Your resume may get you the interview, but your LinkedIn profile often seals the deal. Recruiters check your LinkedIn before interviews to learn more about you. A polished profile creates a strong first impression. Here is a checklist to help you optimize your LinkedIn before your next interview.
1. Update Your Profile Picture
Your profile picture – this is the first thing that people see. Using a professional headshot is key. Your picture must be clear and the background should be simple. No group pictures of you with friends or casual selfies. A great picture will add credibility to your profile. And, people will feel comfortable reaching out to you.
2. Craft a Strong Headline
Your headline should be more than your job title. You can use your headline as a way of conveying your skills or what you hope to achieve and/or the type of career you want, or the type of work that interests you. Instead of just “Marketing Executive,” try “Marketing Executive | Digital Strategy | Brand Growth.” Using the latter as your headline, not only makes your profile keyword-friendly, but it helps recruiting professionals.
3. Refresh Your Summary
The About section is a narrative. You want to keep it short, simple, and professional. You can talk about your professional goals, achievements, and what sets you apart from others. You also want to use clear and simple words, and focus on what makes you unique. Finally, you will want to add a call to action. Something like “open to marketing opportunities,”.
4. Highlight Key Experiences
Revise your Experience section and add any recent roles and achievements. With each role, you should express what you accomplished in action words. Focus on measurable results. “Led a campaign which drove 20% increase of sales within three months” is an example. Recruiters/companies want to know what you drove in impact versus just what responsibilities you had.
5. Showcase Skills and Endorsements
Be sure to add skills that are relevant to your profile. Once again, you will want to utilize skills related to the job role for which you are interviewing. Find colleagues to endorse your top skills. Having endorsements from others adds credibility to your profile and is social proof of your skills.
6. Add Recommendations
Recommendations from managers, peers, or clients provide credibility to your profile. Ask for brief, specific recommendations that comment on your work ethic, problem-solving or leadership skills. Having a few strong ones in your profile can help set you apart from other candidates.
7. Clean Up Your Activity
Recruiters often look at your activity and it is best to delete all unprofessional posts and/or comments. Simply engaging with content within your industry, sharing articles with thoughtful posts, or commenting on trending topics, will show that you are active, up to speed, and taken seriously in your industry.
8. Customize Your URL
A personalized LinkedIn URL looks professional and is easy to share. Edit your LinkedIn link to include your name. For example: linkedin.com/in/johnsmith. Add it to your resume and email signature.
9. Turn on “Open to Work” (Smartly)
Use the “Open to Work” feature wisely. You can choose to make it visible only to recruiters. This signals your interest without broadcasting it to your entire network.
10. Research and Follow Companies
Prior to your interview, be sure to follow the company on LinkedIn and engage with their most recent posts. Not only does this show genuine interest, you may also gain useful insights to mention during your interview.
Final Thoughts
Your LinkedIn profile is often your digital handshake. A well-optimized profile builds confidence and positions you as a strong candidate. Use this checklist to polish your LinkedIn before your next interview.
A little effort today can make a big difference tomorrow. Update your LinkedIn now, and walk into your interview with confidence.
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