LinkedIn is one of the largest professional networks, with 830 million professionals on the site in more than 200 countries worldwide. You can browse for career opportunities, look at the career journeys of your mentors and build a strong network with LinkedIn. In today’s digital age, having a well-updated LinkedIn profile as part of your job application arsenal can aid your job search in Singapore.
As a fresh graduate, you might be dipping your toes into the world of resume writing, job applications and mastering interview skills. The next step? Setting up your LinkedIn profile – that is, if you don’t already have one. With 87% of recruiters declaring they use the site regularly, you might be doing yourself a disservice by not having a LinkedIn profile. Set up your profile now and start applying for jobs through the LinkedIn portal. In this blog, we guide you through creating a LinkedIn profile that would stand out and attract job recruiters.
How Do You Create a Great LinkedIn Profile?
1. Create an authentic profile
After you have set up a LinkedIn account, it’s time to create a presence on LinkedIn. Start by uploading a profile picture that captures who you are. Ensure that the background is well-lit, that you look presentable and that you have your best smile on. Keep in mind that this is the very first impression you are creating in the minds of recruiters and so, you would want to put your best foot forward. If you would like to add some character to your profile, you can also choose to customise the background photo too.
2. Adding work and education experiences
Next, fill up all the different sections, listing clearly your credentials, internship experience, volunteer activity, leadership positions and your involvement in clubs and societies and achievements. There is no need to embellish your profile unnecessarily, instead be honest, clear, and detailed. Adding links to your portfolio or the projects you’ve worked on would help to give your potential employer a glimpse of what you are capable of achieving.
3. List your skills and have them endorsed
Make full use of Linkedin’s features. Highlight your top five skills – whether that’s project management, marketing or communication – this allows you to showcase your abilities to recruiters and let them know that your experience and skill set matches that of the job role you are interested in. In this way, your connections can endorse your skills, increasing the likelihood of you being discovered for opportunities related to the skills you possess.
4. Take a skills assessment
The LinkedIn Skills Assessments feature also allows you to verify your skills through its online tests. By taking a series of about 15 multiple choice questions and by performing well, you can earn a Verified Skills badge. You can then choose to display this on your profile. Candidates who display their verified skills on LinkedIn are shown to be 30% more likely to be hired.
5. Turn on your #OpenToWork feature
Consider turning on the #OpenToWork feature to let the LinkedIn community know that you are searching for a job – this is where a frame is added around your profile picture. By turning on this feature, you are twice as likely to receive a message from recruiters.
6. Write a summary of yourself
A summary is the quickest way to let a potential employer know who you are and how you can add value to their organisation. Think of this as LinkedIn’s version of an elevator pitch. Your summary should express your mission, motivation, and skills to people who view your profile. Keep it short, succinct and punchy – at most one or two paragraphs – to grab and hold the attention of readers. Next, add a headline that adequately encapsulates in a few words who you are.
7. Request recommendations from your network
LinkedIn recommendations allow the people you have worked with or studied with to recognise your work and soft skills. It lets a future employer know the value you can bring them. Asking your lecturers and coursemates to vouch for you and write up a positive recommendation for you reinforces the idea to employers that you are a good hire.
8. Grow your professional network
Once you’ve set up a LinkedIn profile, you can start networking and building connections. After attending job fairs, industry events or participating in an internship, it’s a good habit to add the people you have spoken to on LinkedIn. By building such relationships early, you can gain access to new job opportunities or valuable information about jobs in various industries. You also get insight into the skills hirers are looking for.
9. Monitoring LinkedIn’s profiles strength indicator
LinkedIn’s profile strength meter is an accurate indicator of how effective your LinkedIn profile is. The higher your profile strength is, the more discoverable your profile becomes in the search results. This means your profile will appear more frequently than other profiles when recruiters search for potential candidates to fill a role.
Explore Fulfilling Career Opportunities
Regularly updating and sprucing up your profile as you start your first job, take on new roles and gain experience, ensures your profile turns up in searches often.
PSB Academy is the academy of the future, preparing its students to enter the workforce with its career services: industry visits, career workshops industry-specific career talks and working with industry mentors for professional guidance. Speak with one of our advisors to learn more.
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