How to Build a Killer LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is the world’s largest online professional network, with over 300 million users worldwide. Most importantly – it’s is more than a traditional resume! LinkedIn allows you to market your accomplishments online while strengthening your professional network.

Recruiters use LinkedIn increasingly to connect with candidates. Whereas your resume highlights your career at a glance, LinkedIn paints a vivid portrait of you, no matter what your background. Since many industry leaders are active contributors to LinkedIn’s community – LinkedIn also gives you the chance to create a personal brand, be accessible to potential employers, and gain insights on industry trends.

A strong LinkedIn profile is a powerful tool to have, but is your profile doing everything you need it to do?

LinkedIn provides a blank slate to showcase your talents. However! There are 3 important points you want to keep in mind when setting up your profile. Your goals with LinkedIn are to:

Show up in a search with the right keywords

Stand out in search results

Signal that you are qualified and motivated

To achieve these goals keep in mind the 3-30-180 Rule. This refers to the time a recruiter spends with your LinkedIn profile (hint hint … its not very long!). Recruiters take 3 seconds to decide whether to stay on your profile, 30 seconds for the first read, and 180 seconds to decide on whether to contact you. Clearly, with such a short window of time, you want to be strategic! Below, we’ll outline how to hit the three aforementioned goals with this golden rule in mind.

Goal 1: Show Up in Search Results

Ensuring that your LinkedIn profile shows up in search results is all about harnessing the power of keywords. Recruiters use certain buzzwords to find candidates, so include these in your profile. This will help ensure you and your special talents are aggregated into LinkedIn’s search function.

A great place to plant keywords is in the “summary” section on your profile. This should be in paragraph form – 3 paragraphs or less. The summary tells the story of who you are – so use this blank space as a chance to highlight your resume and provide insight into your aspirations.