The digitalization of working life is, by this point, near absolute. When considering this, we tend to think of the rise of super effective communication technology, the home office, the “digital nomad” phenomenon, and everything else associated with remote working. But whereas these phenomena have represented a total sea change in how work is done in the 21st century, the digitalization of working life extends much further.
Indeed, even more traditional jobs or those involving hands-on manual labor have been totally revolutionized by information technology. From how stock is kept to how shifts are organized, a circuit board will be involved somewhere. One example of this has been the rise of LinkedIn, which among professional people is now all but an absolute necessity for entering the world of work.
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Standing Out
However, despite the ubiquitous imperative to get on LinkedIn among working people, creating a truly exceptional profile on the site is no standard task. Instead, it takes experience, creativity and, above all, an ability to stand out in order to make a success of the service. In many ways, LinkedIn has replaced the physical CV in the employer’s in-tray, but the twin values of noticeability and concision still apply – your linked in page needs to stand out and deliver the relevant information to the visitor as quickly as possible.
In fact, whereas traditional CVs were typically thumbed through at speed by employers, the modern LinkedIn profile flashes across the computer screens of employers even faster. It needs to catch attention and then make an impression before concentration elapses.
A New Dimension
One thing which is distinct about LinkedIn, however, is the online community it encourages. LinkedIn is a form of social media, and users can “connect” with each other on the site. As well as being attractive to employers, having a well-connected LinkedIn page will allow you to network with others and explore a broader range of employment opportunities as a result. You can think of LinkedIn as CV and rolodex both rolled into one.
General Tips for Success
Much of your LinkedIn profile will be specific to your line of expertise and the employment you are searching for, but that does not mean there are not a range of general tips that can be applied in most, if not all, cases. Here then follow a handful of the most important:
Have a Good Photo
You are seven times more likely to be found on LinkedIn if you have a photograph onsite – and probably even more likely if it is a good one. Use a professional photo cropped to show your face clearly – and it’s best to smile.
Have a Keyword-Rich Headline
On the internet, a big part of getting noticed is optimizing your SEO. This applies to your LinkedIn profile, and nowhere more so than in the headline. Engaged Media, market leaders in social media management and LinkedIn lead generation, recommend that you find your most relevant keywords and make sure they are well-represented here.
Link Other Social Media Accounts
We have mentioned the importance of being well connected on LinkedIn in. Well, one of the best ways to ensure this is to connect to your other social media accounts. This will allow you to feel the benefit of the other online communities and connections that you have built up on these sites.
Beyond these general tips, success on LinkedIn will be closely related to your line of expertise. After covering these bases, the next step is to make sure that you know what this more specific information is and how to represent it well – but that part’s up to you!
