LinkedIn: Learn about it and Use it for Professional Growth
Have you ever stopped to think about how CVs were created back in the day? Everything changed when we included professional information within a single platform: LinkedIn! Today, you can’t go without knowing what LinkedIn is and all the possibilities you can have with this social network.
But the truth is that it’s been a while since LinkedIn is no longer just a site to update your CV. Upon reaching 500 million subscribers in April 2017, the social network established itself as the largest platform for business, gaining a strategic role for both companies and professionals.
Since then, the network has been growing at an accelerated rate, gaining new features. And in this article, you will check out the details about what LinkedIn is, what it is for, tips on how to start using it, and what benefits you can get.
LinkedIn: learn what it is, how it works, and how to make your profile stand out!
What is LinkedIn?
Linkedin is a social network aimed at professional relationships that can be used to find jobs, advertise vacancies, make partnerships, and network. LinkedIn is one of the best tools for those who want to create their resume online, develop their career, and have a prominent position in the job market.
With more than 800 million users, it is considered the largest professional social network in existence.
Like other social media, it enables interaction between members, and access is mainly free and intuitive. Not that you can’t keep professional contacts on other social networks, but LinkedIn is specifically geared towards this end.
Benefits of using LinkedIn
1. Networking
LinkedIn is an excellent tool for networking and exploring relationships with other professionals in your industry. The platform allows you to connect with these people and share your content with co-workers, potential employers, employees, customers, and even competitors.
In this way, you strengthen the bond with people close to you, increase your circle of contacts, meet new professionals and position yourself among the outstanding people in your area.
A search tool lets you search for profiles by name, but you can use filters that simplify the search, displaying mutual friends, location, or the company you work for. The platform uses a network of connections. It is possible to find out if the person has contacts in common with their profile, presenting each profile as a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-degree connection, which makes it easier when introducing yourself or asking for directions to some acquaintance.
Another feature that makes it easier to search for new connections is displaying the list of people who have recently viewed your profile. Whenever someone opens your page, you will be notified, and you will be able to access the profile back. If there is interest in the connection, this is an excellent way to start a conversation. Liking and sharing interesting content posted by LinkedIn influencers can also get your profile noticed by others.
2. Present your portfolio
LinkedIn allows you to register all your professional information in your profile to create a resume, showing your complete education, all the companies you have worked for, the positions you have held, and the attributions of each function.
Each experience can also be enhanced with media from work you’ve already done, such as texts, images, and links, creating a complete portfolio on your profile. In this way, recruiters and other professionals will be able to view your work without having to leave the social network.
In addition to the portfolio pieces, the profile should be filled with a good photo, a personalized background image, a title, and an objective summary, which catches the eye.
The tool also lets you customize the direct URL to your profile, making it easy for others to find your information. Publishing articles in the feed will also show your connections that you understand the subject and can guarantee a good reputation in the environment.
Adding extra courses and activities, such as speaking languages and volunteering, can be a great way to showcase other skills and experiences that make your profile stand out among other professionals.
3. Ask for recommendations
LinkedIn members can write recommendations about other people, attesting that that professional is qualified in a specific role or activity. These compliments are displayed on your profile to show that other people trust your work.
If you still don’t have any recommendations, you can ask friends to write references for you. To do so, open the profile of the desired person and click on “Request a recommendation,” being able to specify what you want to be recommended for.
5 TIPS FOR HAVING A STAND OUT PROFILE ON LINKEDIN
1. Upload a good profile picture
Just as a resume should be attractive and objective to recruiters, your profile should be too. So pay special attention to the profile picture. Put a good quality photo representing who you are and your profession.
For example, if you are a healthcare professional, post a photo wearing a lab coat; if your work area is legal, wear social clothes. Images like this can make an excellent first impression.
2. Work on your presentation
Below your name is the part for the impact phrase, and there you should put what you work with. But be creative! Think about your differential as a professional and what makes you unique in your field.
For example: “I bring flavor and tradition to your life,” taking into account that the professional works in the food industry.
3. Expose your goals and values
In the space to put something about yourself, take the opportunity to talk about your professional goals. Focus on what you most want for your build like a professional and not what you most want at the moment.
As soon as you outline your goals, please write a short text about them and how you are willing to achieve them. Ask yourself the following questions: Where do I want to be in 20 years? What achievements should I get to get there?
4. Explore your feed
The news feed is where you’ll find real-time updates about the job market and the people you’ve connected with through sharing articles and job opportunities.
Like on Facebook, you can interact with your contacts and react to their posts with likes and comments. Remember that there may be an excellent opportunity to be seen.
5. Know what to post
Linkedin is a public platform dedicated to professional matters, so be aware of what you post.
Suppose you think you are skilled in your job. In that case, you could create a thematic blog and share your posts within the group to stimulate conversation, or tell relevant professional experiences and ask others for their opinion, advice, and help.
Always remember that LinkedIn is a professional network, and post as appropriate. The idea is to turn your profile into a blog. If done well, your writings can become known among your connections, their connections, and so on, turning you into an “Influencer .”
- Be consistent and responsible; make sure that your publication does not infringe on human rights or the existence of anyone.
- Re-evaluate the spelling; proofread the text so it does not come out with spelling or typing errors.
- Don’t be extensive; write objectively.
- Use good quality images;
Why should I have a Linkedin?
Among the advantages of creating a profile on Linkedin, we highlight the high visibility for large companies, getting recommendations, and generating vacancies. On this platform, you will be able to be accessible to the whole world and thus connect with the company that is looking for someone with your profile!
Conclusion
Now you know what LinkedIn is and the primary information, and you can start the social network wisely to achieve your professional success.
And as we can see, LinkedIn is not a seven-headed animal. And it’s just a social network that should be taken a little more seriously. Do not forget any of the tips described here; you will indeed have a successful professional profile.
References and Further Reading
10 Tips to Standout a Linkedin Profile.
4 Tips to Make Your Linkedin Profile Stand Out.
A Simple Guide on How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out.
