LinkedIn is changing the face of modern-day recruitment, it’s one of the first places recruiters or employers look for candidates. It can be a noisy and chaotic place – 313 million people all trying to network. And you need to stand out.
If you’re trying to project yourself as young, fresh, forward-thinking, innovative; you need a LinkedIn profile, because if you don’t you’re not encapsulating those brand values. So how, as a beginner in accountancy or a finance professional, do you stand out in all this commotion?
When you get started with making a star profile, fill out the main sections as thoroughly as you can – name, headline, location and industry, summary, experience, skills and endorsements, education, etc. Don’t bother about the additional sections until you’ve got the core of the profile perfect. Remember this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. Here are some tips that can help-
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Put a professional headshot
People prefer visuals, and the first thing they notice in a LinkedIn profile is the profile picture. According to LinkedIn, profiles with headshots are 14x more likely to be viewed than those without a profile picture. You must have a photo of you, not a family vacation picture, a professional headshot of you. Don’t miss the opportunity to make a great first impression.
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Make your summary sing
You have 120 characters in your headline to get people excited about you. It can further be expanded in the first two lines of your summary section. A LinkedIn summary should be concise and give a clear overview of your professional or academic experience. For example, when looking as a fresher in Finance role, it’s important to mention such keywords in your profile and headline.
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Don’t think of online CV
The experience section may seem the hardest part if you have little work experience, but remember that LinkedIn is not an online CV, it’s your chance to pull together relevant experiences and achievements. Don’t ignore the week of work experience in a local company, or an internship project at college. Let your relevant personality traits shine through the profile – brand yourself up! And in terms of career doubts read more here.
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Align skills to the dream job
LinkedIn’s search algorithm is more influenced by your skills and endorsements section than anything else in your profile. Check what skills and attributes employers are seeking for the role you want to do, then make sure they feature in your profile. You can then ask your contacts/seniors/professors to endorse you for some of those top skills.
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Join groups to increase your network
One of the fastest ways to expand your professional network is to join the right LinkedIn groups. They will let you connect with people who are in your target audience. Join groups related to your area of expertise, industry, alumni, and other aspects of your identity. Being active in relevant groups means you’ll be seen by employers and recruiters who use these to connect with potential candidates.
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Engage with your networks
Nurture your LinkedIn relationships through regular engagement. Link to articles, blogs, and news that highlights your understanding and engagement with the profession.LinkedIn will also notify you with trigger events such as when one of your connections starts a new job or is mentioned in the news. Take a moment to congratulate them with a personalized message.
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Request connections wisely
Last but not the least important best practice is to personalize every connection request that you send out to people you don’t know well. You must consciously and actively write a personalized connection request. This one thing that will make a huge difference between someone clicking “Accept” or “Ignore” in response to your connection request.
Remember: LinkedIn is not Facebook or Twitter. When using LinkedIn, there are spoken and unspoken rules. If you don’t follow proper etiquette, you risk damaging your credibility. Good luck!
