How to improve your LinkedIn profile
Having a LinkedIn profile is an absolute must if you’re looking to get noticed in today’s job market. It’s not just about filling in your contact details and hoping people will reach out – there is plenty you can do to encourage more opportunities to come your way.
Why use LinkedIn?
Benefit from more search appearances and increased visibility to potential employers and recruiters who could approach you about a great job opportunity
Grow your network
Position yourself as an expert in your field by building your ‘personal brand’
Follow other experts in your industry to expand your knowledge
Set up job alerts on LinkedIn Jobs function
Read thought-provoking CPD articles
Stay connected with past colleagues to maximise career opportunities
7 steps to improve your LinkedIn profile
1. Choosing a LinkedIn profile photo & background image
We’re visual beings, and first impressions matter. Make sure your chosen LinkedIn photo is high quality, appropriate, and looks like you. Your face should take up around 60% of the image, and we recommend wearing something you would typically wear to work. As for your background, choose an image that represents you or the company/cause you work for.
Recommended personal LinkedIn image sizes:
The recommended LinkedIn profile picture size is 400x400px and the optimal size for your background image is 1584×396px. You will be able to crop images to this size in the platform.
2. Tell your story
For your headline, summarise your role in 120 characters or less. Be creative yet informative. There’s no rule that it must be a job title – say a bit more about how you see your role, why you do what you do, and what makes you tick. Try to bring to life why your skills matter, and the difference they can make to the people you work with.
Keep your summary brief and interesting, keeping in mind the key words associated with your field of specialisation, and update it regularly to ensure it’s accurate. You can also add relevant high-quality media such as images, videos, documents, and links to introduce people to your work.
3. Customise your URL
One easy way to tidy up your profile is customising your URL. When you create your profile, it will default to a string of numbers and letters that can look messy. By putting your own name in your profile URL, it will look neater and more professional, and will also make you easier to find in search engines.
4. Add relevant skills
Substantiate the description in your headline and summary. The skills section provides a platform for others to endorse you, but less is more when it comes to listing them. It’s better to list fewer skills with endorsements as opposed to an extensive range that aren’t core to who you are and what you can do. Take the time to spring clean your list every now and then.
5. Request recommendations
Seeing a profile packed with genuine positive recommendations creates a sense of trust – use this feature to your advantage. Visit the drop-down menu in the ‘Recommendations’ section of your profile to reach out to specific contacts and request recommendations. Take the time to think about who you would most value a recommendation from and personalise your request. It’s worth the extra effort.
6. Build your network
One of the easiest ways to grow your LinkedIn network is to sync your profile with your contacts. This enables LinkedIn to suggest people you could connect with. It’s amazing how effective this can be at surfacing relevant people for you to reach out to. Beyond this, get into the habit of following up meetings and conversations with LinkedIn connection requests – it’s a great way to keep your network relevant and up to date.
7. Post relevant content
Posting on LinkedIn allows you to build your personal brand and extend your reach with connections of the people engaging with your content. Use LinkedIn’s analytics to assess what type of content your connections engage with and what you can do more of.
For further guidance on presenting your best self to potential employers, take a look at our Careers Guidance page or get in touch with your Sanctuary consultant.
