5 Ways to Make Your LinkedIn Pro�le Irresistible

Nando RodriguezHead of Employment Branding & Sr. Social Media Recruiter

March 2013

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If the keywords you’re using include: ninja, guru, maven, maverick or if your headline title is —“I’m the Bat Girl of social CRM” you are doing yourself and the Justice League a massive injustice. I don’t like taking you away from crime fighting to do social media for our clients.

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Search Engine Optimization is a key element on LinkedIn; if I can’t find you, I can’t hire you. Your profile on LinkedIn should be a snapshot of your background—that’s why it’s called your LinkedIn profile, not LinkedIn novella. And it’s those keywords that’ll make you pop up in my search when I’m looking for someone with specific social skills. If you’re a master at community management or social crisis reputation manager and you don’t highlight that in your profile, you aren’t showing up in my results–or anyone else’s for that matter. Those keywords—that you want to be known for, should be organically scattered throughout your profile.

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If you link to twitter or a portfolio website, make sure they are aligned with your professional practices highlighted on your profile.

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What’ your personal brand? Are you an expert in social? What about a professional social media content producer? Every time you turn up on someone’s radar, your headline or personal tag line goes along for the ride. And it’s because of that you should make sure your profile, resume and yourself align. There shouldn’t be a huge disconnect between the three because it will become apparent when I reach out and get you on the phone, only to discover in the first five minutes that your online personal brand and your “in-person” brand are not one and the same. Who do you want to be seen as: a leader, an expert, a worker bee?

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Another part of your story is your connections. Are you connected with experts in the industry, business leaders, or just friends? Be mindful of your connections and be proactive when it comes to connecting, don’t just wait for someone to reach out to you. Connecting to the right people will allow you professional insights, knowledge and the expertise to help you be better at your job.

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Connect the dots for me. I love when someone’s profile shows the progression of how they got to where they’re at in a snapshot. I immediately see someone’s strategic storytelling capabilities when I quickly see how they went from point A to point Z according to their skills, expertise and their background. If you’re looking for a new job and no one is reaching out to you, start to edit your profile on a weekly basis until you’ve got a winning story.

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Your LinkedIn photo shouldn’t make us want to send you to rehab or a mental clinic for an evaluation. Make sure your photo isn't blurry. Avoid flashy clothing, jewelry, hats, or sunglasses.

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It’s the social age, and by that I mean, you’re seen as archaic if your profile is missing a photo. To me, it means you haven’t embraced 2013 just yet. But what’s worse than no photo on a profile is one that doesn’t represent your best business judgment. When it comes to your LinkedIn photo, you want to put your best foot forward, and if your professional profile photo consists of you holding a beer, taking shots at parties surrounded by hotties, or a dog licking your face surrounded by your family at the Grand Canyon, it just doesn’t comes across as a business leader that I want to present to my hiring managers. LinkedIn is a professional community, and it’s your shot to make a first impression that we can trust you to interface with our clients. The photo you choose sends a strong message.

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Having a personal Linked In URL adds polish to your professional status. Don't just copy and paste the URL of your profile, because it's full of unnecessary characters. Instead, use your unique link to share your profile, which uses your name. Everyone has a personal link—look for it next to your contact info.

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If you’re applying for a social media job and you send me your LinkedIn profile URL and it’s something like “http://linkedin.com/in/memeber1234xxxxxx-blahblah-444-PP1-d0du-Idon’tgetsocialmediaatall” instead of “http://linkedin.com/in/yourfullname” it tells me that you haven’t taken that extra step to align your brand. Make sure any online profiles that a recruiter has access to tells the same story which is you maintaining a professional presence and showcasing your expertise.

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