How to Optimise Your LinkedIn profile

If you’re looking for a new role, LinkedIn, and optimising your LinkedIn profile, is an important tool that you definitely should not be ignoring. Simply setting up your profile and sitting back is one option, but to make LinkedIn work for you, you have to put a little bit more effort in. This way your profile will be more visible to recruiters and possible employers, and it will elevate your professional persona. Here’s some tips to get you started:

• Fill out your profile

Make sure that you have filled out all of the sections on your profile, including the summary. Your profile should give a quick overview of your skills and strengths, as well as your work and education history. The summary section is the perfect place to show off your personality too! Make it clear what it is that drives you and what you are passionate about. If you have worked on any exciting projects or campaigns, don’t forget to add those in too. When you’re filling out your work history, make sure to include a short summary about your key responsibilities and any specific industries or sectors you’ve worked in, if applicable.

• Choose an appropriate profile picture

Your profile picture is one of the first things people will see when coming across your page. It is the first way in which you can make a positive impression, so make sure to choose a professional looking photograph. No photo or a photo of yourself on holiday in Spain five years ago just isn’t going to cut it..

• Use keywords

When optimising your LinkedIn profile and writing your summary and experience sections, keep in mind which keywords you can incorporate. Keywords are, in most cases, what will make a recruiter come across your profile, so including these is super important! To figure out which keywords you should be using, take a look at some job adverts of jobs that you might have previously applied for or that you would be interested in. You’ll start seeing the same words or phrases popping up in each – use these!

• Make connections and participate

It’s in the name, LinkedIn is about connecting with fellow professionals in your industry. Take some time to connect with people and make it a habit of sending connection requests to people you meet in meetings or at conferences. Joining groups relevant to your area of expertise is also always a good idea, as this is a great way to stay up to date on industry news and connect with industry thought leaders. Make sure to participate as well, share posts you find interesting and engage in discussions in the comments. This is a great way to build your personal brand and grow your network at the same time.

Lastly, don’t forget to use the ‘Open to Work’ feature. You can find this at the top of your profile page where you can customise what roles you are looking for and who is able to see that you are open for new opportunities. It is also a handy tool to attract extra attention from recruiters!

If you are currently on the lookout for a new role within the engineering or IT sectors make sure to drop us a message, we would love to have a chat with you about your career aspirations! Why not check out our current vacancies or upload your CV here or stay up to date on our new vacancies by following us on LinkedIn.