How to Use Linkedin Like a Pro in 2022 [Updated]

2- How to Create an All-Star LinkedIn Profile

Different people, including employers, use different ways to learn about you. They will only spend a few brief moments looking at your profile, so the first impressions really matter here. In this section, we’ll look at how to create a profile that makes an impact. According to LinkedIn:

Users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn.

# 1 Use a Professional Profile Picture

Based on the statistics, profiles with a picture are 14 times more likely to be viewed. They forget to mention, however, that mainly profiles with professional pictures get all this attention. A picture of you surfing on holiday or jogging will probably not do.

So, what picture should we include? First of all, your picture should be current. Also, your outfit should look professional. Cocktail dresses may look great, but it’s best to save them for Facebook or Instagram. A good headshot with a plain background that takes up no more than 60% of your avatar space may be your best choice.

# 2 Write a Concise but Loud Headline

Your headline is a short introduction, showing your network who you are, where you work and what you do. It should be concise as there is a strict limit of 120 characters. A good way to start is by making a list of keywords and phrases that represent you and what value you add to the organization. Then, you can combine these essential expressions into a clear-cut message that gives people an idea of who you are and what principles you advocate.

When editing your profile, you will need to add your current location and industry to improve your chances to be discovered by professionals in your area.

# 3 Write an Authentic Summary

Think of your summary as building on your headline, expanding it and telling your story in relaxed but businesslike manner. You have 2,000 characters to tell your audience about your strengths, qualifications, experience, and accomplishments.

You can also use this space to share your company values and mission. A good thing to do is to think of some industry keywords that will catch the eye of your target audience. Remember not to overwhelm your network with too many abbreviations or technical terms.

Image source: https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/linkedin-best-practices/2016/7-linkedin-profile-summaries-that-we-love-and-how-to-boost-your-own

# 4 Showcase Your Experience and Recommendations

These sections will help you to tell your story, communicate the value you brought to the table in your organization, as well as show the recognition you received for your contributions.

You will need to add one current position and two previous ones, but simply listing your current and previous roles won’t be enough! You need to make good use of the space, organizing the information into short paragraphs, preferably with a few bullet points (3-5 bullet points will do!). There is a minimum of 200 and a maximum of 2,000 characters that you can use, however you don’t have to use all of them, as long as you have described what you did in the role, what value and mission you served, and what difference you have made.

Bear in mind that if you are studying or don’t have a job at the moment, you still need to list your current position, as your profile won’t be ranked ‘all-star’. You could probably write that you are a student or open to opportunities in a certain field.

Image source: https://www.themuse.com/advice/why-you-should-update-linkedin-profile-any-career-stage

You could add some links to your work, website, or publications below to show your potential employers what you can do.

Another thing that may help you stand out and boost your profile is asking people for recommendations. You could reach out to your former coworkers or supervisors to write a short recommendation for you. You can write some peer recommendations for them in return.

Image source: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/write-linkedin-recommendation

# 5 Highlight Your Skills, Endorsements and Interests

To achieve the cherished ‘all-star’ profile status you need to include at least 5 relevant skills. By that, we mean the skills that are relevant to your role or the job you are looking for. Magic tricks, party jokes and fire breathing may be listed as skills, but seriously, are they applicable to your career goals and aspirations?

If you don’t have the Skills section, you may need to add it yourself. You’ll need to go to your profile summary at the very top of your profile, click View More, find the Skills & Endorsements section and click Add Skill button. There you go! You can start adding your skills!

You may be wondering why it’s important to add the skills. LinkedIn uses special algorithms to rank your profile based on your experience and skills when you are applying for a job. Employers usually list the skills they are searching in the job description. You can also check how you match for the role and what skills you need to add to improve your chances.

Image source: https://www.zipjob.com/blog/linkedin-skills-right-skills/

Don’t forget to take LinkedIn skill quizzes to earn skill badges and enable endorsements for the skills in your profile settings!

You can endorse people you know for their skills and ask for endorsements in return. This will show your potential employers that you have been recognized for your skills by other professionals, as well as help you to build your network on LinkedIn. Adding your interests will also help you to discover people of a similar mindset and connect with them. Read on to find out about the importance of expanding your network on LinkedIn.

Would you like to learn more tips about optimizing your Linkedin profile to increase your chance to get hired?

Michael Palmer, Talent Acquisition at Canfor, is sharing years of his experience with you!

3- Tips for Expanding Your Network Through LinkedIn

#1 Invite People to Connect

You can start by connecting with the people you already know but probably haven’t spoken to in a while. You can send them a personal message asking them how they are doing. Another way to reach out to people is by engaging with the content they are posting. So, it’s a good idea to like and comment on their posts!

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. –

Dale Carnegie

American writer and author

You can also react to posts of users you don’t know and invite them to connect but remember to send a personal invite accompanied by a short message saying why you’d like to connect or what you thought was inspiring about their profiles. It will take a few quick seconds to customize the invite, but it will make a HUGE difference. Don’t forget to check in with your connections and follow up on messages. It’s important to maintain relationships with the people in your network.

#2 Join Groups

Think about your interests and join some groups based on what you gravitate to. Join the conversations in the groups, invite the group members to connect and accept their connection requests to keep the communication going.

#3 Share Posts with Tags and Hashtags

A great way to get people to connect with you is by sharing engaging content such as articles, achievements, videos, and tag your connections. Perhaps you did an online course via LinkedIn, so you could post your certificate of achievement along with a thank-you message and tag the workshop facilitators or providers.

You can also use hashtags with some keywords. There are lots of default hashtags, but you can also create your own. This will attract likeminded people to your profile, who could be potentially added to your network.

Image source: https://www.jobscan.co/linkedin-profile-writing-guide

For more tips, visual examples and advice reach out to our co-op department or our international team to find out more about how to stand out as a candidate in the Canadian job market.

5- Pros and Cons of LinkedIn Premium

You may be wondering what additional features are out there to advance you even further in your job search and if they are worth the extra fees. We have it all explained for you.

A basic free LinkedIn account already has a lot to offer: you can add connections, give and ask for recommendations, search for jobs, and set up job alerts.

For an additional premium account fee of 50$ you can unlock 4 additional features:

• you can see who has viewed your profile
• your full profile will be open to all users to initiate more conversations
• you can get unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning
• you can send up to 15 direct InMail messages to people

Well, the Premium account doesn’t come cheap, but it may be worthwhile if you’re actively searching for a job. Anyway, you get a one-month free trial, and you can always change your mind and unsubscribe, so why not?

Things to Remember

• A stellar LinkedIn profile can unlock irresistible job opportunities and help you to stay current
• LinkedIn is the biggest professional network with over 700 million users you can connect with
• An ‘all-star’ LinkedIn profile can attract numerous potential employers
• By building your professional network, you can boost your chances of getting hired
• There are many ways to search for people and companies. Don’t forget the filters!
• Is LinkedIn Premium worth it? Try it out for a month for free and see. You can always quit!

You’re all set to unlock the amazing opportunities LinkedIn has to offer! For more help and support reach out to us on our social media channels: