As with any web or productivity application, LinkedIn is always upgrading their service offering. Do you keep pace with these improvements? Do you know how to maximize your LinkedIn profile? Do you use all the bells and whistles available today? I suspect not. Few do.
The world doesn’t stay still anymore. We are not in a stagnant environment. You need to constantly enrich and engage. The end of the year is an ideal time to refresh your LinkedIn profile.
To start, think back on what you’ve accomplished during the last 12 months. Have you driven success? Have you gained recognition within your own industry? Have you captured any new awards? Have you appeared on TV, radio, podcasts, or YouTube? If so, now is the time to broadcast these happenings on your unique LinkedIn profile.
Blogging, vlogging and podcasting are in, and excellent platforms for you to use in delivering content and messages. You can now embed rich media into your LinkedIn profile and blog posts, including SoundCloud podcast files, YouTube videos, and SlideShare presentations.
Think deep. We all have something to say and portray. Be original. Be unique. Be enticing. If you manage your career correctly, 2015 was a year when you added to your skill set with continuing education and new experiences. Have you told the 400 million people on LinkedIn about your skills and talents?
Add some flair and engagement to your profile by rearranging the order of the sections, and better still, update your profile photo (just be sure to do the same on each of your web platforms).
LinkedIn is a two-way street, where you can advance your personal brand and portray your collaboration, team spirit, and leadership skills by writing recommendations for colleagues, vendors or customers. There is no better way to acknowledge others than by writing a LinkedIn recommendation. This gesture speaks volumes about your ability to see beyond your own career vision.
One of the simplest and most effective LinkedIn profile upgrades is customizing your LinkedIn URL. I’m astounded at the number of people who still haven’t taken this step, which instantly provides a 300% uplift in search engine optimization.
As the year ends, updating your resume and LinkedIn profile should be an automatic action. Refreshing your LinkedIn profile is not an onerous task, but it is a necessary one if you want to stay above the competition. Are you ready for the 2016 career race?
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