How to Rock Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is a great place to connect with people, find job opportunities, and build your professional brand. So take a deep breath, you will be a-okay! Your LinkedIn profile is your online resume, so it's important to make sure it's on point. If you truly want to take your career to the next level, this is absolutely a tool you’ll want to have in your belt.

Here's a 101 Guide on how to rock your LinkedIn profile:

1. Dress for success (but not too much). Your profile photo should be clear and well-lit, but it doesn't have to be an ol’ generic, stuffy headshot. You can show off your personality with a photo of you doing something you love or even just a candid shot of yourself - or you are more than welcome to lean more traditional with a headshot. With the high resolution cameras on our smartphones these days, you don’t need a big, fancy camera.

   • If you need ideas, check out this website: https://headshots-inc.com/blog/how-to-pose-for-professional-headshots/

2. Write a catchy headline that tells people what you do and why you're awesome. Use keywords that potential employers are likely to search for. For example, instead of "Software Engineer," try "Software Engineer with 5+ years of experience in developing and maintaining web applications."

3. Share your story in your profile summary. What are your passions? What are your skills and experience? What makes you a valuable asset to any team? Be specific and use examples to illustrate your points.

4. List your work experience in reverse chronological order, and highlight your biggest accomplishments. For each job, be sure to include your job title, company name, and dates of employment. Then, list your responsibilities and accomplishments, using strong action verbs and specific examples.

5. Add the skills and certifications that are most relevant to your career goals. Don't be afraid to list soft skills, such as communication and teamwork, as well as hard skills, such as programming languages and software development tools.

6. Add connections. This is a professional profile so don’t automatically think of family. Who do you work with? Who have you worked with in the past? Who do you want to network with? Connect with your professional friends. Who did you go to college with?

7. Ask your connections for recommendations. Recommendations from people you've worked with are a great way to validate your skills and experience.

8. Use keywords throughout your profile. This will help people find your profile when they're searching for candidates with your skills and experience.

Here are some additional casual tips for creating a strong LinkedIn profile:

• Keep your profile updated, and try to check your profile once per week, at least. Add new accomplishments and skills regularly.

• Use humor and personality in your writing, but obviously keep the professionalism there. LinkedIn doesn't have to be stuffy. Let your personality shine through in your profile summary and other writing.

• Be yourself. The best LinkedIn profiles are authentic and genuine.

By following these tips, you can create a LinkedIn profile that will help you stand out from the competition and achieve your career goals. Hint, hint. Make sure that it aligns with your resume content.