There is no doubt that social media is becoming an essential tool for professionals, not only for networking but for seeking new roles and highlighting your personal attributes and skill set. At the forefront of these social networks is LinkedIn.
Therefore, this article provides some top tips on how to get your LinkedIn profile noticed and ultimately gain new contracts in the process.
1. Your headline
Your headline is the key feature used to grab your reader’s attention, meaning you have 120 characters to showcase your skills and attributes. So to stand out from the crowd, make sure you keep it personalised.
There are two great ways to effectively tailor your headline. The first method is to showcase your skill set and target it directly to your audience.
“#1 Web Development Expert. Email me now and ask how I can help with your web projects.”
If you’d prefer to take a different angle, the second method is to state your values, similar to that of a personal statement on a CV.
“Enthusiastic, hardworking and dedicated individual with a passion for web design and development.”
2. Does your summary do you justice?
Don’t forget this is how recruiters get to know who you are, so make sure your summary packs a punch and portrays your personality.
The key points to include in your summary are your accomplishments and any keywords that are relevant within your industry and line of work.
However, as contracting can be competitive you want to make sure your summary helps you stand out, and here’s how…
-
Start you summary with something a little quirky. Below as an example of the perfect sentence to catch a reader’s attention and pull them further in…
-
Next start building your personal story, including a brief version of what you do. This is a far more interesting than the usual technique of simply listing your skill set.
-
Don’t waffle as content heavy summaries can be off-putting.
-
Don’t forget to add in a call to action such as “if you’d like to get in touch please email me at David.Smith@gmail.com ”.
-
Finally, conclude your summary with a list of your skills and specialties. This relays your competencies to your reader and guarantees that industry relevant keywords are included within your profile, which in turn helps it to rank higher when recruiters search for your skill set.
3. Validate your profile with recommendations
As with most things, people are more likely to trust the opinions of others rather that to purely take your word for it. That is why endorsements on LinkedIn are such a great feature as they validate your skill set and showcase your past experience and accomplishments.
The trick to getting endorsements is to simply reciprocate with your contacts. If you endorse your connections, they’re more likely to endorse you too!
Recommendations can be a great way to boost your profile’s credibility, however a simple “he did a good job” doesn’t really pack a punch. Personalised recommendations from colleagues and clients really help to validate your profile.
When working as a contractor you are required to seek new contracts on a regular basis so therefore it is crucial that tools such as LinkedIn are representing you by showcasing your skill set and helping you to stand out from fellow contractors. The top tips above are a great starting point to help build your LinkedIn profile into the perfect tool for seeking those new opportunities.
This article was provided by PayStream, a leading supplier of accountancy services to contractors and freelance workers.
Leave a Reply