Do you have a LinkedIn account just for the sake of having a LinkedIn account? If so, you're not alone. Many people create a LinkedIn profile, fill out the basic information, and never touch their profile again. That's a BAD strategy!
The problem with this approach is that you don't take the time to learn how to navigate or leverage LinkedIn to your advantage.
LinkedIn can be a valuable resource for those looking for new career opportunities. There's an option in the platform's security settings that allows the user to let recruiters know they are open to new opportunities.
Even if you're happy in your career, you never want to close yourself off to new and exciting possibilities. In addition to career opportunities, LinkedIn is beneficial for networking and meeting new contacts to exchange ideas, which will help you build your personal brand and stay relevant in your industry.
Here are a few ways to make better use of your LinkedIn profile:
Use Content To Your Advantage
It's hard to get noticed on LinkedIn if you don't stand out, and one easy way to stand out is by using content to your advantage. Content is king!
Remain active on LinkedIn by consistently posting content about your industry and company. You can do this by creating your own content (if you're an authority on a subject) or by sharing relevant and engaging articles. Posting relevant information about your profession helps to reinforce who you are as a professional and shows that you are engaged in your career.
To get better organized with posting content, create a content calendar for your page that reminds you to post so you don't fall behind.
Another way to stand out is by creating graphics for your content to make it more visual. Free online tools like Canva can assist you with graphics and images for your posts.
Update Your Profile Regularly
As your career goes on, your job responsibilities will change, and you may even get promoted. It's important to put these changes on your LinkedIn profile because it shows a pattern of career growth. In addition, as your job responsibilities change, it may impact the skill sets and keywords that you want to feature in your headline and "About" section.
It's also important to highlight accomplishments when the opportunity presents itself. If you or your company win an award or recognition for work in the field, that information should be shared on your LinkedIn profile for personal branding purposes.
Build Your Professional Network
LinkedIn is a good way to stay in touch with former colleagues, mentors, and other significant professionals in your industry. Having a large network that you're in contact with is important because these connections could potentially vouch for you when you're looking for a new career opportunity, or even refer you for a job.
Networking via LinkedIn is also a good way to get past the applicant tracking system (ATS). You can track down and potentially connect with a recruiter on LinkedIn to get your information directly into their hands.
Recruiters use platforms like LinkedIn to find top talent. It's not uncommon for those who are successful in their careers to get job offers before even knowing that a job is available. That's why it's important to put your LinkedIn profile to use.
By remaining active, you can easily make your LinkedIn profile work to your advantage. It shouldn't sit idly by wasting away!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
