How to set up your LinkedIn profile
What is LinkedIn and why it’s worth having one

LinkedIn profiles, whether for individuals or corporations, offer an excellent resource for recruiters in search of potential candidates on the platform. However, LinkedIn is equally valuable for building your personal brand. Furthermore, a well-structured LinkedIn profile can help you discover exciting job opportunities. Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure that your profile accurately represents you.

 

If you haven’t registered for a LinkedIn account yet, you won’t be able to harness its full potential. Fortunately, the registration process is straightforward. All you need is a computer and your email address. Open a web browser and navigate to www.linkedin.com.

Thus, How to create a LinkedIn profile? Once on the main page, you should see a heading that says “Welcome to our community.” If this title doesn’t appear, simply click on the “Log In” button located in the top right corner. From there, enter your email and, if required, your phone number. Verify your new profile through the email address provided, log in, and begin setting up your personal LinkedIn profile. Include your first and last name and ideally set your profile as public.

 

If you’ve already registered, we have some tips on how to improve and finalize your LinkedIn profile, making it functional and better suited to its intended purpose.

 

When deciding whether to upload a profile picture on your profile page, it’s crucial to note that profiles with a photo are considerably more credible and significantly increase the likelihood of potential employers reaching out to you. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to upload a high-quality, up-to-date photo that clearly shows your face. The image should convey trustworthiness, and professionalism.

 

Ideal LinkedIn profile photo should have a professional or work-related context with a neutral background. Avoid using images from specific purely personal events that require particular attire, such as weddings, ski trips, beach vacations, or wild parties.

 

You can also finetune your LinkedIn profile by adding the background photo. Consider using an image that represents your company logo, work achievements, your professional vision, or something you aspire to pursue in the future.

 

The Headline section is a mandatory field when setting up your profile. The name of this field might be slightly misleading, so keep in mind that the Headline is not a place to express personal attitudes towards life situations. Instead, it should feature your current job title and the name of the company you work for. Avoid statements like “Better late then never” and focus on providing information that potential employers will find more valuable, such as “Sales Manager at ABCDE.” This kind of information will be more appreciated by potential employers.

 

The “About Me” section provides an opportunity to highlight your key skills, responsibilities, and achievements. If you’re actively job-seeking, you can specify the positions you’re interested in as well as career goals. Incorporate relevant keywords that not only capture the attention of recruiters but also enhance your visibility in candidate searches.

While you can elaborate here, remember that only the first four lines will be visible on your profile initially. To make the most impact, focus on highlighting critical information right from the start.

 

 

List your education and past employment experiences in chronological order, starting with the most recent. First, add your employment history. Each entry should include a time frame (from-to), the name of the employer,  and a brief job description summary for employment positions - primarily focus on the most recent and relevant ones. This approach helps potential employers quickly identify suitable positions within their companies for you.

 

If you’ve been involved in noteworthy campaigns or projects that you’re proud of, consider including links or uploading media files within each position. Furthermore, for each role, you have the option to add specific skills acquired during that time.

You can ask colleagues to validate these skills or request recommendations, adding a few words about your work together.

 

Take the same approach to describe your education. Add name of the educational institutions, dates from-to, subject of your studies and title achieved. Improve your LinkedIn profile by completing the education section carefully, including details about any training, courses, or awards you’ve received for your academic achievements.

 

Include your volunteering activities and languages you speak. Specify your proficiency level in the languages you can communicate in.

Edit your profile URL to make it more user-friendly, your profile will then be also easier to find on the internet. Remove excess numbers, keeping it simple. Ideally, the format of your LinkedIn profile URL should include your first and last name, the field or title of the position you hold or are seeking, or the name of the company you work for; for example www.linkedin.com/in/Jan-Novak-mycompany or www.linkedin.com/in/Jan-Novak-logistics-manager.

 

Boost your profile’s visibility by staying active. Share interesting posts from other linkedin members and create your own content. Check out top LinkedIn profiles for inspiration; they’re often active and share insights on various topics.

When creating your own posts, focus on commenting on industry-related news for the best results.

 

Be mindful not to make your profile too controversial or discuss inappropriate or overly personal topics unless they are directly related to your work.

 

Additional Tip: Ensure that the information on your LinkedIn profile matches your CV to avoid awkward questions from recruiters during interviews.

 

Once your LinkedIn profile is set up correctly, expand your network by connecting with other professionals and professional groups. You will see that LinkedIn can be a valuable resource for discovering job opportunities. Don’t forget to connect with your Hays consultant as well. We wish you the best of luck in your job search!