Show Your LinkedIn Some New Love

Ready for a new job – or perhaps an entirely new career? If you want to catch the eyes of recruiters, you must be on LinkedIn. That’s exactly where they are, and they’re looking for you. It’s up to you to make yourself easy to find.

If you need to show some new love to your LinkedIn profile, Brenda Bernstein has the magic touch. Known as The Essay Expert, Brenda is the #1 Amazon bestselling author of How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile…and 18 Mistakes to Avoid. Her strategies and writing tips show you how to get found on LinkedIn and how to keep people reading after they find you.

Among Brenda’s best tips, these are my five favorites – each is absolutely essential for enhancing your profile:

1) Key in on keywords.

We learned this in our recent post on résumés – recruiters use keywords. You should, too.

Brenda recommends studying the job descriptions for your target positions and noting the keywords that show up repeatedly. Then weave these into your headline – the line under your name. That’s the first thing people see when they look at your profile. Include those keywords in your current job title, summary, additional job titles and interests. The LinkedIn search tool searches entire profiles, so insert your keywords early and often.

Need a good before and after example? Take a look at Brenda’s:

Before:

Brenda Bernstein

Founder and Senior Editor, The Essay Expert

After:

Brenda Bernstein

Resume & LinkedIn Profile Writer, Author, Speaker ★ Executive Resumes ★ C-Level Resumes ★ Executive LinkedIn Profiles ★ College Essays ★ Law School Admissions Essays ★ MBA Admissions Essays

See the difference that makes? With a bit of extra effort, Brenda now appears first in searches for Executive Resume Writer in her hometown of Madison, WI.

2) Sharpen your summary.

You know that I’m all about helping you come up with your unique value proposition. Your LinkedIn summary is the perfect place to publish it in 2,000 characters or less. Gear your summary to your targeted readers – what strengths, skills and accomplishments will they care about? “By powerfully stating who you are and what you have to offer up front, you will encourage more people to read your full profile,” Brenda says.

3) Curate your connections.

You need between 500-1,000 connections to show that you’ve built a strong professional network – but it’s important to choose them based on the image you want to project. When sending a connection request, Brenda strongly suggests writing a personalized message vs. simply hitting the Connect button. Once connected, send a thank you – and perhaps an article you think your new connection will like or mention something in their profile that you’re impressed by.

And do the same when you accept connection requests.

This extra effort makes a much stronger impact and can possibly lead to dialogue and even job leads.

4) Post your photo.

Photos accompanying your resume, as we learned in this post, is a no-no. But they’re a definite yes-yes on LinkedIn. Profiles with photos receive 21 times more views and 9x more connection requests than those without. Brenda says you’ll look more trustworthy if you look directly into the camera and smile. Wear a bright solid color shirt to stand out.

5) Be easy to contact.

Recruiters are in a hurry, so don’t take them on a treasure hunt to find your phone number or email address. List them in your profile. You can create a free email address just for your LinkedIn emails, if you’d like.

Bonus Tip: Now That You've Polished It, Use It!

When you love your LinkedIn profile, LinkedIn will love you back. Endorse other people’s skills and they’ll likely endorse yours – and that certainly adds credibility to your profile. Have particular potential employers in mind? Follow them and see if you have any 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree connections. If so, you might want to ask those connections for advice on whom to approach to further your job search.

Brenda cautions, though, never to send requests for business that would be seen as spam. Use your network wisely and politely. Congratulate your connections on their new jobs and promotions. Wish them a happy birthday. Comment, like and share the posts that resonate most with you.

Remember: When it comes to LinkedIn, the “right approach will reap big rewards,” Brenda says. And here’s an excellent reminder from Brenda: Pick up the phone and talk to your connections. Nothing beats human-to-human contact.

For more details and samples designed to help you better leverage your LinkedIn, check out Brenda’s book and visit her site.