FIRST IMPRESSIONS
In a social-media-saturated ‘swipe left’ culture, a good first impression has become vital. A recent Forbes article points out that professional ‘reputation’ has become professional ‘brand,’ and LinkedIn has become the number one professional brand showcase. With over 450 million profiles to choose from, if yours isn’t making a good first impression, chances are it will be lost in the crowd. Improving your LinkedIn profile can help you build your network, stage yourself as an expert and thought leader, attract employers and recruiters, and maybe even help you land your next big job.
A LITTLE STYLE
Our LeaderStat Recruiters recommend you start with the simple but highly-effective features: photos and headlines. Profiles with photos are significantly more likely to be viewed but even your best selfie isn’t going to cut it here. Invest in some professional photos and take advantage of the header feature, which can be a stock photo that represents your niche in the senior living or post-acute industry. Your headline should be an accurate description of what you do that includes keywords to help employers find you via search engines. An example might be: Reimbursement Nurse Specialist/RAC-CT/Unit Manager
LOTS OF SUBSTANCE
The next step in improving your LinkedIn profile is to fully complete the ‘summary’ and ‘description’ sections and make sure you continue to include relevant search engine friendly keywords. It is most important to highlight accomplishments (especially recent ones), and fully utilize the skills section by using all 50 slots available. (Yep, 50.) Search LinkedIn’s skill list for all word combinations that describe your experience. Be creative and think about the words someone would use to search for you. (For example, there are at least seven that begin with the word “senior” that would describe the skills of many senior living and post-acute professionals.)
MORE THAN WORDS
LinkedIn allows you to upload photos, videos, and files into the ‘summary’ and ‘experience’ sections. This is your opportunity to show rather than tell – providing a video of you giving a presentation will be more effective than listing “public speaking” as a skill - but still list it!
Building your professional brand via LinkedIn can help propel your career to the next level.