You need a LinkedIn profile and it needs to be strong. We will cover the basic LinkedIn fundamentals here because most people in career transition or change, which is probably all of us, do not understand or implement the basics.
The basics include a professionally rendered resume and accurate career material. We assume you understand the level of confidentiality you are trying to achieve in your career search. Many times over posting and over sharing on LinkedIn can have a harmful, sharp edge if you are in a job and people who you do not want find out could be looking and spending a lot of energy on LinkedIn and see your job hunt before you wanted them to know.
We encourage all job seekers to utilize LinkedIn and to view it as a professional sharing and powerful employment tool. We encourage you to use this tool in a savvy way and enjoy the benefits while always mitigating the risks of any online portal.
Here are a few fundamentals to LinkedIn:
Visualize – this is a visual society so you need a professional or well thought out headshot. Unless you are a pet keeper you should probably not have a picture of you sitting on your sofa petting your dog. Your profile is your first impression to potential employers and firms. It needs to say that you are professional, good at what you do, and you know how to come across to your target audience. If you are in a job or looking for a job first impressions matter and can make or break your success.
You Are a Headliner – today’s market for jobs and careers looks more and more like the entertainment business with all these various social media platforms, but you need to treat LinkedIn for what it is – a professional media. Today’s jobseeker or serious careerist must refine and edit a powerful headline of 120 characters. In your headline we do not recommend leading with your need, but leading with your professionalism. Leading with your need would be something like “Professional Engineer Earnestly Seeking Job” instead of “Strong Professional Engineer” or something more powerful. On LinkedIn you are either a passive or active jobseeker. Make yourself look professional, confident and invaluable, not needy.
Chuck Hester shares valuable information when creating your LinkedIn profile and we encourage you to view this short video. Follow us on YouTube for more great career advice and videos.
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Have you found yourself struggling to create your personal brand on LinkedIn or have not had the desired results? CareerPro Inc. offers specialized personal branding services to help you develop copy and presentation for your profile that will represent you to your audience and potential employers. We offer advice for your LinkedIn overall design, network growth, interaction, personal career coaching, visual presentation, resume presentation and much more.
Give us a call today at 919.787.2400 or leave a comment with any questions you may have, as we are always happy to help!