# LinkedIn 101: 4 Smart Strategies to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out

- Link: https://kollersearch.com/linkedin-101/
- Published: 2016-04-18T18:19:23-04:00
- Author: Vincent

[vc_row unlock_row=”” row_height_percent=”0″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”2″
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=”800″][vc_column_text]As a recruiter, LinkedIn is a critical tool that provides
quick and targeted results for finding top talent. It has transformed the recruiting
process to be far more efficient and effective by marrying professional networking
with the digital age. For the average recruiter, finding talent is a volume play;
it’s shooting out as many InMails to get as many responses as possible to find the
best candidates.

With over 400 million users, how can you stand out to recruiters and hiring managers?
There are a few simple changes that you can make to your LinkedIn profile to help
you land that next job, whether you’re hoping to break into a new industry or take
on greater responsibility within your current field.

 1. **The profile picture:** As a recruiter, I can tell you that I’ve seen everything
    from bathroom selfies to cartoon characters. In some professions, such as advertising
    or entertainment, a slight creative twist may be appreciated. It is definitely 
    a case-by-case basis. However, as a general rule of thumb, your picture should 
    be a professional photo. You want it to show that you are confident, successful,
    and polished. You should look as if you are about to walk into a job interview–
    clean background, good lighting, nice outfit. Done. No cropping out your significant
    other, no family portraits, no night clubs, and no duck faces.
 2. **Headline:** Along with your profile picture, this is a great opportunity for 
    you to catch attention. It is prime real estate. The default LinkedIn headline 
    displays current title and company—quick, simple, and straightforward. However,
    this could also be a great space for you to advertise yourself with a compelling
    value proposition or hook. Be creative, show a little personality and highlight
    the talent and expertise that you bring to the table. What are your strengths, 
    and how can you position yourself to stand out among your colleagues? When I am
    conducting research on LinkedIn, I frequently use keywords. For example, if you
    are a “data guru with a passion for analytics,” incorporating these keywords into
    a unique headline is a great way to quickly be filtered and easily identified in
    a search.
 3. **Summary:** Think of the summary section as a digital first impression. This is
    the ideal place for you to express who you are as a person, your strengths, your
    passions, and to graciously brag about your accomplishments. One of my biggest 
    pet peeves is when people write their summary in the third person. This immediately
    detracts from that personal element and the overall sense of ownership over a candidate’s
    accomplishments. Write your summary as if you are addressing the reader directly.
    Elaborate on your headline and share information that doesn’t appear in your Experience
    section. If your roles aren’t clearly defined in the Experience section, the summary
    is the ideal place for you to discuss your expertise, as well as connect the dots
    to demonstrate your overall progression throughout your career. As I noted previously,
    keywords are the first thing that I will use to find talent for a search. Be sure
    to insert any keywords that relate to the type of role that you are seeking.
 4. **Experience:** Too often I look at a profile and see nothing but titles and companies.
    Titles vary from company to company, and it can be nearly impossible to grasp what
    they truly mean. Share some information about the company and dedicate a few sentences
    to an overview of your key responsibilities and accomplishments. Use action words,
    use metrics, express your impact at the company, and keep it clear and concise.
    Your LinkedIn Experience section is not your resume; it’s a snapshot of your greatest
    achievements as a professional. The more information that you are able to share,
    the greater the chance that your LinkedIn profile will rise to the top of the list
    during a recruiter’s LinkedIn search.

Take your LinkedIn page to the next level. Even if you aren’t looking for a change
right now, having an updated LinkedIn page will make you accessible to professionals
in the field, keeping you at the top of the queue for hot opportunities from speaking
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