Be Master of your LinkedIn Profile

A great way to build your network online and fast is to use LinkedIn. In this article I will demonstrate you, how easy you can build the network on LinkedIn fast with the right people.

Quick warning: Create one profile only! Some so called “LinkedIn gurus” will tell, that you need to create two profiles on LinkedIn. Please don’t do that. You will look dumb and one of your profiles will be probably remove from LinkedIn.

Creating profile is easy, just follow the steps on Linkedin and try to create the English version of your profile first. Second language is plus, but English version should be mandatory.

Don’t forget to optimize your profile! One of the easiest ways is to update your profile picture. LinkedIn views this kind of update as "freshness" and it can help your ranking when others are searching for someone like you. So add more information about your job, put some keywords there.

Headline

The best way how to catch and attention of your profile visitor is to add the nice photo. But you can tell people who you are and what you are doing in your headline. Your LinkedIn headline grabs a person's attention when searching the site. I always start with reading the headline. So try to put something clever like your job, what you are looking for job/candidates etc.

Good examples:

•          Recruiter constantly looking for Developers
•          Looking for a job at Prague
•          Team Lead - Immediately Available & Actively Looking
•          Recruitment Consultant at XY s.r.o.

But never use these examples:

•  Increase Your Website Conversions! PPC (Pay Per Click) Contact me.  (Everybody is going to think, that you are selling something)
•  Head honcho, headhunter, sometime head-shrinker and living proof that the only good recruiter is NOT a dead recruiter!   (Well, I am not going comment this at all)

Visible URL

The next step is to make it easy for people to find you on LinkedIn. This starts with a personalised URL. Make your URL short and unique, use your name there. It will look more professionally

Here are the instructions from LinkedIn http://linkd.in/15Kif0p how to do that.

You can include that URL on your business card, in your email signature or into the QR code. Invite people to connect with you.

Your profile is ready? So let’s start to add people.

Start with adding people you know.

When you create your profile LinkedIn will offer you to send invite to people from your mailbox. Don’t do that! It’s just spam all people from mailbox and you will send the invite to people you don’t want to have on LinkedIn. Your ex-boss, crazy colleague, your ex or people you fired.

“Since you are a person I trust, I wanted to invite you to join my network on LinkedIn”

If you are not the person I trust or I know, I can still add you, right? Yes you can and the best way how to expand your network is to add people with these keywords

Start searching for any of the following terms:  

• LION (stands for ‘LinkedIn Open Networker’)

• Welcome Your Invite

• Welcome Your Invitation

• No IDK   (I never click on I Don't Know)

• Never IDK

• Open Networker

• Accept All

Etc.

On the other hand, if you are not LION etc. you don’t have to accept every invite you will get. As you already find out about #fake_profiles from CoolPeople http://czechrecruiter.blogspot.cz/2014/06/fake-profiles-on-linkedin-why-and-who.html some invites are not real.

Small note: They are still creating fake profiles, but as the people from CoolPeople told me, right now they need to create more „realistic“ profile with more information and they are trying to create developers, HR Managers and fake consultants from other agencies.

But your parents probably taught you well not to trust strangers, and the same must be true of social media LinkedIn, Facebook etc. If you are approached by a stranger on LinkedIn, you need some sort of explanation. So personalising your connection request doesn’t take long and it’s not hard to do. Sending default text “Since you are a person I trust, I wanted to invite you to join my network on LinkedIn” is not the right thing to do.

Also start networking with recruiters, they need both quality and quantity in their work, both length and depth.

So try to write a personal note with all your connection requests. When you request to connect with someone, writing a personal note will help them to remember you or give them a reason to connect with you. 

Groups

Join targeted groups! If you are interesting about .NET join the groups with this technology. This can be one of the most effective and faster way to connect with same professionals as you. Also participating in these groups also enables you to share your knowledge and to learn from other members and be visible.

How to be an active member on LinkedIn and be seen?

Here are a few ideas on how to be an active LinkedIn member:

• Be active! Update your status at least 2-3 times a day. But don’t post the picture of kittens, butterflies etc.
• Answer questions on “LinkedIn Answers”, you will be visible. Personally I got pretty interesting connections/contacts from this activity.
• If you are interested about some company show the interest Comment on profile updates from the companies you follow on LinkedIn once a day.
• Share and comment on the updates of your connections at least once a day.          Send an invitation to connect to at least one new person per day.
• Start and/or participate in LinkedIn Group Discussions.

Endorsements and recommendations

When your network is bigger and you already have hundreds of people in the network ask for the recommendation. This can help enhance your profile pretty well. But “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” so there few things you need to do.

DO

• Contact those people directly. By email, phone, f2f.
• Let them know you're personally reaching out to them because of the recommendation on LinkedIn.

Don’t!

• Don’t send generic emails to clients, colleagues or other people that you barely know and ask them for some personal recommendation.
• Don’t ask people on junior level. Recommendation from the CEO looks better than from some repairman.

The same rules are goes for endorsements. It’s much easier to get them since it's just a click of a button.  

Some of the really good recruiters that I met in my life created a habit from adding an connections. So every time you make a new connection, on the phone, via email, or face-to-face. Look them up on LinkedIn and send them an invitation.  Once you’ve found them, send a personalised connection request message.

Some internal and agency recruiters are doing pretty amazing job on social medias and I can only say “Kudos” to them.

Also treat your profile as your professional brochure! Don’t use an appropriate-looking profile image and put in complete and also up-to-date information. LinkedIn will be your first impression for many.

And don’t forget if you looking for a job build your profile well. The old saying is: The only person worth waiting for is the one that will stay by you forever. But the companies/agencies are not going to wait on you to complete your profile!