You're Not Using LinkedIn Effectively

The goal of this newsletter edition is to showcase different ways you can leverage LinkedIn for getting jobs, growing your personal brand, or getting clients for your business.

You guys know I'm all about helping you thrive in the corporate world, and today we're diving into the often overlooked, yet incredibly powerful platform: LinkedIn. It's not just a digital resume, but a network of professionals, a place to showcase your expertise, and a powerful tool for career growth.

Last week, we talked about how your resume might not be the problem when it comes to getting interviews. But what if you could do more than just send out applications? What if you could proactively reach out to recruiters, build your personal brand, and make yourself visible to the right people?

This week, we're focusing on LinkedIn. Here's what you need to know:

Beyond the Basics: How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out

Remember, your LinkedIn profile is like a billboard. It's the first impression you make on recruiters, potential clients, and other professionals. Here's how to level up your profile and make it work for you:

1. Picture Perfect:

• Smile, You're on Camera: Your serious profile pic might make you look powerful, but a smiling one will make you look approachable and friendly - something recruiters are looking for. Take a look at your own LinkedIn profile photo, are you smiling? Do you look friendly?
• Invest in AI Headshots: Don't feel confident with your own photography skills? Try Studioshot.ai - a company that can turn your selfies into professional headshots for a reasonable price. (This isn't an ad, I've used them before and I was really pleased with the results)

2. Headline Power:

• Tell Them What You Do, For Whom: Craft a headline that describes the problem you solve and who you solve it for. Here's an example from a project manager's LinkedIn profile: “I manage high stakes projects for Medical Device companies with fervor” That’s clear, concise, and impactful! I love seeing headlines that use the format: I do 'X' for 'Y' using 'Z'.

3. The "About" Section: Your Story Matters

• Tell a Compelling Narrative: Instead of listing your credentials, share a story. Think about your career journey, a challenge you overcame, or a moment where you felt your passion ignited. People want to connect with the human behind the professional. Read my About Me section for inspiration. You'll notice at the very beginning I introduce a challenge/struggle that I was able to overcome. This tells people I'm strong, disciplined, resilient, and motivated.
• Use the "Areas of Expertise" Section Strategically: If you’re looking to be found for specific skills (like project management), make sure to include those terms in your skills section – it's searchable!

4. Go Visual:

• Embrace Photos and Videos: Don't just rely on text. Use visuals to break up the monotony of your profile. In your experience section, add photos of you at work, company logos, or even just relevant images from Google to add visual interest. I RARELY see people leveraging this feature but it really makes a profile stand out. Again, look at the experience section of my profile for inspiration. Most of those photos were taken from Google.
• Create a Custom Banner: Think of your banner as a giant billboard on your profile. Make it visually appealing and use it to highlight your expertise, passions, or key values. Canva.com has really gorgeous banner templates and you can make one in 10 minutes for free. Here is a tutorial I made.

5. Build Your Network

• Connect with People Every Day: The more connections you have, the more visible you become.
• Make It a Habit: Aim to connect with two people per day.
• Don’t Be Afraid to Reach Out: Don’t just wait for people to connect with you. Find people who work in your field, in companies you'd like to work for, or even people who share your interests.
• Be Personable: When you send a connection request, add a personalized note.

6. Harness the Power of Recommendations

• The Google Reviews of Your Career: Think of recommendations as the "Google Reviews" of your career. They show potential employers that you are a valuable and trusted professional.
• Reach Out to Former Colleagues and Mentors: Ask a few people who know your work for a recommendation. It can be as simple as saying, "Hey, I'm working on my LinkedIn profile. Would you be willing to write a recommendation for me?”
• Provide Recommendations Yourself: You can build your network and show your willingness to help others by writing recommendations for your colleagues and connections.

7. Go Beyond Posting: The Power of Comments

• Engage and Be Seen: While posting is great, commenting on other people's posts is a powerful way to get noticed.
• Show Your Knowledge and Insights: Offer thoughtful and valuable comments that add to the discussion.
• Aim for 10 Comments a Day: It might sound like a lot, but it's a great way to build your visibility and engage with your network. THIS is how you grow on LinkedIn, as you can clearly see by my analytics below (past 365 days)

8. Don’t Forget the Details

• Show Off Your Skills: List your skills and make sure they are relevant to the roles you're looking for.
• Add Your Certifications: Use your "Education" section to list your certifications, even if you don't have a college degree.
• Show Your Experience: Make sure your experience section is detailed and quantifies your impact. Instead of saying, "Distributed management toolkits," say "Distributed management toolkits to 500 managers across 10 departments."

9. Featured Section: Show Off Your Best Work

• Make It Count: This section is your chance to highlight your best work.
• Showcase Your Success: Create a LinkedIn post about a project where you made a significant impact for a company.
• Add a Link to Your Project Portfolio: This is a great place to showcase your work in a more visual way than just a resume. If you want to see my project portfolio, here is a little video tour I made. If you want an in-depth tutorial in Canva on how to make one for free, watch this video.
• Don't Be Afraid to Be Bold: If you have a portfolio or a project that you're especially proud of, use the featured section to bring it front and center. Broken record: look at my profile for an example of a Featured Section. Almost nobody is using this feature, but it's also like a billboard.

10. Consider LinkedIn Premium (But Don’t Let It Scare You!)

• The Perks of Premium: Premium gives you access to extra features, like InMail credits and the ability to message people outside your immediate network.
• Network Strategically: If you're actively job searching and you plan to reach out to many people on LinkedIn, premium can be beneficial.
• Free Trial: Many students have access to a free trial of Premium. I've also heard of people signing up for 1 month of premium, then canceling, then receiving an email from LinkedIn offering 1 year free. Try that and let me know if it works.

Ready to Learn More?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or you’re ready to dive deeper into these strategies, join my private mentorship group, Career Catalyst. I’m passionate about helping ambitious professionals like you achieve their career goals.

In Career Catalyst, you'll get:

• Proven Job Search Strategies: Learn how to stand out from the crowd and wow recruiters in 60 days or less.
• Personal Brand Mastery: Leverage social media and AI to build your online presence and 2x your income.
• Live Q&A with Industry Experts: Connect with top recruiters, coaches, authors, business owners, and influencers on our weekly Thursday Zoom calls.
• Tons of Customized Resources: Access our growing library of on-demand courses, templates, and tools tailored to your career growth needs.

Ready to Level Up Your LinkedIn and Your Career?

Click here to learn more about Career Catalyst and join our community of ambitious professionals. When you click on that link, you'll be taken to an About page where you can see videos and pictures showing what the inside view of the community is like.

I'm here to help you every step of the way!

-Alli