In the first of a series on using social media and networking, High Finance Group shows you how to get the best out of your LinkedIn profile.
LinkedIn is an essential tool for many professionals, but getting the balance right on your profile can be hard, whether you are seeking a job or not. Putting your entire CV online can have downsides, while tempting prospective employers with a glimpse of achievements can be much more alluring.
Executive headhunters can also be put off by too complete a description of work and education history as it makes a person’s story available to everybody, whilst an overload of technical information will dilute your actual achievements.
“It is best to focus on outcomes and responsibilities,” advised Jason Sykes, Director at High Finance Group. “It is not just about getting a job, it is about reflecting your stature in the market. You can draw people in to want to know more about your expertise in an industry.”
His advice is to think strategically about how you want to be seen and focus on what you have achieved more than on where you have worked or the qualifications you have obtained. Using this formula will not only get you noticed, but will have people picking up the phone and wanting to know more.
Here are some handy tips on filling out your LinkedIn profile:
- The summary. Fill out your summary using a few key words you might be searched for such as Solvency II, Insurance, Reinsurance, Actuary, London Market, and Lloyd’s.
- Get the picture. Always post a profile picture because people want to know what you look like. Getting a professional picture taken is not a necessity, but might be a good investment.
- Edit away. Look back at your career and education history. Do you need to have all of it there. Less can be more.
- Reach out. Connect with your contacts on LinkedIn – it is a great way to keep in touch and stay in front of them in the long term.
- Update your status. Do this regularly so that your contacts remember you are there. Also take a critical eye over your profile every few months and see if you need to update or change it.
- Call me! If you are looking for a job, remember to put in a non work-related email address and/or a mobile number.
- Join groups. Join groups related to your sector and learn how to engage in them. You can make great contacts through these groups, which can expand your horizons.
- Check your company policy. Some companies do not allow employees to give or receive recommendations and some do not want you to keep your contacts visible.
- Add-ons. There are loads of excellent add-ons, so take the time to look at them and use some of the best.
- Settings. Look up your settings and get familiar with them. You can hide and show different parts of your profile to different audiences.
Click here to view High Finance roles currently on Cityjobs.com