How to prepare your LinkedIn Profile

Let’s break this question into 2 parts:

1. What are recruiters looking for in your profile?

Your profile picture, heading, summary and skills play a pivotal role in this aspect of your Linked In profile. A profile picture should be professional, remember the expression “a picture paints a thousand words” this reflects how serious a candidate is towards his/her professional career.

For your heading, summary and skills use relevant keywords so that your profile matches the industry. A recruiter views a profile maybe less than 10-20 seconds, which means they are giving the candidate less than 10-20 seconds to influence them. Your LinkedIn profile is a platform to showcase your skills and experience. A recruiter already has a mindset about their Ideal Candidate, so your profile should match their professional expectations. Always mention ‘take away’ points, i.e. what benefits the recruiter or employer is getting by hiring you in their organisation.

Next, when it’s come to experience, it is very important to highlight your current & relevant experience. Let a viewer of your profile know that you are active in your industry by participating in group discussions and blogging. Always update your phone number and email details to demonstrate that you are open for discussing market trends, topics about your industry and hearing about potential new challenging opportunities. This shows the viewer of your profile that you are prepared to engage in a conversation after the recruiter/employer sees you have the relevant skillset that match their checklist.

2. How strong are your connections & communication skills?

Let your profile explain that you are very capable if not an expert, because everybody wants to consult with an expert in their field. There are ways you can prove your expertise.

• Highlight you USP (Unique Selling Point)

• Professional Recommendations

• Skills Endorsement

• Accomplishments

A strong professional network is crucial to maintain a healthy LinkedIn profile. Having people in the same industry/organisation in your network is a professional way of networking. Don’t just add all of your friends and acquaintances for the sake of numbers. The more relevant and suitable your connections are, the stronger your recommendations and endorsements will be and remember to highlight and outline your achievements throughout your career. Once you practice and master in the skill of showcasing your accomplishments, your career and connections network will grow in rocket speed.

Sanju Yadav