7 tips for your LinkedIn profile

Polish your LinkedIn profile to improve your digital reputation

In the beginning, LinkedIn was originally a platform for digitizing and sharing your résumé to find a job. But it has become more than that for quite some time! In the words of Jill Rowley, social media expert, « LinkedIn is not just an online CV, it is your digital reputation ». For William Arruda, a globally recognized personal branding expert, LinkedIn can even be regarded as an agent, a graphic designer, a reference checker, a contact manager and a search engine…all at once. In short, the perfect platform to make you known in the professional world.

In many circles, recruiters, potential partners or future managers will check your LinkedIn profile even before meeting you. This is particularly true in research and innovation. It is well known that « you will never get a second chance to make a good first impression. » It is therefore crucial to carefully build your LinkedIn profile. Here are the key elements to focus on.

Put a face to a name with a professional profile photo

Your profile picture is one of the first elements people will see and it will allow them to put a face to your name. A frivolous or blurry holiday picture will immediately give off the wrong impression. You should choose a photo taken especially for LinkedIn, if possible by a professional photographer if you can afford it. This type of portrait immediately gives a sense of competence.

In any case, pay attention to the quality of the picture. Never use a selfie, make sure you are centered and avoid staged photos. Look at the camera and do not forget to smile. Ron Gutman, co-founder of the HealthTap company, explains in a Ted conference on the hidden power of smiling that

When we smile, we don’t just appear friendlier and more courteous, but we are also viewed as more competent.

Regarding image size, a profile picture must be 400 pixels wide and 400 pixels high. Keep in mind that it will be cut in a circle. Do not hesitate to crop it directly on LinkedIn so that your face occupies 70 to 80% of the image.

Choose a profile title that distinguishes you

Do not keep your default title on LinkedIn, customize it!

It must announce who you are, and why you make a difference. Only indicating your job title does not highlight your identity and skills. For example, if you write « PhD student » or « project manager » you immediately appear interchangeable with any other person with the same profession. Be more specific: for example, indicate your field of expertise, if you are the author of a book on the subject, the name of your company or your laboratory.

In addition to your profession, mention the services you provide to your clients, your background, your skills…Use key words you wish to link to your digital identity. They will help you stand out in search results.

Write a compelling profile summary

The ‘About’ section of your profile, or summary, is the perfect place to share content through storytelling and showcase your added value. If you’ve already written a narrative CV, you can use it as inspiration to complete this section.

To maximize the impact of your summary, use an effective structure. Start with a captivating hook. Only the first 2 or 3 lines of the summary are visible in the profile preview. It is therefore important to begin with carefully chosen words that make people want to click and read more.

Continue by presenting your background and expertise in two or three concise paragraphs that tell your professional story in an engaging way. To capture the readers’ attention, you may mention your passions, reflect on the start of your career, or even make a promise. Don’t hesitate to include your main achievements, illustrating them with key figures that demonstrate your unique value. Finish your summary with a clear call to action inviting visitors to contact you, thereby creating an opportunity for dialogue and deepening the professional relationship.

Finally, don’t forget to include keywords you want to be associated with to optimize your profile’s visibility.

Enhance your profile with external endorsements

To boost your credibility, consider adding endorsements from people in your network. Two sections are at your disposal on LinkedIn: the list of your skills and recommendations written by clients, colleagues, suppliers…

List your skills to showcase what you can do

When completing the « skills » section, you should be aware that only the first three are immediately visible. You should therefore think carefully about which ones you want to highlight. For example, if you want to build a European research project, it is interesting to list some of your more transversal skills, like project management, for example.

If you already listed your skills but they are not ranked in the best order, LinkedIn allows you to rearrange them any way you choose. Again, think of the image you want to convey depending on your carrier objectives.

Request recommendations to showcase your qualities

Recommendations, on the other hand, serve to validate your interpersonal and professional qualities. That is why you shouldn’t hesitate to put humility aside and solicit your clients and collaborators. Of course, for a recommendation to truly add value, it shouldn’t say just anything, nor come from just anyone. The best endorsement you can get is from someone respected in your professional field or from one of your clients, who can vouch for the qualities you want to highlight.

Here are three tips for effectively requesting recommendations:

• Target people you have worked with directly.
• Personalize your message by reminding them of the context of your collaboration.
• Suggest 1-2 specific points they could mention.

It can be more effective to ask for a recommendation via email. More personal, your email is more likely to be read. LinkedIn notifications tend to be ignored, so it would be a shame if your request got lost!

Design an attractive profile banner

You may have noticed that the cover banner next to your photo can include visuals and text. Optimizing this banner is a great way to strengthen your personal brand.

Here are some elements you can include:

• A visual representing your industry or area of expertise.
• Your professional slogan or tagline.
• Optionally, your professional contact information.
• Images of your key achievements or important publications.

This visual space is the perfect place to showcase your graphic skills. And if creativity isn’t your strong suit, AI image-generation tools can help you out.

Note that the recommended image dimensions are 1584 x 396 pixels.

Master your profile settings

LinkedIn allows you to customize your profile URL. This is an opportunity worth taking for several reasons. A URL that contains your name can improve your visibility in search engines, thus increasing the chances of being found by potential employers or partners. A personalized URL also shows attention to detail and a desire to stand out. Finally, it makes your profile link more memorable, making it easier to share with professional contacts.

A quick tip before making multiple updates to your profile: remember to disable notifications to your network in your account settings. If you don’t, your contacts will be notified every time you make a change, however small. It would be a shame to ruin your efforts over something this trivial, right?

Want to take the use of LinkedIn to the next level? Check out our training course, “Communicate on LinkedIn,” or contact us for personalized support that will help you stand out on this essential platform.