How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out

How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand OutHow to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out10 Ways to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand OutWhether or not youre looking for a new job right now, you still need a LinkedIn profile that stands out. With mora than 500 million users worldwide, LinkedIn is easily the largest professional network on the planet. Its not only large but also highly effective in helping professionals in any industry get and stay connected.So why should that matter to you? LinkedIn is your chance to get your name and face in front of hundreds (or even thousands) of professionals in your industry. If youre looking for a job, thats essential.However, its not enough to just have a LinkedIn page. You need a great LinkedIn profile that draws attention, says the right things, and helps you really connect with the people who can help you expand your career. Here are 10 simple tips to help make your LinkedIn profile stand out.1. Add your headshotThe simplest thing you can do to upgrade your LinkedIn profile is to add a good headshot. Be creative if that fits with what you do or who you are, but remember that this is the first impression people will get from your page. If you dont have a professional headshot to use, its worth the investment. With the huge numbers of people on LinkedIn, those without a photo are easily pushed aside.2. Create an eye-catching headlineYour headline is the first bit of text that shows up right below your name on your LinkedIn profile. The default settings will fill this in with your current position and thats okay for starters but it can be whatever you want. You have 120 characters to work with, so why not add on a little? Think of it as a small billboard advertisement for you and what you do. Instead of just listing your job title, mention your specialty and how you benefit your company or customers. For exampleAdvertising Sales Rep helping clients create winning branding strategies. Over 300 successful clients.Just like th at youve told them your job, what you bring to the table, and provided a little credibility easily and effectively.3. Craft an interesting summaryYour summary can be a longer form of your headline here you have 2000 characters to work with so you can dive in a little deeper. Dont focus on just your past experience but on what you do well and what you can bring to a prospective employer. Keep in mind that keywords are crucial here use words that you want to be strongly connected to in your field.Attention spans are short these days, so dont use up all of those 2000 characters. Instead, keep it to less than half of that. Be creative and paint a picture of who you really are as a professional.RelatedHow to Write a Powerful LinkedIn Profile Summary4. Highlight your experienceYou can do better than simply cutting and pasting your resume onto your LinkedIn profile. You dont have the same two-page rule here, but you do have internet readers short attention spans. Be sure to include any jo bs that you deem relevant to where you want your career to go, and use two to four interesting and impressive bullet points for each job you include. Also, use good action words to show not just what you did, but what you accomplished in each position.5. Use visual mediaDid you know that you can add a background photo/cover photo on LinkedIn just like on Twitter and Facebook? Its simple to do and it makes your LinkedIn profile stand out, so pick a theme that speaks to your profession or personality.LinkedIn also allows you to connect other media to your profile like Youtube videos, infographics you name it. Get creative with relevant media and make your page jump off the screen and demand attention.6. Customize your internetadresseYour LinkedIn URL is the web address for your profile. The default URL will have your name and some gibberish numbers on it. Why not make it something more relevant? Along the right side of the profile, you will see the option to edit your public URL. Use that option to make your URL more concise and neat again, it only takes a couple of minutes and it can make your URL much more memorable.RelatedHow to Create a Custom LinkedIn URL in 3 Easy Steps7. departure making connectionsIt seems obvious, but it can be easy to forget sometimes. You need to keep growing your connections as you meet people because of LinkedIns system of first, second, and third degree connections having a lot of connections helps keep you visible to others.That being said, while you can connect with people you dont know, its preferable to connect with individuals whom you know personally, have worked with, or met in a professional capacity.8. Ask for recommendationsThis is a big one. Think of people that youve developed a good working relationship within the past. When you edit your profile, there is a link to click that says Ask for Recommendations. Click on it. You choose what youd like to be recommended for and can choose a list of people from your connectio ns. Then, send it out and hope you get some great feedback.Recommendations are a key to making your LinkedIn profile stand out. Employers want to know that others have approved of your work.Help your karma out and write recommendations for some of your connections in return.9. Keep your page activeLinkedIn is more than an online resume its a networking social media site. That means to get the most out of it, you need to remain active. Check out what other people are posting, engage them with thoughtful comments, and like and share posts that strike you as helpful.You can also join groups that are on LinkedIn. Whatever your professional interests are, from marketing to accounting, there are going to be groups talking about it. Join one or two and interact within that group. Its a great way to meet some new people and share ideas.10. Check your LinkedIn profile strengthIf you look at your current profile, there is a gauge on the right-hand side that gives you a Profile Strength measu rement. Essentially, this is telling you how completely youve filled out your profile. Keep adding more and using the sites tips until that gauge rates you All-Star. Its simple, but it can help you see if youve overlooked something.LinkedIn is a powerful tool and one thats really easy to use. Make the most of it by optimizing your profile to grab attention, sell your skills, and validate your accomplishments. You want your page to be visually appealing to visitors while making it easy for them to get a feel for who you are and what you really can do for them professionally. These 10 tips make a great start for building your winning LinkedIn profile.Click on the following link for more advice on creating your LinkedIn profile.Is your resume as powerful as your LinkedIn profile? Let one of our resume experts check with a free resume critiqueRecommended ReadingLinkedIn Networking How to Cultivate Meaningful Connections OnlineResume and LinkedIn Profile Writing How Different Should They Be?Ask Amanda What Should My LinkedIn Profile Photo Look Like?