LinkedIn like Google is a search engine, the key difference being that it is the ideal tool for your personal branding. In this blog, I will give you my top 15 tips for LinkedIn profile optimization from my experience as a user who has managed to get 57k supply chain followers. I will explain how I have utilized the key features of LinkedIn thus improving your visibility, credibility and appeal to recruiters or companies to collaborate with.
Whatever I have learned about LinkedIn profile optimization I have learned from LinkedIn Guru Hammad Siddiqui. And on my request he has created a course on How to Improve Linkedin Profile – For Supply Chain Professionals. In this 1 hr 13 min course Hammad has given all the tips to make your LinkedIn Profile – ALL STAR with plenty of successful LinkedIn profile examples.
So, let’s get to it and create the best first impression for potential target audience.
1. Make a Custom LinkedIn Profile URL
First and foremost, as much as this needs to be through, don’t just write anything, customise your personal profile.
By creating a customised LinkedIn profile URL, you will increase the searchability of your profile. How? Well, when someone searches for you in Google, not only will this bring up your first name and surname, but also the URL link to your profile page – you may have a popular name, so to ensure it’s your profile viewed, your custom link will take them directly to your page. There will be no mistaking in who’s profile they are wanting to find.
Adding a URL also ranks higher with Google search therefore increasing your visibility and chances of a call back by as much as 71%
2. Make sure you configure your LinkedIn Privacy Settings Correctly
An all-too-often oversight is not realising who is able to view your profile particularly when you update.
Configure your private settings so that visibility is set to ensure your current, previous and future employers don’t see recent notification of any updates you have made it.
3. Configure LinkedIn’s ‘Open to Network’ Settings
Let recruiters and hiring managers know you are open to new career opportunities.
Quite simply click on ‘Open To’ then ‘Finding a New Job’. A new window opens allowing you to input information of the exact role you are searching for.
Some information to include:
- All the job titles that relate to your expertise and experience
- Select whether you are looking for a full-time / part-time or casual work position.
- Specify the locality of where you would prefer to work
- Update the privacy to ensure that only recruiters see the profile, simply click on ‘Change Who Sees You’re Open’ and select ‘Recruiters only’. Once done, click on ‘Add to Profile’
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4. Upload a Suitable LinkedIn Profile Picture
Again, the emphasis here is suitable. For a site that is aimed for the professional you, the best picture is one is a headshot. The stats for including a profile picture speak for themselves: On average a profile picture increases views to your page by as much as 21 times as well as increasing chances of being contacted by up to 36 times and a professional headshot will receive a further 14 times more views.
You don’t have to go to a studio for the perfect professional headshot, just find a suitable picture with a plain background. Simple!
In my case I have used SCMDOJO Logo and Banner to create brand awareness.
5. Upload a Suitable LinkedIn banner or Cover photo
Think about the story you want to tell and get creative with telling it. You can share it as your personal statement or a statement that reflects on a skill or ability.
Of course, you can upload the one you have done, but for anyone new to this, simply log onto Canva.com and search ‘LinkedIn Banner’ to give you ideas of the elements, style and text that will set you apart. To set the banner / cover photo in the background, simply select the photo icon within your profile picture and upload. Key step in Linkedin Profile Optimization
6. Optimise your LinkedIn Introduction Section
Make sure you include a headline and location settings. Within the headline include your key traits and educational background with the keywords (not too many) that will increase your rank in searching. Always search for similar profiles to see who comes up and what traits they are including that are ranking them first.
7. Write the Perfect LinkedIn ‘About’ Section
So, your Introduction, banner and header are done, let’s influence your searchability further by creating the perfect About section.
First and foremost, make sure it is short and to the point encapsulating who you are and what you have to offer – include the relevant life skills, accomplishments and your chosen industry key words but not too many. Your chosen keywords must have context and meaning, don’t create a word salad, it’s very off putting – we all know it when we read it!
Additionally, too many buzz words are picked up by the search engine and can have the adverse desired effect.
An ideal length is having a line or 2 and a line that is a closing statement that triggers them to want to respond by connecting or messaging you
If you are choosing to change career paths, include your reasons for the change and the transferable skills you possess that make it a logical step.
