In case you missed it: How to improve your LinkedIn profile from The Innovation Room at New England College of Business
The amount of care and attention you put into your LinkedIn profile says a lot to employers, who are using the network more and more as an initial screening tool, said Carla Patalano during Pimp Your Profile, a recent Innovation Room session put on by New England College of Business. With over 364 million users, it is more important than ever before to create a profile that stands out against the crowd and communicates your professional value.
As Professor and Program Chair of the New England College of Business Master of Business Administration and Master of Human Resource Management programs, Patalano delivered advice to professionals based on her expertise in both fields.
“LinkedIn has really changed the way we communicate in the business world, how we look for jobs and interact with one another around content,” Patalano said.
Patalano provided nine tips and tricks for creating a professional and aesthetically pleasing profile, which often provides human resource professionals with a first impression of an applicant’s online presence. She emphasized the importance of connecting with professionals in your personal network, and making sure your profile settings allow you to use the site to your advantage.
“[When screening an applicant,] the first thing I’m going to do is look on LinkedIn,” said Patalano. “What are you posting, and what does your picture look like?”
According to Patalano, once you’ve perfected your LinkedIn presence, you should begin driving people to your profile. Sharing relevant, interesting content will increase the amount of views your profile receives.
However, Carla warned users not to confuse content to be shared on Facebook with content for LinkedIn, since sharing unprofessional content could hurt your online reputation.
“Save the fun and games for Facebook,” she said.
Patalano wrapped up the session with a Q&A session, answering questions from both new and experienced LinkedIn users. For all the tips, be sure to watch the full video.
What tips do you find helpful when it comes to leveraging your LinkedIn profile? Share with us @NECBedu on Twitter, like and post on ourFacebook page or connect with us on LinkedIn!