Are you planning on looking for a job post-COVID? Do you want to make up for lost time from COVID while working remotely to reach new career goals? No matter what your personal career goals are, LinkedIn is an essential platform that can help you reach those goals. From job searching to career growth and progression, your LinkedIn profile can help you solidify and strengthen your brand and attract hiring managers or higher-level management.
We know that although many mid-career professionals understand the importance of using LinkedIn, it can be difficult to know how to leverage it effectively for branding. Since a LinkedIn profile is much more extensive than other social media platforms, it can seem overwhelming. It could be tempting just to copy and paste your resume into your profile. We understand this challenge and want to help. Here are our top tips to help you strengthen your personal brand on LinkedIn.
Complete your profile. One essential way to present a strong personal brand is by having a complete LinkedIn profile. We don’t recommend copying and pasting your resume into your profile. Your LinkedIn profile should complement your resume, but provide additional details that your resume doesn’t highlight. Instead of trying to do it all at once, aim to complete one section of your profile at a time. Set reasonable but progressive goals for yourself to finish your profile by a certain date.
Let your personality shine through. While you want to maintain a professional image on LinkedIn, you can use it to highlight your personality, unlike your resume. For example, in your About section, you can write in first person and include details about why you love your profession or what motivated you to study your field. Don’t forget to include your branding statement in the About section or in your headline, especially if you are an entrepreneur.
Use your background picture as a branding piece. While you may be tempted to leave the standard LinkedIn background picture when you first get started with LinkedIn, we recommend creating a personalized background picture. For example, you can use a photo that represents your industry, that illustrates a hobby or favorite vacation spot, or previous work you have done. The adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” truly applies in this case. A hiring manager will see your background picture before scrolling to your About section, so it’s a great way to solidify your brand from the very first look. You can use personal images or free stock pictures online to create your background picture. You could also include your branding statement in your background picture using programs like Canva to combine text and pictures.
Need more help with your LinkedIn profile? Schedule a free consult today!
