A new year has landed, and if the arrival of January 2024 has you desperate to switch up your job, we’re here to help. Today, we’d like to take a look at LinkedIn and the best ways to improve your profile so you can land that job of your dreams. Here are some helpful tips we’ve sourced online, including from the team at LinkedIn itself.
5 ways to build a better LinkedIn profile in 2024
1. Get your LinkedIn headline right
It’s pretty common to see people list their job titles in their LinkedIn Headlines and leave things there, but that may not be the best approach. According to a recent blog post from LinkedIn, “There’s no rule that says the description at the top of your profile page has to be just a job title”.
Try and use this space to to highlight what you’re great at.
Stacey Mallory, managing director at Altis Recruitment, spoke to Forbes about this and shared that it’s a good idea to “Use your Headline to list your job title, skills or areas of expertise rather than using an ambiguous line”. And steer clear of including ‘ex-[Company]’.
2. Think through your image choices
LinkedIn is a professional platform, so make sure your profile picture suits the environment. Professional-looking headshots that are high-quality and clearly show who you are are your best bet. It’s recommended that you choose one in which your face makes up the majority (about 60 per cent) of the frame.
Maciej Kubiak, Head of People at PhotoAiD, told Forbes that “LinkedIn is not Facebook, so the profile picture needs to be business-related.”
Additionally, it’s a good idea to include a background photo, too. This is an opportunity to showcase a bit of your personality. Just be sure to choose something work-appropriate.
3. Write a clever LinkedIn summary
Like a dating profile, your LinkedIn About Summary is your first chance to make an impression; use it well. According to LinkedIn’s blog post on profiles, many people avoid filling in this section altogether, and that’s a mistake because it’s “Your summary is your chance to tell your own story”.
4. Let people know the correct way to say your name
In 2024 let’s be a little more proactive about having people learn the correct way to say our names, yes? LinkedIn offers an option to ‘Add name pronunciation’ to your profile, and here, you can record and display your name at the top of the page rather easily. This is so helpful for you and for others hoping to engage with you, too.
5. Add a ‘Featured’ section to your LinkedIn profile
If you haven’t yet, this is your reminder to add a Featured section to your LinkedIn profile. Simply click the ‘Add section’ button, then tap ‘Recommended’ and ‘Add featured’. Here, you can highlight work you’re proud of, including photos, websites and more — it’s a great way to spotlight the cool things you’ve contributed to.
This is just a starting point, but making these changes will certainly help you get on your way to creating a sharper LinkedIn profile in 2024. If you want more career advice, check out these articles on job offer negotiations and job hunt mistakes next.
Lead Image Credit: iStock
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