Quick guide to what makes a good LinkedIn profile.
I am often asked if I have a guide of what a “good” profile looks like, and I often send people towards our Profile test and our How good are you at using LinkedIn test as these should get you thinking.
If you wanted a quick guide your profile should have:
Professional Headshot: Having a professional headshot makes a great first impression and increases your chances of getting noticed. Head, shoulders, smile and look at the camera – ideally with a plain background.
Customized URL: Customizing your LinkedIn URL makes it more obvious that you know what you’re doing on LinkedIn! If you look at the web browser bar and that profile has a stream of seemingly random numbers and letters behind their name, then they don’t know what they’re doing on LinkedIn.
Compelling Headline: Your headline should summarise what you do, perhaps who you help, and importantly the difference that you make or the value you unlock for others.
Contact Details: Up to date set of contact details including email, phone number, relevant webpages (if you have them) and more.
About: Your summary of your personality, approach, outlook, beliefs, behaviours, and values – yep it is all about you – not your job.
Experience: Your experience section should highlight what you do in your role, the types of people you help, the problems you solve, and might also highlight relevant work experience, including job titles, responsibilities, and achievements.
Education: Include your educational background, degrees, and more.
Skills and Endorsements: List your skills and these can be visibly endorsed by your directly connected colleagues, friends, and peers.
Recommendations: Recommendations strengthen your credibility and provide social proof of your abilities and impact.
It should also be written in a conversational style (a bit like talking to someone over a desk), spellchecked, well-written, easy to read, and visually appealing.
Overall, a good LinkedIn personal profile should be the digital equivalent of meeting you, so if you cringe or flinch when someone says they have looked at your LinkedIn profile then you have some work to do!
10 May 2023
