Checklist For A Stellar LinkedIn Profile

In the world of work today, your LinkedIn profile would probably matter more than your resume. Be assured that even before you make it to the interview and are across the table from your prospective employer, and even before you have had the opportunity to answer the quintessential ice breaking question, “so tell me something about yourself?”, they already know quite a bit about you. How? Thanks to your social media profiles, especially LinkedIn. 

Why is LinkedIn so important? Because:
 

• Total number of LinkedIn users: over 467 million
   
• Number of new LinkedIn users per second: 2
   
• Number of unique visiting LinkedIn members: 106 million
   
• Geographical reach of LinkedIn: 200 countries and territories

(facts by expandedramblings.com)

Now that the statistics have established why your LinkedIn profile matters, let’s get started with a checklist you need to accomplish for a stellar LinkedIn profile.

1. Your LinkedIn photograph – Having a display photograph on your LinkedIn profile helps you be more visible, and also increases the CTR (click through rate) for your profile. The kind of photograph you choose to represent yourself also matters. Remember that the medium isn’t one like Facebook, where the connections you make are mostly informal. Choose a professional photograph, or one that shows you in action at work. However, ensure that your face is completely visible.

2. LinkedIn Headline – Your LinkedIn headline is crucial to your visibility on the world wide web. The 110 characters with which you state your current role appears right under your name on your profile, and also in the search results for your name. Be accurate and precise with your headline. 

3. A thorough professional summary – The professional summary is an elaboration of what you have mentioned as your headline. Describe your current role, your interest and focus areas. While you need to elaborate, you also have to make sure you summarize concisely and are not reiterating the same things. 

4. Photographs within your profile – LinkedIn has a great feature which allows you to add photographs under almost every heading. This is a great way to demonstrate in a pictorial way your exposure from your past work experiences. By making use of this feature, your profile stands out and is a lot more visible than other regular profiles. 

5. Recommendations - Having recommendations on your LinkedIn profile is a great way to gain credibility. LinkedIn allows you to send recommendation requests to people/ organizations you may have worked with in the past (provided they too are on LinkedIn). Having those recommendations on your profile bolster your chances of coming across appropriate opportunities. 

An updated LinkedIn profile is a great way to land the professional opportunities you have been on the lookout for. Spending a few hours fine tuning your profile might land you a surprise or two you deserve. Need more tips on how to make a stellar LinkedIn profile? Read here.