When you finally graduate from college or university, you’ll more likely feel the tension of going into the unknown world of the workplace. Maybe even feeling utterly clueless on where to start looking for a job. Finding jobs can be hard and easy at the same time, depending on those who know the shortcut. Moreover, living in the digital era is beneficial for you who's on the lookout for a job. One of the ways to do it is by growing your social media presence.
You must’ve been familiar with social media such as Instagram and Twitter. The way we are more connected than ever, through engaging in conversations and build our profiles online. According to Career Sherpa, social media is about word of mouth marketing, developing relationships, and connecting with people. In terms of the professionalism world, growing your social media presence can also benefit you from receiving new opportunities. Why? Because you can quickly spread the word for your talent and expertise on your own. To start levering your professional presence, signing up for a LinkedIn profile should be your first step.
LinkedIn is an employment-oriented online service that provides professional sources for taking your career to the next level. Now, the platform is used for professional networking and job seekers seeking workforces around the globe. It is highly accessible and free to all kinds of people in search of jobs. Many believe that having a strong and well-branded LinkedIn profile will expand you to more job offers. A survey shows that 87% of recruiters specifically used LinkedIn to search for candidates. So, imagine the high chance you’ll get from growing your presence at LinkedIn.
Thus, we've concluded five basic steps for you to better your LinkedIn profile. Let’s begin, shall we?
Step 1: Build Your LinkedIn Summary
Before you jump in to sign up for a LinkedIn account, try asking these questions first and writing down the answers.
1. What is your dream job? Where are you headed?
(You don’t need to list this in your summary, but it is key to keep in mind while creating the summary.)
2. What are your key skills/strengths/talents?
3. What do you want to be most known for?
4. What are some of your interests, values & personal traits?
5. What makes you unique? Differentiate yourself from others (e.g., highlight your unique trait, interest, or value)
6. How would some of your coworkers describe you?
The reason why it’s important to have your LinkedIn summary ready is that it’ll treat you as some kind of a “map” to how you want your audience and job seekers to perceive you.
Step 2: Optimize Your Appearance
Many elements in LinkedIn can help you optimize your online appearance. Yet, it is essential to firstly add your LinkedIn summary to your profile than the headline. Here’s an example of a great LinkedIn summary.
Ayu Nabilah. © Dunia Kita Baik, 2021
As you can see, a great LinkedIn profile summary should speak to all positions and appeal to a broader audience. It should give attention-grabbing information about your professional background and abilities so people would notice you. Secondly, add your experience-based information to the headline section. Here’s another example.
Source: Resume Worded
If you’re a recent graduate, you want to be specific and use keywords from the job you want. Your LinkedIn headline is important because it will ease job seekers to find you in search results. LinkedIn has also improved its features, such as increasing the character limit so that you can add more keywords to your profile. According to The Balance Career, a good LinkedIn profile should strike the right balance between being general enough to cover your bases and specific enough to show up in search results. Also, use a head-shot photo and add a background image to your profile that shows some of your personalities, or otherwise, people wouldn't bother to notify you. You can always go to LinkedIn Help to search for other guidelines to optimize your profile. ;)
Step 3: Let your Connections Know
This step is the part where you get to discover the fun of LinkedIn. As it provides professional sources, you should start targeting the types of roles and set preferences you’re interested in. Let your recruiter and job seekers know you’re ready to land a new job by switching the Open Candidates switch to “On.” After that, don’t be shy to leave the recruiters a note or engage in their available job posts. Remember the secret sauces of networking.
Step 4: Be Active and Engage
Back again, LinkedIn is an excellent resource for professional networking. So, complete your profile by regularly adding statuses such as sharing posts, articles, and links to great content. Be authentic, proactive and take the initiative to give your friend a recommendation and eventually get one, too. Respond to questions and comments related to your niche on LinkedIn and develop trusting online relationships!
Step 5: Follow the Current Trends
Keep in the online loop. Add value to your current role by staying up-to-date with what’s happening in the industry. Always prepare for the future shifts through the medium of LinkedIn. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn some new skills or insights from LinkedIn that could elevate your professional work.
In conclusion, be authentic by creating a LinkedIn profile that resonates with your strongest content and images. Pay attention to convenient keywords because the job seekers find the important thing, right? Also, develop a strong network and engage with it! You can further use hashtags or videos if you think it’ll contribute better to your profile appearance. We hope this helps you pace your LinkedIn journey. If you're interested in our blog posts, make sure to subscribe to our web for other upcoming posts! Follow us on Instagram as well @baikgp @ayureadypodcast!