The Power of LinkedIn cannot be underestimated. Ensuring you stand out for all the right reasons is key to impressing potential employers from the start. We have determined four easy, key tips that will help your LinkedIn profile stand out in a crowd.

1. Make Your Visuals Professional

It’s not a new idea when someone says a picture speaks a thousand words. You have two key images on a LinkedIn profile, your profile picture and your background photo. For your profile picture, opt for a photo that clearly shows your face with a plain background to show you are on there to connect professionally. Your background photo gives visitors to your profile an initial example of who you are and what your profile is about. It is common to see a company logo, an inspiring quote or image that relates to your profession. You can create your own background photo using a graphics design platform like Canva, to design a customer header and showcase something that represents you.

2. The Importance of Your Summary

The summary section of a LinkedIn profile can be seen as a hurdle. The summary is where you can introduce yourself, sell yourself and set your objectives, something people frequently find difficult to do. Your summary should showcase your personality. This is your first written impression to a potential employer so what you choose to include in the summary showcases what is most important to you. Think about including what experiences you valued the most, why you are interested in the field you specialise in and what skill you excel the most in. A 40-word maximum for the summary has been suggested by Business Insider so short and sweet is the way to go to impress employers. Alternatively, companies have identified this struggle with writing LinkedIn summaries and create personalised templates to help.

3. Make it Personal

Although the primary focus of your LinkedIn profile should be your professional and academic achievements, don’t forget to make it personal and talk about your passions! Employers use LinkedIn to find well-suited candidates to their company and brand. If you have participated in a sport, volunteered within a community or worked on a project, include it in your profile. These experiences show test-drive passion and commitment to what you love. It is also worth considering that a recruiter may have participated in the same activity so that personal connection may be the difference of being contacted for a position or not.

4. Showcase Your Skills

When it comes to determining what skills you have gained in a role, it can be hard to single them out. LinkedIn highlighted the most in-demand skills in 2020. In-demand skills include creativity, collaboration and business analysis. If you can identify any of the skills on the list or any other skills in your experiences, there is a section at the bottom of LinkedIn profiles where they can be added. Your network is able to endorse you for skills, showing employers you have exampled a skill in previous roles. Having a strong skills section can be a quick way for employers to see if you are a fit for the challenges that will come with a position in their company so always be sure to fill this section out.

Although all these tips will certainly help shape your LinkedIn profile, you are ultimately the most important element! Showcasing all of your achievements in your professional and personal life will draw in the right employer. Make your profile feel personal and embrace the idea of being found through social media.