When you are in the market for a new job, it is essential that you have a professional online profile that showcases your skills and experience and it is vital that it’s in good shape. This is because your professional profile is one of the first things that potential recruiters will research and look at.

There are various channels on which you can show your experience, skills, and expertise depending on your background and they include LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Click here for some more information on the various options and how best to present yourself.

Whatever channel you choose, you must make sure that you keep your professional life separate from your personal one!

In the corporate world, the best platform on which to showcase your experience and skills is LinkedIn. It is the go-to place online for most recruiters.

The following are some tips to make sure that your LinkedIn profile is fit for purpose...

Ensure your LinkedIn profile correlates with your CV

Make sure that everything on your profile, such as dates, companies worked for, roles, skills, and experience matches your CV.

You must ensure that if you update your CV, maybe with a new project you have worked on, that you also update your LinkedIn profile too.

Use a professional photo on your profile

A casual photo of you enjoying a drink in a pub may be fine for a personal online profile, but it’s not advisable to have it on your LinkedIn profile.

Your photo needs to have a clean background, and be of a good quality. Maybe consider using a professional photographer to take your headshot. Whatever photo you choose, ensure it is used consistently across all of your professional networks.

Do’s and don’ts of building a personal brand image on your profile

A good online profile can help you connect with people in your industry and area of expertise who will be able to assist you in your job search.

If you portray a professional and engaging personal brand image, it could get you noticed by future employers.

Do post:

• relevant professional content, such as articles you have come across, as it demonstrates you have current knowledge of your industry
• messages that show how you are always personally invested in your current company by retweeting your employer’s content. Recruiters will like that you are an ambassador for your company.

Don’t post:

• negative remarks about your current employer, as the likelihood is that they will find out
• sensitive information such as internal contracts or codes of conduct on your profile
• information on upcoming interviews or interview success when you are job searching. You don’t want your current employer to find out about your plans from your profile!

If you would like any more information on how to create a great professional profile on Linked, please get in touch with our consultants today.

Contact us on UK office +44 (0)1483 233 000 Or US office 646 889 1920