Optimize your LinkedIn profile in 10 simple steps:

Why should you consider optimising your LinkedIn profile? 

• LinkedIn is the best social networking platform that focuses on business and employment, and therefore you should focus on improving it.  
• Optimising your LinkedIn profile will make you more visible to prospective employers and appear more in search results. 
• Your profile will look professional and reflect your personality, meaning visitors will see you as an expert. 
• You can get more connections, get more contact requests, and expand your network. 
• Recruiters will most likely find you, your opportunities will increase, and you will get more job offers or clients.  

How do I optimise your LinkedIn profile?  

To do that, simply follow the ten steps below: 

1 - Pick the right profile photo: Choosing the right profile picture looks easy, but most people do not know how to do it correctly. Those are some important tips:

• Choose a real and recent picture of yourself, and do not include other people with you.
• Your full face should be easy to see, and try to keep a little distance from the camera.
• Wear professional clothing and give the right impression.  
• Use a high-resolution picture and crop it correctly.  

2 - Choose a suitable background photo: Make sure you pick a cover picture that is related to your business or your profession. Do not forget that the ideal resolution of a LinkedIn cover is 1584 by 396 pixels. 

3 - LinkedIn profile headline the “about” part: this is an especially important part you should not miss. Why? It affects how all profile visitors, recruiters, and potential employers see you, and your LinkedIn profile headline shows up in Google search results. Consider briefly describing your skills, and make sure to show your passion and motivation. Write your most important accomplishment first and keep it short and concrete because only the first two lines will be visible. 

4 - Customize your LinkedIn URL: the default profile URL is usually followed by random letters and numbers, and it looks inconvenient when you copy and paste it. You can easily go to "View Profile", to the up-right klick on "Edit public profile & URL" and personalize it for your profile.  

5 - Licenses & certifications: Add your current certificates, keep learning and get new certifications from courses and academies that are relevant to your profession and add them to your profile. Do not forget to update and renew the expired ones.  

6 - Add your skills & endorsements: LinkedIn recommends you add at least five skills to your profile to increase your profile views and trust. 

7 - Request recommendations: It helps to improve your profile, and it is great social proof. Recommendations are personal, so simply ask to get them from your ex-colleagues or previous employers.  

8 - Interests section: Sharing interests is a very good way to build communication, especially if they are relevant to the job that you are searching for. Having mutual interests with people you are or will work with is always good.  

9 - Follow relevant influencers in your industry: This will help you get useful content and share it with your network. Also, it will help you to keep updated about the latest trends in your industry. 

10 - Build your network and stay active: Lastly, it is always about contacts and relationships when it comes to finding a new opportunity. That is why you need to stay active, like, comment, share and connect with new people to grow your network.

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