If you already have an account or are about to decide to create one, check out these valuable tips and learn what to do to take care of your personal branding.
1. Fill in everything you can
Don't ignore the categories where you can enter information that enriches you as a potential employee. Show off your projects, volunteer work, or publications of various texts. Add every little thing, even the smallest detail, that can make you a more interesting and unique person. A profile can be compared to your application that you submit when applying for a given position. You can therefore take advantage of these options and provide employers with sources of information about yourself.
2. Join an industry group
Each of us is looking for work in a specific profession. It's good to be active in groups whose members are specialists from your chosen industry. Your comments can interest others and make you be perceived as a professional who knows their job. Let yourself be known as a competent person with whom one can hold a valuable discussion.
3. Link to your electronic CV
It's a good idea to create your CV in electronic form as well. This way, potential employers can quickly and easily review your experience or completed projects. You can add photos and graphics to an electronic CV. This is one of its greatest advantages. If you are a person who produces various types of content, be sure to prove your talent. You don't have to describe what you did – you can simply show it!
4. Take care of professional photos
Even though your photo with your beloved pet looks adorable, it's better not to add it as your profile picture. We are visual creatures, and so are recruiters. If they see your funny photo, which unfortunately doesn't present you in the best light, your chance of landing a responsible job will instantly decrease. The photo should be clear, taken by someone who knows what they're doing. It's not about adding a photo in a white shirt and suit jacket, although if the seriousness of the position requires it, it's certainly worth it. Most importantly, the photo should say about us: "this is a professional who knows their job."
5. Write a professional summary
A professional summary on LinkedIn will certainly be one of the first things a person visiting your profile will pay attention to. That's why it's good if this field is filled in properly. This is where we should enter our most valuable experience and skills. A professional summary is a kind of business card and an invitation to get to know us better. It doesn't have to be long – quite the opposite, the more concise, the better.
6. Ask for skill endorsements
References are very valuable, so ask your colleagues from work, supervisors, and all the people you've worked with to endorse your skills. Start by entering all those competencies that are truly important and connected to your professional life. Thanks to them, an employer interested in working with you will see that the listed skills aren't just empty words. In this case, focus on quality, not quantity. An endless list of your skills won't look good — it will only raise suspicion. We aren't the best at everything, and thank goodness for that!
In the job market, every candidate wants to stand out from the rest. A well-filled-out account on a professional portal can be one of those distinguishing factors. If you know that your profile isn't a showcase and still needs a lot of work, don't wait! Take action!
Terms from the article
CV — Computer Vision. A field of AI that enables the analysis of images and video. CV systems can recognize objects, text, scenes, faces, image quality, and generate descriptions of visual materials.
Why it matters: It allows a machine to see what's in a photo: a product, face, text, logo. In an editorial office, it speeds up describing, tagging, and selecting thousands of photos.
When it's used: For automatic image descriptions (ALT), graphic moderation, logo recognition, and organizing archives.
What happens if you skip it: Without computer vision, every graphic is described and cataloged by a human — a photo archive without descriptions is practically unsearchable.
