Last year it was announced that Microsoft was about to purchase LinkedIn for $26 billion. The deal was confimed and processed in December last year.
In December Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced how excited he was to start the journey to bring together, “ the world’s leading professional cloud and the world’s leading professional network”.
Microsoft’s documented goal is to accelerate LinkedIn’s growth by ‘adding value’ for every LinkedIn member.
You only need to look at the current LinkedIn platform to appreciate that Microsoft is having an impact already.
The interface has changed drastically over the last few months as a new profile was rolled out at speed (a classic Microsoft tactic).
Somethings haven’t changed
Even though massive change is afoot on the LinkedIn platform your profile alongside your CV is still your own important ‘marketing’ collateral, branding you as a ‘must’ recruit employee.
With the ongoing input from Microsoft, this is only likely to improve your chances of being found online when both organisations and search consultants are looking for you and the skills you can bring.
Have you ever Googled your own name; what comes up ?
Depending on how active you are online or if you share your name with a celebrity you will notice that your LinkedIn profile will appear on page one of Google when anyone completes a search using your name.
It’s the same on LinkedIn too.
Therefore unlike your CV stored neatly on your hard drive ready to be tweaked, your LinkedIn profile is on display constantly; does it communicate what you want people to know ?
If the answer is, “I’m not sure!” then here are the key elements to review/change.
Your picture
According to the LinkedIn blog profiles that have a professional headshot get 14 x more profile views.
Logo’s and the ‘grey face’ signifying no picture, are a definite no no.
A professional headshot is the order of the day. Save the fun or pouting selfies or a cropped picture from your best friends wedding for something else.
Apologies if this comes across as stuffy and here is the thing; LinkedIn is a professional business network, not Facebook or Tinder!
Though you might be proud of your six pack peaking through your tight white tee shirt or the latest pair of Jimmy Choo shoes you purchased, they won’t impress a potential new employer. In fact, unfortunately, they can have the opposite effect.
Human beings are fascinating. Visual impact is huge to the point where people look at an image and can imagine or not someone working /fitting in to their organisation.
Dress code can be flexible though we always suggest air on the side of dressing up rather than down.
Oh, and smiling is an idea too!
With the camera capability we all have on our smart phones, there really is no excuse for a poor profile image. Look straight into the camera and ideally have a photograph that includes your head and neck.
Eye contact is vital when it comes to making an impression, and that includes on photographs too.
I recently went on a photography course that was related to taking great portraits. My head was ringing by the end of the day as the instructer kept saying, “it’s all about the eyes!”
By the end of the day, I realised how right she was.
Fill it out in full
Logical, though not something that everyone does.
The LinkedIn profile has multiple elements you can use to create your own ‘personal’ brand.
From the ability to ‘summarise’ how you solve problems for clients, to uploading videos and powerpoints highlighting the latest projects you have been involved with, and your accomplishments; LinkedIn gives you everything you need.
Your headline
At Resource on Demand, we work with many digital marketing experts and they all comment on the power of a headline. After your photograph, it is one of the first things that peope will see. Make sure it communicates the value you bring.
Potential new employers are looking for the solutions you will bring to their organisation. Below you can see how this works on Lee’s profile.
If you are a candidate or client, this headline is going to make you curious to find out more,especially as Lee has added his track record spanning over 18 years.
How could you use this style to make an impact?
Your contact details
On the new LinkedIn profile, you will notice your contact details appear on the righthand side. Make them as full as possible, so there are multiple ways to connect with you. From your mobile number to your social media profiles.
Your summary
Something many people miss is the ability to tap into the power of the summary section. Here you can profile your expertise by highlighting how you help solve problems for clients.
Your accomplisments
As a specialist cloud recruiter, we are fascinated that many candidates we speak to have a string of accomplishments that they never share on their profile. In case you were wondering what you can add, here is a small selection.
Ready to get going?
Resource On Demand (ROD) is Europe’s first specialist Salesforce Recruitment Agency. They were founded in 2007 and are highly respected across the entire Salesforce ecosystem.
Their specialist areas of recruitment include; Salesforce (SFDC); digital marketing and marketing automation technologies, which include Eloqua, Marketo, ExactTarget and Pardot; Human Capital Management (HCM) technologies such as Workday and SAP HCM and SuccessFactors.
For more information contact ROD on rod@resourceondemand.com or on 020 8123 7769.