I am fascinated by LinkedIn. Are you? You should be! LinkedIn is a vital tool you must use if you want to take an active and professional approach to continuously manage your online profile during career transition or when gainfully employed.
I was astounded to read a recent press release showing that 19% of HR managers would be less likely to hire people with an incomplete social media profile or, horrifyingly, no social media presence at all.
Your LinkedIn profile should be an enticing summary of your career, supported by some of your personal interests, attributes and aspirations. Just as with your resume, proofread carefully for typos or grammatical errors.
Use all available profile sections to their maximum. They are there for you to promote your brand, your skills, and your ideology.
A little-known and little-used component of LinkedIn is the publishing platform – your own blog from which you can broadcast to an audience of 400+ million, at no cost to you. What have you always wanted to say to a worldwide audience?
Blogging can bring tremendous value to your career advancement and personal brand. Your most recent blog posts are showcased at the top of your profile for hiring managers and other visitors to your profile.
All social media platforms, and in particular LinkedIn, are two-way streets for building and retaining relationships, even when you are employed. Comment on your connections’ activities through their blog posts and status updates. Make thought-provoking and engaging comments to entice dialogue and enlarge the audience.
As an active LinkedIn user, I see so many professionals overlook LinkedIn groups as a platform both for connecting and for portraying your personal brand. Your group memberships are displayed on your LinkedIn profile for all to see.
Join groups pertinent to you and to your career goals. Introduce yourself to those groups, and stay active to fortify your recognition as an expert in your field.
The “Recent Activity” screen of your LinkedIn profile shows potential employers, HR managers, and executive recruiters exactly how often you visit and engage on LinkedIn.
How will you be judged if they see this message?
