Now more than ever before, job seekers are using social media to find jobs. In fact, according to Randstad’s latest research, 20% of job seekers use social media to find new opportunities (1% more than 2020) and 22% would use LinkedIn (4% more than 2020).
And, if you’re looking on LinkedIn for jobs, then it’s likely that employers may take a look at your profile too. To stand out from the crowd, it’s important to optimise your LinkedIn profile to ensure that it showcases the best version of you, and is ready for you to use to build professional relationships.
To help you do just this, we have put together four easy steps for you to give your LinkedIn profile a MOT. Whether you’re looking to network in financial services, are after your next career step, or are brand new to the sector, these tips will work for you.
4 easy updates to boost your LinkedIn profile in financial services:
- one: your photo, strapline, about me
- two: claim your URL
- three: sell your work history
- four: get that credibility
one: your photo, strapline, about me.
A great place to start when reviewing your profile is your profile picture - this should be a professional looking photo - ideally avoid things like filters with animal ears, inappropriate backgrounds, alcoholic drinks. When uploading the file ensure you name it yourname.jpg this will help you appear highly in searches when your name is entered.
If your workplace provides branded cover photos, using one of these to top off your profile can really help with your online image.
Your strapline is the bit of information that appears underneath your name, and is the first thing people will see when they search for you/land on your profile. Instead of just saying your job title and company name, you can get a bit creative - think of your strengths. For example, if you work as a project manager in a bank, you could say something like: specialist in delivering outcomes at one of the country’s leading banks.
Your about me section is your chance to tell your story and introduce yourself to prospective profile viewers. Ensure you include any new achievements and career aspirations as to what types of roles you may be seeking. Conclude your summary with a call to action as to what next steps you want the reader to take.
two: claim your URL.
Essentially, this means claiming the end of the URL that is on your profile. This is a really quick win that can make you look more professional and can mean you appear higher in searches on LinkedIn. It also looks cleaner when sharing your profile link with others.
To do this, simply click edit public profile & URL in the top right of your page, and follow the instructions.
three: sell your work history.
If someone has landed on your profile, they are bound to have a read of what you have done. So, make sure your work history is up to date, and you select your current or previous organisation pages as your company, so any relevant logos pull through.
Where you can, add detail to your work history and position it to sell yourself. Think of skills you have learnt that can be applied to new roles, add specifics about your job responsibilities, and exactly what it is that makes you unique. You can also add links/documents in such as presentations, whitepapers and images of your work that can support your profile. This will boost your visual portfolio and support your written profile. Always ensure you have permission to share your work publicly, especially if there is commercially sensitive information included within it.
four: get that credibility.
Getting recommendations on your profile is a quick and easy way to show whoever is viewing that you know what you’re doing. You can click the ask for recommendation button and ask your colleagues to share a bit about you and what you do. You can also give recommendations to other people.
By making these small tweaks, your profile can be considerably improved. It’s also important to like, comment and share posts so that your name gets noticed in people’s news feeds - LinkedIn promotes most popular content first.
Go through your connections list and review who is in your network – are there people you have met with recently that you may not have added? If so, reach out with a follow-up message. Also, look to colleagues you work with or new clients that you are not connected with and add them to your network.
Take the time to review which groups you are a member of and whether you are engaging to get the most value professionally. Perhaps there are new groups you can join to broaden your network or leave others that are no longer relevant. A quick review of your group memberships will ensure you get the most value professionally and open up new opportunities.
Looking for your next role in financial services? Browse jobs here.
