It is 2015, and technology becomes more and more essential and indispensable every day. Having an active online presence represents a bonus when it comes to social interactions, and presenting your skills, knowledge, and capabilities is very important when establishing new relationships in the work environment. Why not do it online too? You may wonder how to stay professional while displaying your skills online and the perfect website to do so is called LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a business social networking website that allows users to connect with potential employers, colleagues, companies, brands, and many more. With its professional networking objectives, LinkedIn features sections such as education, languages, and skills & endorsements, giving you the opportunity to display your abilities in a resume style.
That being said, one of the most important steps in creating an effective LinkedIn profile is the correct use of English. From grammar to sentence structure, here are 10 tips that will help you create an effective LinkedIn profile:
1. Watch out for spelling mistakes and typos
Studies have shown that one out of four employers will pass on your resume or LinkedIn profile if they find misspellings. Ask your friends or teachers to read the text that is going to be posted; they might notice a misspelling or typo you didn’t see!
2. Avoid repeating the same adjectives
The best way to describe your skills is with adjectives, and having a wide variety of them always make profiles more appealing.
If you feel stuck with the same adjectives, visit www.thesaurus.com for synonyms.
3. Provide an inviting and professional headline
Nothing will attract people more than an interesting headline! Make sure to state your field of study or profession with some positive adjectives, for instance “Ambitious Marketing Specialist.”
4. Make it short and precise while still including all the necessary information
Long and confusing paragraphs are harder to read and time-consuming for potential employers and people trying to connect with you; use short paragraphs and add bullet points to list skills and experience. For example, if mentioning a variety of software you are familiar with, list them with bullet points rather than putting them all in a sentence.
5. Use strong verbs to state your skills
Using verbs to describe skills and accomplishments tend to make a person seem more confident in their work and experience. Instead of saying “great experience in writing business plans”, it looks much better to say “wrote successful business plans”. Money-Zine.com has created a very useful list of power verbs to use on your profile.
6. Keep content professional and career-focused
Taking into account the fact that companies and colleagues can reach you through LinkedIn and look at your profile, it is important to keep all the content very professional. Personal pictures, status updates, and information that are not related to your career should not be displayed on your profile.
7. List the languages you speak
Companies are interested in bilingual people, so don’t forget to specify your first language in the languages section. If you know other languages, even a little bit, don’t be afraid to list them too. LinkedIn gives you the option to indicate your level of proficiency; from elementary proficiency to total fluency.
8. Avoid contractions and abbreviations
Contractions tend to make sentences more informal; aim to use more “I am” and “is not”, and less “I’m” and “isn’t”.
9. Use formal language and business wording
It is important to keep in mind that formal language is more appropriate in a professional environment. Always avoid the use of slang. Changing just one single word can make a sentence more formal, for example:
“Able to create a variety of written content, like articles, news releases…”
-changing “like” for “such as”-
“Able to create a variety of written content, such as articles, news releases…”
10. Keep your profile updated
Always add new information and skills learned, as well as work placements and volunteering experiences!
These tips will help you build an effective LinkedIn Profile, which will open doors for you in the search for a position and in building your career. Following these steps and always looking out for new ways to improve and polish your profile will help you create a perfect piece for your professional portfolio that employers, companies and colleagues will appreciate.
Gabriela Garcia