8. Use LinkedIn’s ‘Featured’ Section in
Here you can add posts / articles / media / links to work samples, studies or presentations that you have done or link to videos you have created. Posts are limited so provides more of a snapshot whereas articles allow for longer content to be uploaded.
Simply go into ‘Add Section’ scroll to ‘Featured’ and then you are presented with the 4 options: Post, Article, Media and Links
If you have more than 2 posts, prioritise the first 2 as they will be on the front page.
9. Optimize LinkedIn’s ‘Work Experience’ Section
Make your work experience description stand out – as with the About section, succinct is the name of the game here. In the description provide just an overview of no more than 2 to 3 lines and list some of your outcomes and achievements. This brings impact and purpose to your work experience and should be enough to prompt recruiters to get in touch.
Make text more dynamic by using action verbs at the beginning of sentences. In your outcomes uses quantifiable metrics and you can add a pdf or PowerPoint via the link button to add supportive evidence of the achievement(s).
10. Optimise LinkedIn Skills Section
There is a maximum of 50 skills that can be added here so prioritise strategically the skills of the role you are currently applying for.
On average, adding 5 or more skills increases chances of receiving a message from recruiters by almost 33% and increases views by more than 77%.
Here are the examples of Linkedin Skills I get endorsement
11. Further Optimise your About Me Section
Have you done some courses or interesting projects? add them in! Go into the Add Section and scroll down to Skills and Accomplishments and select the Course or Project option to enter these details.
It’s all there, you just need to put the information in the correct section for it to highlight on your profile page as you want recruiters to see it.
12. Get Skill Endorsements
Skills and qualifications are great particularly during the searching process for recruiters – but to really enhance their credibility, get them endorsed by your LinkedIn connections. It’s the perfect acknowledgement of actually achieving the skills you are saying you have.
However, to get endorsements, give endorsements!
Create a mutually beneficial environment of endorsing skills with your connections and send a direct message showing genuine interest in their work as this will prompt them to endorse you back.
13.Get Recommendations
Similar to endorsement – give recommendations to receive recommendations.
This is a wonderful way to recognise the work done and an acknowledgment that your work has impacted positively in the workplace.
The effort of writing a recommendation speaks volumes to a recruiter. They can also see someone is willing to put their name behind you. This is must for me to get to active Linkedin Profile Optimization
14. Connect and Engage
Search for people that have a connection with you – Alumni and former company searches are very effective for finding connections
Click on those with similar interests or in a similar role and send them a message building on the new connection. It is the ideal way to network and get that all important foot in the door or having your resume forwarded by them to the relevant person within that company.
A resume coming via a recommendation is a sure-fire way to at least get an interview or meeting.
Be patient and wait for them to make the step of recommendation, there may be mutual benefit for them too with them by way of a commission.
One of the easiest way to connect and engage is to join these Top 32 Supply Chain Groups and start commenting and engaging.
15. Optimise the Summary
Do not leave the summary blank!
Studies show the first 300 characters stay in the mind of the reader so make it attention-grabbing. So, make sure the introduction to your summary strong with appropriate number of key words, your ambitions and goals and what drives you.
Conclusion Linkedin Profile Optimization
The theme of this blog has been to utilise, optimize and be succinct and provide you top tips for LinkedIn profile optimiaztion. It you apply these rules when writing with the top tips, it will give you an all-star status in LinkedIn which has the added benefits of:
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- Being 40 times more likely to being contacted by recruiters therefore 40 times more job opportunities
- 18 times more visible in the search
References
About the Author- Dr Muddassir Ahmed
Dr MuddassirAhmed is the Founder & CEO of SCMDOJO. He is a global speaker, vlogger and supply chain industry expert with 17 years of experience in the Manufacturing Industry in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia in various Supply Chain leadership roles. Dr. Muddassir has received a PhD in Management Science from Lancaster University Management School. Muddassir is a Six Sigma black belt and founded the leading supply chain platform SCMDOJO to enable supply chain professionals and teams to thrive by providing best-in-class knowledge content, tools and access to experts.
You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram
