No matter what stage you’re at in your career, whether you’re just starting, searching for your next job, or happily employed, we think that making solid professional connections is critical to being as productive as possible! One of the Kdan Team’s favorite outlets for getting connected is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool where members can connect with other professionals, share information, and discover new opportunities. The site allows users to create their profile, upload a resume, add connections, and participate in discussions.
We love it so much that we want to share a few tips that, depending on your current employment status, will help you make the most of this remarkable professional networking resource!
Getting Started
Maybe you’re graduating college; perhaps you’re looking to transition to a new industry and don’t know where to start. LinkedIn is a smart first step to building relevant connections and looking for job opportunities. In addition, LinkedIn is the perfect social platform for businesses that seek business partners!
Here’s how we suggest you kick things off:
Contents
Make Your Profile Shine
One of the first things you’ll notice when you set up your account is the section where you can add a bio for yourself. This will be one of the first things people see when they view your profile. Rather than reiterating the same information that’s in your resume, you should take the chance to show creativity and professionalism.
For example, if you are a content creator, adding links to your video and visual content creates opportunities for people to see your style and skills. Another great way to make your profile stands out is your storytelling. Why not let people know something more profound about you?
Use these questions as an anchor to tailor your headline, LinkedIn summary, and work experience:
- What are your ambitions?
- Why do you love your work?
- What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Having a complete profile on LinkedIn is exceptionally crucial. These things can help a potential recruiter or other connection understand why you’re different.
Take a Professional Picture
“You only have one chance to make a first impression,” and on social media, this means your profile picture maker. Unlike other social media platforms, where fun, creative, and pictures with a filter are the norm, LinkedIn is different. Select a photo with good lighting that shows you in a professional context, and this gets you started on the right foot!
Share Your Successes
Adding job experiences is critical when applying for a job, but did you know LinkedIn gives you a chance to go even more profound when telling your professional story?
You can add media or other associated projects–such as websites you worked on, articles you’ve written, and more –as part of your employment experience. This tells a more in-depth story about your career.
Build Your Credibility
When filling out your job experience, it is essential to use LinkedIn to build credibility. For example, you can go on your current connections and invite them to give you a recommendation or endorsement. Likewise, your former supervisors or colleagues write recommendations or go onto your profile and endorse your skills.
This will help you stand out because it’s not just your word that a potential recruiter is going on. You can also create an email signature with a link to your LinkedIn profile so that your email recipients check it out and write a recommendation.
Optimize Your LinkedIn SEO
If you have difficulty getting new connections after filling out your profile and qualifications, the issue might be your wording.
LinkedIn is one of the B2B networking and recruiting tools. Thus, to increase your profile visibility and spread the word about your B2B services, you must speak the same language. In other words, you have to use the right keywords, search terms, or jargon for recruiters or business leads to find you.
One good way to learn what keywords those industries use is to visit other people’s profiles. Don’t be afraid to go to recruiters, business leaders, or other job seekers’ profiles and study how they formulate their work experience, headlines, skills, blog posts, and even their profile links. Then note down the constantly used keywords and sparkle those keywords on your profile. It is essential to find the relevant keywords, optimized by the rank tracker, for your profile and also update them timely.
Join A LinkedIn Group
Another great way to stay up to date on industry news, best practices, and other related ideas is by joining a group or two that’s centered around things you’re interested in. For example, the LinkedIn group is a great place to discover potential connections and opportunities.
It is a perfect space for you to pitch your idea, share your thoughts or ask questions. So don’t just be a spectator. You might even make a valuable connection for your business or personal growth!
Learn a New Skill
Perhaps you love what you do, but there are new areas in your industry that you want to explore. For example, if you’re a professional writer but wanted to learn some tips for graphic design because you think it will make you a better overall storyteller, there are ways to do that as well. Join groups, reach out to connections with these skills, and follow industry news in these other areas, and you’ll be surprised how much you can learn from growing your network!
Send Out Connection Requests
If you’re ready for a career change or are interested in moving to a new city or even country, LinkedIn is a great place to explore your options.
The first step of social networking on LinkedIn is to send out connection requests to recruiters or people in the LinkedIn Groups that you are interested in. Remember to add a personalized message along with your request, so people know why you are reaching out and how they can help you.
You might benefit from upgrading to LinkedIn Premium for those in the job search. LinkedIn Premium users can reach even more business owners so that you can maximize your job prospects.
Send out messages to strangers sounds Intimidating, but you will be amazed how willing and helpful people are on LinkedIn. Despite being a bit cliche, “you don’t get if you don’t ask” is true!
Following Experts and Industry Leaders
Many leaders in different industries on LinkedIn are constantly sharing news, thoughts, tips, and more that can help you build on your existing skills! It’s essential always to keep a student mentality, and LinkedIn is full of teachers!
Build a Strong LinkedIn Presence
LinkedIn, like other social media, needs content to drive interaction. A regular scheduling social media post for business users increases engagement, for a long-form post that is updated and informative can reach a wider audience.
Another excellent way to be more present on LinkedIn is to interact with others’ social posts. For example, a simple “congrats” on someone’s promotion post can pave the way for future career opportunities. So don’t be shy to let people know you are interested in their companies or actions.
Don’t Accidentally Spam People!
Like any resume, you’ll constantly be tweaking your LinkedIn profile. There’s an automatic setting that notifies your network whenever you make a change that can be useful if you’re starting a new job or received a new certification but can drive your colleagues crazy if they get a ping every time you edit a job description or add a new skill. To be safe, turn this off before you start adjusting your profile.
Follow Us at Kdan Mobile
If you’re in a creative field or interested in boosting your creativity, why not follow Kdan’s LinkedIn profile? We love sharing amazing content, company news, vacancies, and more!
