to the future and engage with your network. At the end of the day, it’s a social media network – the more active you are, the more you’ll get out of it. 

If you’d like help developing a professional, keyword-optimised LinkedIn profile that highlights your strengths and achievements and helps you stand out from the crowd, take a look at our LinkedIn Profile Writing service.

With over 7 million registered users in Australia, and more than 92 million across the Asia Pacific region, LinkedIn is definitely the number one online tool for professional networking. Whether you’re searching for a new role, seeking to make the most of the one you have, or building your professional network to identify business development or partnership opportunities, there are certain mistakes you need to avoid while using LinkedIn.

Despite the fact that LinkedIn has been around now since 2002, and is used so prolifically, there is still a lot of confusion around how to get the best out of your profile. As consultants, we are often asked why we are making certain recommendations, but the mistakes we see time and time again are all too common. LinkedIn is different from other social networks, and you can’t use the same techniques that you use elsewhere. Here are 12 things you want to avoid doing on LinkedIn.

MISTAKE # 1 – Not having a photo: LinkedIn now states that profiles with a photo are 14 times more likely to get viewed that those without. In addition, recruiters are more likely to skip over a profile in their search results if it doesn’t include a photo. So it pays to have one. It doesn’t have to be a professional shot, although it’s great if you can manage it. A simple photo of your head and shoulders taken against a white or plain background is fine. And don’t forget to smile – it’s not for a passport.

MISTAKE # 2 – Having an inappropriate photo: Just as bad as not having a photo, is having an inappropriate photo. I once had a client tell me that their photo wasn’t the best representation of them because he “was at a wedding at the time and had probably had a bit too much to drink” – really? That is not portraying your professional best. We recommend a nice shot of head and shoulders in professional attire – for some that might be a suit, for others it will be a work t-shirt.

MISTAKE # 3 – Using it Like Facebook or Twitter: LinkedIn is a professional medium. It’s meant for professional communication. Don’t post ‘what’s on your mind’ unless it relates specifically to your career goals, and don’t vent about ANYTHING on LinkedIn! Keep your posts specific and positive. Posting a link to an article that adds value to your industry is also a great idea.

MISTAKE # 4 – Lying: about anything – it’s a public forum so if you didn’t do it, don’t say you did. If you helped do something – say so. Lying on your Resume is bad, but lying on LinkedIn is even worse. It is likely you will get found out and the consequences probably just won’t be worth it.

MISTAKE # 5 – Having an incomplete profile: Having a complete profile not only helps you get found more often by recruiters, it also sends a great message about your professionalism to the people that do end up viewing your profile. If you don’t complete your profile, you’re indicating that you’re just not that serious about your career.

MISTAKE # 6 – Waiting till you need it to pay any attention: Try to use LinkedIn to connect with others when you’re comfortable in a role. Waiting until you need it (i.e. you’ve just lost your job, or had a huge argument with a superior and need to get out quick) will put pressure on the situation. If you have to connect with someone and ask for something straight away – it can be difficult. Instead, by gradually building up your contacts, learning from them and providing them with opportunities to learn from you – the relationships that you develop over time can then be more easily leveraged once you actually need them. 

MISTAKE # 7 – Having a static profile: Once you establish your LinkedIn profile, don’t forget about it! Make the effort to regularly review the content, make updates where appropriate, and share status updates and other information with your network. While you don’t have to feel pressured to provide constant updates like other social networking platforms, you do need to make some regular effort.

MISTAKE # 8 – Not including supporting information: make sure you link to blogs, websites, presentations, and projects etc. where people can learn more about you and the professional successes you’ve achieved. Anything that supports your career can be included.

MISTAKE # 9 – Not making it easy for people to contact you: inviting people to connect, contact you for advice and including information like volunteer and charity work will all help you engage with like-minded people. Make sure you provide details on how people can connect and offer to help or provide advice where you can.

MISTAKE # 10 – Not responding: As a LinkedIn user, you will receive emails and connection requests from others. Not responding in a timely manner is bad business. Likewise, making judgements about people’s motives could be a mistake. Try to treat the enquiry in the same way you would if they contacted your business through the usual channels. Don’t waste time obviously, but try not to ignore people that you initially perceive as not being able to add value.

MISTAKE # 11 – Trying to connect with random people: While you don’t have to restrict your networking efforts to people you’ve done business with, you do need to provide context if you’re sending a connection request to someone new. We recommend personalising all connection requests, so do this by providing a personal message explaining your reason for the connection request. Don’t be tempted to send out random connection requests because if too many of those people click “I don’t know this person”, LinkedIn could suspend your account.

MISTAKE # 12 – Forgetting to customise your LinkedIn URL – the automated personal URL created when you set up your profile usually includes a combination of your name with lots of letters and numbers at the end. Take advantage of the vanity URL and customise it to reflect the best version of your first and last names or your business name.

LinkedIn is a valuable professional networking tool that has a raft of features and benefits that you need to be taking advantage of in order to achieve the best results. If you’re making any of these mistakes, they’re very easy to fix – go ahead and make some changes today.

Do you have trouble networking? Are you lacking a good quality LinkedIn profile to help you find and connect with like-minded industry experts or maximise your job search? If you would like assistance writing a professional, keyword optimised LinkedIn profile that highlights your strengths and achievements and sets you apart from your competitors, please click here for our LinkedIn Profile Writing service.