If there’s one thing I LITERALLY didn’t want to have to deal with in 2019, it was another social media app. Between Instagram, IG stories, Snapchat, the list goes on, my day feels like it consists of eating, sleeping, and posting (lol, what is life). Oh, and The Bachelor. But with that whole New Year’s resolution thing, so many people vow to get ahead in their career—myself included. Except…that means updating your LinkedIn profile. And even though I’ve finally gotten that curated feed thing down on IG (thank you, VSCO), LinkedIn is another story.
Even though there are no filters that clear my zits, or Instagram models selling me ads on LinkedIn, the site does have a few benefits. For instance, it’s a fantastic way to get connected to people at other companies, find out about new jobs, and network. I’m not going to sit here and say LinkedIn is the only way you are going to get your new job, but I will say that I think recruiters and hiring managers will check you out there. You should absolutely update your LinkedIn if you are job hunting, and even if you aren’t—who knows, maybe someone will reach out to you with a new opportunity. If you want to create a great LinkedIn profile (sans VSCO filters), see the tips below. And go get you that corner office, boss betch!
1. Have A Professional Profile Photo
Your LinkedIn profile photo is actually the first thing someone can see when they search you professionally. So let’s just say you should probably avoid having that picture with you in scantily clad clothing, taking any sort of shots, or with those beloved Snapchat dog ears. With how freaking amazing iPhone cameras are nowadays, you can easily get your picture taken by your bestie with a nice portrait mode background. You want to ooze responsibility, whether or not this is actually true to your personality.
2. Take Off Old Experience
Like your resume, you want to avoid having super old experience on your LinkedIn. Look, your mom will be forever proud that you won the 8th grade spelling bee, but some recruiter only needs to know about the stuff you accomplished since you were legal. I will say, unlike your resume, LinkedIn is a great place to put your sorority, any charities you volunteered with, and other extracurriculars. Before I meet someone new professionally, I always look at their LinkedIn because it’s so easy to find little things we have in common.
3. Make Yourself Searchable
IMO, one of the BEST parts of LinkedIn is that people can find you. Easily! It’s an incredible way to get connected with people in your industry, or even people not in your industry. I’ve honestly had so many scenarios in which I’ve simply cold-emailed someone via LinkedIn and voilà! I’ve gotten in touch. To make yourself searchable on LinkedIn, try and use searchable words in the “headline” of your bio. Even if your job title is super specific, keep it easy to find with common words that people may search. And don’t forget to update your city, because recruiters will always look for new hires in the city they are already living.
4. Get Recommendations From Your Colleagues
In the last few years, LinkedIn has added features to get recommendations from colleagues and have others rate your skills. I would highly recommend getting a few co-workers to write you recommendations, simply because it adds validity to the skills listed on your profile. Don’t feel awkward about asking someone to do this for you. If you do good work for them, let them know you want to have that stamp on your resume forever!
5. Leave Out Any Personal Sh*t
Update: LinkedIn isn’t the platform to post your Tinder date stories, or to share that you’re hungover AF from this week’s trivia night. Keep your personal drama out of LinkedIn and keep it solely professional. This might mean avoiding posting on your newsfeed, or not liking articles irrelevant to your career path because allllllll that stuff can be seen by your potential future employer.
And there you have it. Even though you literally may have not kept any of your New Year’s resolutions so far (ok, maybe that’s just me…), you can be one step closer to your boss babe self. Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Comment below!
Images: Kyle Loftus / Unsplash; Giphy (2)
