June 28, 2022

Support Your Career Goals With LinkedIn

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Almost 95% of recruiters use LinkedIn to search for candidates, but many leaders overlook this valuable opportunity to support their career goals. Are you one of them?

Like many leaders, you probably created a profile and occasionally went back to add more connections. However, there is so much more you can do with this platform to advance your career.

You can use LinkedIn to take charge of your future and attract more attention from potential employers. In this post, I’ll discuss a few tips you can use for designing and using your LinkedIn profile. Let’s start with design.

Start by writing a specific headline. Tell employers what value you add and make them want to learn more. Keep your audience in mind and avoid technical terms that may be unfamiliar to them.

Update your summary by adding more details and showcase your achievements. Provide statistics to describe your impact. Add multimedia attachments like videos and work samples to help you stand out.

Use an image for your photo that looks professional and clear. Focus on your face and use flattering natural light.

Help recruiters and automated search tools find you by adding keywords. Browse through job descriptions and resumes for popular keywords in your field and include them in your profile, including the headline and summary.

LinkedIn gives your profile a URL, but you can change it to something that you like better or might work more effectively for you. For example, use a slight variation with your middle initial or name if your name is already taken.

Is your profile visible to recruiters? Go into your privacy settings to ensure you’ve opted to let them know that you want to hear from them. You’ll need to reset this setting every few months if you’re still looking to keep it current.

Your resume is usually written for a specific opportunity, while your profile is a more general statement. However, you want them to be similar enough to avoid causing any confusion.

LinkedIn provides a profile strength meter to help you rate yourself. In addition, it will give you helpful recommendations about additional steps you can take, such as adding more information about volunteer work and foreign languages. Use it to your advantage.

Once you’ve optimized your LinkedIn profile, you’ve got to start using it! Now, trust me, I don’t spend a lot of time on social media for entertainment. However, I spend time on LinkedIn, investing in my professional network.

Your professional network on LinkedIn is not only there to help you. It’s there for you to help others. Making your presence visible on the platform makes it easy for people to reach out to you. So let’s talk about how to use your profile.

Recruiters want to know what others say about you. Ask former employers and other contacts for recommendations. Use your endorsements for advertising skills that are in high demand. If you’re generous about helping others, they’ll be more likely to return the favor.

Share your knowledge and insights on the LinkedIn publishing platform. Write and publish articles. Develop a content strategy and use a calendar that will remind you to post regularly. If, for some reason, you can’t stay on your schedule, don’t get stressed about it. Just make sure you remain active on the platform.

Another option to remain active on LinkedIn is to find groups in your area of expertise and participate regularly. Post articles and answer questions. Avoid any temptation to over-promote yourself.

Finally, as you use LinkedIn, stay on the lookout for valuable connections to add to your network. Send them personal invitations that will make a positive impression.

Think of LinkedIn as a community where you can exchange ideas and support. Comment on posts from other users and share them with your connections. Encourage others and keep it positive. Remember, although it’s okay to disagree with others, do it dignified and respectfully.

And there’s one more thing you need to know; change your privacy settings so you can control what information you want to make public.

LinkedIn is a massive networking and connection tool that will help you in your career, business, non-profit, and sales profession.

-Brian Horvath

Optimizing your LinkedIn profile can make it easier for others to find you and help you reach your professional goals while at the same time assisting others in reaching theirs.

Are you supporting your career goals with LinkedIn?

#YourLeadershipGuide,
Kim


Want guidance on optimizing your profile? Click HERE to download a free LinkedIn Quick-Start Guide. This guide was created by my good friend Brian Horvath to help you make the right connections on LinkedIn.

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Dr. Kim Moore

About the author

I'm Kim, your Educational Leadership Guide. I equip educational leaders with research-based and experientially learned educational leadership principles and best practices to promote student success.


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