Regardless of the fact whether you are working as a business professional, or you are trying hard to put your own startup on the global map or you are striving hard to get yourself a decent job, LinkedIn is an excellent social networking platform that can aid you achieve those professional goals of yours.
The LinkedIn platform is considered a headhunting platform for HR managers. New businesses can also use this platform to look for novel opportunities, investors and partners. Hence, it’s definitely advisable for you to set up a professional LinkedIn profile ASAP.
In here, I have provided a few tips to setting up a professional LinkedIn profile. Hope it comes in handy for you.
- A profile full of details is one that ticks the “strong” category
Your LinkedIn profile is quite similar to that of your work resume. You can display your educational qualifications, work experience, professional skills, current designation etc. on your LinkedIn profile. All such information is mighty important to fulfill that professional goal you have in your mind.
Your LinkedIn profile comes up with a profile completion percentage. Monitor it and try to complete it 100% for maximum efficiency.
Along with all that, you must also add a profile heading as well as a summary to make a real impression on your audience. Your LinkedIn profile headline gives you a professional identity. A summary’s capable of bringing out your own personality that can complement your CV nicely.
- Turn off your LinkedIn profile’s turn off activity broadcast
If you have had a LinkedIn profile for quite some time, consider turning its activity broadcast off.
By doing that, you’ll be able to update your profile at any time you wish without letting the outside world know of it.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Go to “Settings.”
- Then go to “Privacy Controls.”
- Under Privacy controls, there should be an option: “Turn on/off your activity broadcasts.” Uncheck it.
- Save the changes.
- Proofread your complete profile thoroughly
The professional world do not take spelling or grammatical errors lightly. Hence, it’s necessary to take a closer look at the profile and find out whether there are any.
You should always write everything by putting yourself into the shoes of your audience. Do not just put in things that only you can understand. Your LinkedIn profile’s going to be your gateway into the professional world. Use it wisely.
- DON’T lie
Lying or withholding professional information isn’t tolerated in the professional world. So DO NOT ever lie in your LinkedIn profile.
Be honest in your entire information ranging from educational qualification to job experience. There’s high chances for you to get a background check on those information in case you get a professional contract anywhere through the LinkedIn platform.
So if you want to build up your credibility on LinkedIn, be honest.
- Your profile URL needs to be customized
Your LinkedIn profile, by default will consist of a host of random alphanumeric characters. Consider changing them. You have the option to customize your profile URL.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Go to Settings.
- And then go to Edit.
- You’ll see an option called “Public Profile.” From there go to “Customize your public profile URL.”
- Make your profile URL relevant such that it matches your name or your business name.
- Use your LinkedIn badge on your business website
This point is specifically made for business who actually own a website. Although, if you have a personal website, you can also make use of this tip.
If you want to find your LinkedIn badges, just follow these steps:
- Go to Settings.
- Click on Edit your public profile.
- You’ll see “Profile Badges” on your right. Click on it.
- That will bring you to a page where you will see your badges having different designs. The HTML codes will be right beside every badge.
You can use those HTML codes to place them on your blog or website. If any of your audience click on those badges, they’ll be directed to your LinkedIn profile. Useful; isn’t it?
A word of advice before signing off. Don’t just create a static profile on LinkedIn and forget all about it after a couple of days. You have to log into your profile from time to time and manage your LinkedIn profile periodically with fresh content. An active profile is the definite key to getting the best results on LinkedIn.
So that’s it then. Ciao!
