How to Market Yourself on LinkedIn
Whether you are a recent graduate looking to start your career or you are a professional finding yourself wanting to make a career change, there are a few things you can do to market yourself to ensure you are getting the best job out there for you. LinkedIn has over 930 million people who are signed up to use its platform, and that is only one tool you can use to market yourself as an executive in your field.
This article will provide insight into tips and tools from industry experts you can use on a job search to market yourself for that next stage in your professional career. The Everest Search Group is a 30-year-old retained executive search firm that has placed hundreds of executives over the years. LinkedIn’s mission is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. Setting up a profile takes less than 5 minutes, but spending a few minutes personalizing your profile will make you stand out to potential hiring managers. The following sections will tell you what you need to do to have the best LinkedIn profile out there and stand out to the hiring managers.
First update your profile picture: You want to be sure you choose the right photo; a professional headshot is best, but if you don’t have one, use a photo of just you. You want to have a transparent background and be the only person in the photo. Even though you can’t see your entire outfit, you should be wearing something that you would wear to work. Try not to crop yourself out of your college tailgate or a photo of you on the beach in your swimming suit. This is the first thing people will see of you on your LinkedIn, and you want to look your best professional self.
You’ve got your best photo uploaded; it’s time to update the summary section. Think of this section like a cover letter for yourself, the first impression of you someone gets when they go to your profile. It should read as an overview of your professional life. You can include accomplishments, a little about yourself, and what you seek in your career. Be unique in how you write this; it doesn’t need to be as formal as a traditional cover letter, so add your flair to make your summary section stand out.
Everyone who goes to your profile will check out your work history section, so you want to ensure it is up to date with the most accurate information. The work experience section is the most important section on your profile in the eyes of a recruiter. This section should have the years and titles you were at each company. Please list every job in this section, whether contract, part-time, or internship. This is all valuable experience and shows someone looking at your profile that you have the experience to do the job you are applying for.
The last part of setting up your profile is customizing your LinkedIn URL. This may seem like a small change, but this helps people quickly identify your profile. Say you included your LinkedIn on your resume www.linkedin.com/bob-smith is easier to find than www.linkedin.com/user-45816. Making this change sets you apart from other LinkedIn profiles who could have similar names, and it also boosts your credibility.
Congrats! You have a completed LinkedIn profile and now need to make some connections. You now will want to use LinkedIn to make connections in your field. Making connections is a great way to network and get your name out there in the field you want to work in. You can do this by joining field-specific groups and alumni groups. You can also follow companies in the field you want to be in and have their posts on your feed show up with news, jobs, and other topics relating to the company. It is also helpful to connect with executives in those companies to learn what they specialize in, what they post about, and if they are hiring. Lastly, add other professionals you have met and have old co-workers endorse you in the skills you excel at. This also boosts the credibility of your profile.
Now that your LinkedIn profile is set up, you have started connecting with people. It is time to start looking for the career of your dreams. LinkedIn has a job search function. There are filters in this search function that allow you to pick industries, titles, companies, locations, and many other things. Once you have filtered the job that best suits your needs, you can set email alerts to be notified when jobs that match your search become available. From there, you apply and connect with those hiring managers whose profile is on the job posting and land that first interview with the company you want to work for.
Hopefully, this article helped you set up the best LinkedIn profile to make yourself stand out as a potential candidate for the next step in your career. Visit our company LinkedIn page and apply to any jobs that you may see yourself as a fit for. We are the logistics and supply chain recruiting experts and are here to help you land your next career!
