11 tips til å forbedre LinkedIn profilen din

Are you ready to take your career to the next level? LinkedIn is one of the best tools for doing just that. But with over 400 million users, you have to do a little to stand out.

Now, before we go into depth on how to become a Linkedin superstar, you may want to change the settings to hide activity updates: Depending on what and how much you change: the network – ie your current employer – does not need to see or get an alert for all the things you do, like and share on the site. (If you have a big change that you want the world to see, you can always change the settings back for the current event.)

1. Stay UP-TO-DATE

Have an updated LinkedIn profile at all times, not just when looking for a job. You never know who is sitting on your dream job looking for people like you.

2. Smiiiil!

Your profile is seven times more likely to get views if you have a photo. Show some personality, but try to stay professional. Ask a friend with a good camera to take the picture – do not rely on iPhone pictures unless it is very good quality. Be sure to update the image from time to time so that you look like the image, and interviewers will be able to recognize you.

3. Be personal

For your professional headline, you have 120 characters to summarize who you are. This is a great place to be creative: Share that you have traveled the world or good with words, and use industry keywords if possible. If you do not edit the headline, it will be your last job title, which may not give you maximum exposure. Also, make sure you check your headline when adding a new job because it can be reset.

4. Make it easy to get in touch

If you want to encourage people (who are not related to you) to get in touch – just put a call to action by your email, website, or phone number in the summary box.

5. Show what you are good at

Your achievements should shine throughout the profile. Explain your role in leading projects, managing people, and achieving goals – reinforced with numbers, where you can. Be clear, focused and do not take any detours: You must be able to summarize your achievements and experience in a few sentences.

6. Show your English skills

Show how international you are by proving that you have good language skills. For example, you can take EF’s simple and free online English test, the EFSET ,  and have your score certified directly on your Linkedin profile.

7. Give and receive recommendations

Recommendations are like references and easy to get on Linkedin: Reach out to colleagues, former supervisors or current managers, and ask them to share their insights on your work and your best qualities – and be sure to reciprocate the service

8. Join groups and follow people

Do not just connect with people you already know – join groups or follow “influencers” and learn from others outside your network. You can join as many groups as you want – that way you can engage and communicate with the members and make new connections. If you want to take Linkedin activities to an even higher level, why not start your own group and show the world that you are an expert in a particular field?

9. Customize your URL

Akkurat nå kan Linkedin URLen din se omtrent slik ut: linkedin.com/in/firstname-lastname-a821191a. Ingen husker det, ikke sant? Heldigvis lar Linkedin deg tilpasse din URL, slik at du kan bli kvitt tallene og legge til ditt yrke, kjede eller hva det måtte være for å vise frem din profesjonelle personlighet. (Sørg for å oppdatere den nye nettadressen på alle dine nettsteder, visittkort og andre sosiale medie nettverk.)

10. Personaliser Header bildet ditt

Tilpass ditt “header image” for å legge litt personlighet til din profil: Det finnes lagrede bilder du kan bruke, men det beste er hvis du kan lage ditt eget bilde (JPG, GIF eller PNG, ikke større enn 4MB og mellom 1000 × 425 og 4000 × 4000 piksler). Du kan se på andres overskrifter for å bli inspirert, men noe i tråd med merkevaren, selskapet eller personligheten din vil fungere best. Oh, og sørg for at det er noe faglig som du ønsker din fremtidige arbeidsgiver å se.

11. Rens opp i profilen

You probably set up your Linkedin profile several years ago, and just keep adding skills, experience, groups, connections or other things. In that case, it’s probably time for a cleanup. Make sure your profile is focused, clear and concise. Show your skills and experience that are relevant to your career goals: Knowing Microsoft Word or being good on the internet will not make you stand out, and it is seen as a skill you must know for most jobs. In the same way, summer jobs that you had 10 years ago are no longer relevant. Remove groups or remove connections that are no longer interesting or useful.