How to use LinkedIn to attract opportunities

Include a photograph on your profile. It should be a clean headshot of you in your professional clothes – but nothing from the office party! A user with a profile photo will receive on average, 14 more views than one without. 

Cover photo

This is an often-overlooked section of a LinkedIn profile, but it can be an eye-catching element that differentiates you from others. Our brains process visuals up to 60,000x faster than text, so use a cover photo to express more about yourself. Do you volunteer outside of work? Share a picture. Did you recently lead a team workshop or meeting? Show a photo of you in action. 

Showcase your key skills

You can choose from over 50 skills to add to your profile to reinforce your position and let a reader know what you do in more detail. Listing at least five skills will also increase your chance of coming up in a search when companies type in keywords related to your skillset by more than 31 times.

Skill assessments

LinkedIn states that candidates who complete LinkedIn Skill Assessments are significantly more likely to get hired. This feature allows you to demonstrate your knowledge of the skills you've added to your profile by completing skill-specific assessments.

Skill endorsements

Your network can endorse you for specific skills which quickly adds credibility to your profile. Endorsing others will encourage them to endorse you in return, but if all else fails, why not just ask. 

Network

Keep in touch with colleagues past and present as well as the contacts you meet at conferences and business meetings. It helps to gain a greater understanding of your industry, builds your profile in your current role and is excellent for resources and networking.

You don’t have to spend a considerable amount of time on your LinkedIn profile to make a difference to the way consultants and potential employers view you professionally. The key is to be thorough and use all of the profile elements to their full potential.

 

References:

1 Business of Apps [Online] Available at https://www.businessofapps.com/data/linkedin-statistics/ [Accessed July 2021]

2 Kinsta [Online] Available at  https://kinsta.com/blog/linkedin-statistics/