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LinkedIn tips and tricks
LinkedIn is a necessary tool that has become synonymous with the type of job we do. Of course, when we all think about LinkedIn, we think about job hunting or getting headhunted. But it can be so much more than this. It is your window to the world which can always be viewed by all stakeholders – managers, colleagues, friends, family, clients, etc… It is your personal advertising billboard. So, to only invest time on it when you are on the hunt for a new job could mean taking a serious career risk. Your LinkedIn profile is an ever-evolving embodiment of your skills and experiences.
10 key steps
Increasingly employers are looking at your online presence to understand more about your potential as a new hire. Over two-thirds of hiring managers look at a candidate’s LinkedIn profile before making their decision. Having a LinkedIn profile that showcases your unique qualities may be the deciding factor in getting an interview.
In our experience, a stand-out LinkedIn profile has a powerful, attention-grabbing headline that really sums up your potential as a candidate. It includes your photo and uses storytelling elements to really engage a recruiter or hiring manager. Your LinkedIn profile can also be a valuable source of social proof, with past colleagues and managers able to recommend you and validate your skills on your profile.
To delve deeper into the ideal LinkedIn profile, we’ve crafted 10 key steps to creating a powerful LinkedIn Profile.
Our 10 step guide
Ask for Recommendations
Ok, so we are now on to the last of my Top Ten Tips.
At every conference when I run this session I ask people how many of you have decided/been influenced about what to buy based on a review you have read online?
Even to the smallest degree? Typically everyone says they have even a little bit.
I then ask if any of them know the person who wrote the review?
And yet you still made the decision to buy the item based upon the opinion of a stranger!
Strange huh, the power of other people’s views despite you knowing nothing about that person and what their likes and dislikes are and whether in fact they are the same as yours??
BUT that is the power of a review.
In fact, it is stated that 92% of consumers trust peer recommendations over advertising.
Consumers are smart. We are savvy and social, and we know what we want.
And this very same level of expectation is also now streaming into our working lives.
So, when I am looking to work with a potential client – I will go and check out their LinkedIn and take a read of their recommendations.
Of course, I will!
I want to know what others are saying about them, just as I’d expect them to do the same to me.
And this is what you must expect people are doing to you.
Every time you engage with someone in the workplace whether it’s a boss about that promotion you are eagerly awaiting, a colleague about the project you’re working on together, or a recruiter representing you for that dream job you’re applying for…
Whoever it may be, they will be seeking validation of your experience and strengths.
So, with that in mind, it is not hard to understand why LinkedIn recommendations are so important.
Despite how important they are, people find this one of the hardest.
I’ve explained who you might ask but then they might not know what to comment on or what you like them to review you on.
We have a secret…….TELL THEM!
It is flattering. People don’t mind being asked. I love it when people ask me as I feel honoured they’ve selected me. It’s also great PR for me to be honest.
We don’t share exact wording we simply ask for their comments about a piece of work or a role we placed them in or the job we recruited for them. When they send us the comments we sometimes finesse them slightly to make them flow but always keep the same message.