Is your LinkedIn profile complete?

LinkedIn - the moment we hear this phrase, a professional site’s image appears before us.  LinkedIn has captured the attention of millions of professionals around the globe. With the popularity of LinkedIn it’s quite certain that most of the professionals out there are trying their best to get their profiles visible on this site.

But do we know how visibility works here?

By setting up your profile accurately and completely, you can improve your chances of being noticed. You might say “I am not actively looking for a change, so why should I be bothered about it” .Well let’s get out of this mode and think differently for a second. Even if you are not actively searching for a job, you can use your profile to showcase your skills and expertise, to keep in touch in a professional setting, with past and present colleagues, to learn and develop your knowledge base, to follow your dream company etc. You never know when the next opportunity will knock at your door. Also, by doing this, you are helping companies find experts like you, and this helps you stay connected and competitive.

Following are some of the points that would help you to make your LinkedIn profile "COMPLETE"

 1)  Mention your Full Name in the profile.

Shortened versions of a name are great, but in the vast space of LinkedIn, where millions of users exist, to search with short name is a challenge. The full name, with initials, is a great way to start for a “complete profile”

 2) Don't forget to add a professional profile photo.

Always remember, LinkedIn is NOT “Facebook”. You cannot afford  have your Facebook Profile photo on LinkedIn just because at the end of the day it’s your “professional network”. Some might argue that they can have any photo they like. on LinkedIn. My only answer to that would be “then you are not trying to have a professional network”. A good, decent professional looking profile picture is a definite requirement.

 3) Always mention your Complete Education and Employment Details.

This is one area that is very important in terms of what information the outside world looks for in your profile. I know in the professional world, higher qualifications hold more value but that does not mean that we hide our primary education details. Many a times I have noticed that professionals only mention their highest qualification details and often skip their primary education information. Your early education details are equally important and deserve to be mentioned in your profile.

Coming down to Employment details, we will use the same concept as above. As much as current employment details are important, your previous employment history is equally relevant. It makes good sense when someone goes through your profile and understands right from beginning , where you studied, where you did your internship at and in which companies you've been employed by. It’s also important that you state your roles and responsibilities in detail. Again, this is your chance to make your presence felt by entering comprehensive information about your professional life.

 4) Professional Headline (Recommended)

There is no harm in self-branding. All you need to do here is enter your current title/designation and company that you work for.

 5) Recommendations

I know people might find it hard to get recommendations as a rule. There are not many tips that one can give to get recommendations, but do keep in mind is "It's Give and take” thing.

 6) Get Connected

This particular part gets easy only once you enter the most comprehensive information about yourself. Right from your school to your internship to your current employment. In all those years, you must have known people, have been interacting with many professionals and this will help you to find them. All you have to do is search for their names and send an invite.

7) Make your Profile "PUBLIC" (Recommended)

After all this hard work it becomes extremely important to share your profile with the outside world. Depending on your need, you can publish your LinkedIn profile on the web. This will make your profile searchable not only on LinkedIn but also on various other search engines. You can also add your LinkedIn profile to your personal space like say a blog or Facebook or twitter.

The whole idea is to ensure that you make the most out of your LinkedIn Profile and market your expertise. Some of you might not be willing to do it as often, people find it difficult to come out of their personal world and network with outside world. No one can force you to take a decision and follow these pointers but for you there is another option to hide your profile and not make it available for outsiders (some of which might have an amazing opportunity for you). I am missing something... oh yes.. I did miss on one more important thing that will give you an added advantage in this competitive world and that is "Adding Groups". This gives you a chance to share and participate in a number of professional conversations happening in the industry and areas of your interest.

I am sure that you must also be having some more interesting points to share regarding this. Looking forward to hear about your experiences about it. So what are you waiting for....? Get on to LinkedIn and make your profile "Complete"

Featured Image Courtesy- smi23le