LinkedIn essentially enables you to create a public résumé, it’s an ideal platform for anyone and everyone regardless of your current position in your career. Whether a student, business owner or anywhere in between. If you have aspirations to build your professional network and open up more opportunities for your career, making a strong LinkedIn profile will benefit you.
So keep reading for a step by step guide covering;
- Profile & Banner Image
- Headline
- Summary
- Customised URL
- Experience
- Education
- Skills & Endorsements
Profile & Banner Image
Including a good quality profile image can be a big determining factor as to whether or not someone checks out your LinkedIn profile. In fact, those that have a profile picture are 14 times more likely to be viewed than those without. So it is absolutely worth doing.
A few general tips on what makes a good profile photo on LinkedIn.
- Wear smart/professional attire suited to your industry.
- Get a professional image taken if possible, if not take an image in natural light. Either outside or in front of a window. This will give you the best chance of producing a higher quality image.
- Just go for a head and shoulders photo so that viewers can easily see your face.
- Particularly if you’re a business owner, try and incorporate one of your brand colours into the photo as it helps reaffirms your brand image and identity. It could be just a small element such as a tie or necklace etc.
An additional way to enhance your profile is by including a custom banner image. This should be related to the field or industry that you work within. It should provide a visual representation that emphasises the written elements of your profile. Many people don’t consider changing the default banner but it could really help you stand out.
Here are some basic ideas of visuals you could use;
- A clean and simple image of a workspace
- Tools of the trade that visualise your role
- You working, this could feel a little staged but can illustrate the impact of your work
- Particularly if the location is crucial to your professional network, a landscape or architectural image can represent this.