1) Add a profile picture – Profiles with headshots are 14 times more likely to be viewed.

2) Add a background image – This could be a plain image or one of you that a colleague has taken within a working or professional environment.

3) Add up to date contact information – If you are currently looking for your next career opportunity then ensure all information is up to date and correct should they want to contact you.

4) Punchy headline – This does not have to be limited to your job title and company name; your LinkedIn is where you want to come across as desirable as possible. With this in mind, when people are viewing your profile, the first thing they will be looking at will be your photo, headline and how many shared connections you have. By changing your headline to include more information such as your job title, how many years experience and what industry you specialise in, such as: “Executive Assistant with 10 years’ experience within the financial industry for CFO’s & CEO’s” it will show people viewing your profile straight away key information about you.

5) Your summary – This should be similar to a personal profile and include information such as:

• • Key skills & achievements
  • Significant experience or projects worth mentioning
  • What you enjoy at work
  • Qualifications

6) Recommendations – By requesting recommendations off of previous and current colleagues and employers, this will help boost your profile and help increase your desirability (should you be looking for a career move).

7) Endorsed skills – Be strategic about how you show your key skills, you want to show off the niche packages and experience you have acquired rather than the standard Microsoft packages, as this is what will be used when employers and recruiters are searching.

8) Custom URL – Your URL is the web address used to copy and paste to share your profile. By editing, it to include your first and last name this will come across as more professional. To do this:

• • Go to your profile
  • Click edit profile
  • Click edit right under photo
  • Change the end of URL e.g. http://Linkedin.com/In/JohnSmith or if the URL has been used already you could put your profession as well e.g. http://Linkedin.com/In/JohnSmithFinanceDirector

9) Being active – By being active, liking and commenting on other user’s content relevant to your industry and career, this will show your name and account to a wider audience which means you will have increased visibility. By sharing articles and posts relevant to your industry, this will also have the same effect.

10) Following and connecting with the right people – It is good to tailor your LinkedIn profile to ensure you are following the right people such as; industry leaders, influencers within your sector and recruitment professionals that specialise within your field of work. It is also worth following previously worked-for companies as well as companies that you have an interest in working at too. By following this step, if you were to look for your next career move, your connections are the right target audience and any content that is liked or shared you are also reaching their targeted followers/connections too.

11) Letting employers know you are “open” – If you are currently looking for your next career move, it is a good idea to turn this on, as it will allow recruiters to see your profile. Once switched on, you will be entered into a job pool where recruiters will be able to view your details and contact you. To turn this feature on, go to your profile and look for the below:

12) Connecting with your colleagues – To do this, you can either enter the names manually and search or go onto the company page and near the header, there is an option to view all employees that are on LinkedIn. By connecting with your colleagues this will help you stay up to date with internal news and updates. Not only this, but it should help you get a few more likes and comments on your own posts too!

13) Avoid putting your whole CV on LinkedIn – Use your LinkedIn to attract recruiters to pick up the phone to speak to you or to drop a message, you don’t want to close the door before it’s even open. If they are looking at your profile and they drop you a message or give you a call, you may find out you might suitable for other positions also.

14) Proofread everything – Make sure that all dates match your CV and ensure to keep capitalisation and punctuation consistent.

15) Finally, expect your current employer to read your profile – If you are currently looking for your next career move just keep in mind that any posts you like or comment on, will show up in your connections feed. Not only this but if you have your employers as connections, they will be able to see all your activity too.