Maximising your LinkedIn profile pt.2
We’re back again with a part two to our initial blog post on making the most of your LinkedIn profile. You can check Part 1 out here. Last time we covered the benefits of having a LinkedIn profile and gave you some of our top tips, including having full visibility settings, investing in a good photo, and constructing a headline.
But this professional networking site offers even more than just one blog post can cover! Today we will be covering interacting with your news feed by connecting with people, following appropriate ‘influencers’ and a bit more on curating your LinkedIn profile.
Tip #1: Connect and interact
Do you ever go to networking events and wonder how you’ll stay in touch with all the people you have met? LinkedIn is perfect for this! Although sending them a request to connect the same night of the event might be a bit forward, don’t be shy to send it through in the following days while it’s fresh in your mind. If you get the chance to ask them if they would connect on LinkedIn at the event, that’s great, but if not, always make sure you fill out the request box before connecting. Our advice is to keep it concise and polite, with perhaps an email-like format with Dear X and Best Wishes, Y. This may also remind them of who you were at a big event where they perhaps met several people.
You should interact with your connections as frequently as possible using the LinkedIn news feed. Like and share their posts when appropriate, or comment if you feel you have something to add. This will keep you fresh in their mind.
Tip #2: Follow ‘influencers’
There are many ‘influencers’ on LinkedIn, much like any other network. These people often post multiple times a day and have a huge amount of followers who rely on them for top-tier content, often on self-empowerment or recruitment, as these are naturally popular topics on LinkedIn.
If you are hesitant about your first steps on LinkedIn, why not start your interactions going by following influencers in your industry or area? They often offer the chance for commentors to interact with each other as well as with the influencer themselves and the comments section might offer you the chance to connect with new people with similar interests!
Tip #3: Update and refresh often
The key to a popular profile is new content. Publish events in your career but don’t just wait for significant ones like a new job. Try posting about things like a new initiative at work or a funny post about your colleague’s dog coming to visit. These are fresh and show your personality. You can also share items you have written or photos you have taken to show your true self.
It is also good practice to reconnect with your connections every year or so to keep them fresh. This is especially so if you are hoping to use them as a contact in the future, as receiving a random message from you out of the blue two years after connecting might come across poorly!
Tip #4: Don’t forget awards and certificates!
This is sometimes a neglected part of a LinkedIn profile but no less important! Tucked away underneath your work experience are the various awards and certificates that you may have received. Even if it was just an award for charity work in sixth form, it’s worth putting in. This is not your CV and there’s no page limit!
Of course, with this advice, do avoid excessive verbosity or filling up space rambling about a relatively small achievement. Equally, avoid misleading recruiters with information about your award as this will be looked down upon.
We hope these further tips on LinkedIn have been useful and Earl Street Employment Consultants wishes you the best of luck with your job search!
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