When you first meet someone, the greeting often starts with a handshake and a smile. On LinkedIn, your profile picture is your “virtual handshake” and first impression. It is important to have a good quality image because you are actually seven times more likely to be found in a search if you have a profile picture!
In addition, your headline is also your “tagline” of who you are and where you are in your career. List your current position, what job/role you are seeking or your top skill and purpose. Lastly, you should be sure to use your Summary and Experience sections of your profile effectively. These are places to build on the story of your resume and showcase your interests.
2. Post regularly on LinkedIn
Just like Facebook and other social media platforms, the posts you make are where you show the world a window into your life. On LinkedIn, this is where you interact with others and show what you care about! But what makes for a good, professional post? It is ideal to post about your career victories, team or co-worker recognitions, workplace events, professional development, interesting articles and even fun trends. These updates build on your credibility and help build your brand as the type of associate and authentic person you are.
Follow pages that are relevant and interesting to you, and then you may come across posts that you can share with your followers. For example, some good accounts to follow might be: Goalcast, newspapers, Forbes and of course – Schneider’s company page and our Schneider Careers Group!
3. Network actively on LinkedIn
Now that you have a polished profile and some insightful posts to share, it’s time to build your brand further by growing your network! Be sure to connect with the people you’ve worked with and have met in your career. Not only will this grow the quality of your network, but the quality of your brand as well. Once you network with someone in the real world, the next step is to take that connection to the digital world.
Connect with your friends, family, co-workers, interviewers and others you have interacted with recently or in the past. Putting a custom invitation to each person is also an important way to add a personal touch and have better odds of them accepting it. It is always valuable to have access to people just a click away!
Lastly, to build on the online relationship, if you endorse some of the skills on their profile, they may just return the favor back and help build your profile skillset and expertise.
4. Keep growing
LinkedIn is a great tool to help grow your career and showcase who you are. When building your personal brand, always be sure to know yourself, be authentic, be confident, be consistent and evaluate your brand constantly.
