The Monday Group share top 5 ways to improve your LinkedIn profile.

Whether or not you agree with social media being used for professional purposes, the fact is more than 50 per cent of employers will further research short-listed applicants via social media channels.

Of all your social media profiles, you can guarantee your LinkedIn profile will be checked out at some point during a job application process.

LinkedIn has over 546 million users – to not have a complete and updated profile reflects poorly on your experience and skills.

Here are 5 quick and easy tips to improve your LinkedIn profile to ensure it helps you land that dream job!

1. Profile photo

According to LinkedIn, having a picture makes your profile 14 times more likely to be viewed. Of course, not all photos are equal:

• Clarity: Avoid low-res images as they appear blurry and unprofessional. The file can be up to 8MB.
• Size: 400×400 pixels, your face should take up 60 per cent of the image.
• Recent image: The photo must look like you (no disappointing Tinder dates) and be taken within the last three years.
• HOT TIP: Our pet peeve? You guessed it, absolutely no sunglasses!

Remember that this is the first impression of your personal brand, so make sure you are dressed appropriately for the jobs you are applying for and well groomed.

2. Headline

By default, your LinkedIn profile headline will be your current employment position, i.e. senior event manager.

This is a good way to let recruiters and hiring managers immediately know of your experience and skill level, not to mention helping you appear in relevant job searches.

However, there is also the opportunity to customise this field, by adding further information to highlight your expertise and stand out from the crowd.

You can list further skills, industries you specialise in, awards you have won, or even words or phrases that uniquely describe you.

3. Personalised URL

Not only does a personalised URL (linkedin.com/in/yourfullname) look more professional and read better in a resume, it enables you to promote your personal brand in other ways.

By including your personalised link on your other social media platforms, blog, email signature or online résumé, you will optimise your personal web search ranking and ensure you’re at the top of the page.

4. Build your network

Events and hospitality industry workers and leaders are active members on LinkedIn, making it easy to build your network and grow your profile.

Connect with present and former colleagues, clients, classmates, industry leaders, suppliers, and other professionals.

The more connections you have in LinkedIn translates to a wider sphere of influence in your industry and acts as an informal referee for your professional experience and personal character.

5. Summary and experience

Your LinkedIn profile should be more than a cut and dried account of your professional history, you have the opportunity to inject some personality, use a more conversational tone and share your vision for your next role.

Think of the summary as your elevator pitch, packing a punch but ideally no longer than three to five short paragraphs. It should convey your purpose, your passion and your personality.

A handy tip it to use bullet points, this is visually appealing and more likely to draw the readers eye.

Your experience section should be a list of the key positions you’ve held (in descending order), with a brief description of each.

Try to use assorted media such as, videos, images, presentations, and content that you’ve created, to bring this segment to life and to demonstrate your previous work.

Need help with writing your best LinkedIn profile? The Monday Group is offering a special discount on professional resume and LinkedIn profile writing services for candidates affected by COVID-19. Find out more here.

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