To: Sangita’s Team, English 301 Group
From: Tanya Mozafari, English 301 Student
Date: March 6, 2023
Subject: Ten LinkedIn Best Practices to Impress Employers
To make the most of LinkedIn as a platform for professional networking, it is recommended to adhere to certain best practices in order to increase chances of being hired.
- Keeping your profile up to date. It is important to ensure that one’s LinkedIn profile is complete. That is, profiles should consist of up-to-date past professional experiences and achievements, typically in bullet point form.
- Using metrics. The key to a successful job description is highlighting unique achievements through quantifiable data, rather than simply summarizing the requirements of the role.
- Adding a professional profile picture. A profile should also include a professional photo of oneself wearing business casual or business formal apparel, captured from the shoulders upwards in front of a non-distracting background.
- Writing a captivating biography. A LinkedIn biography should be interesting and highlight skills, experience, and motivations. The biography is an opportunity to showcase interests, passions, and reasons for a particular career path and can often compensate for lack of previous experience for entry-level job seekers.
- Actively sending out connection invitations. Connecting with people in your industry can be achieved by sending personalized invitations along with connection requests, and engaging with their content.
- Connecting with UBC alumni. Connecting with alumni is a great way to build your network. Building a vast network increases the likelihood of receiving a referral for a future opportunity, and referrals are known to significantly increase chances of getting hired.
- Being diligent in correspondences. It is important to be proactive in outreach when reaching out to potential mentors, referrals, or employers by following up on leads in a timely manner.
- Researching potential employers. Going into an interview equipped with knowledge about the interviewer’s past experiences and interests, as well as the company’s current events, can lead to a more fruitful and enriching interview process.
- Creating content. Posting can also help build relationships and showcase expertise. Sharing valuable content regarding participation in extracurriculars such as Hackathons and Conferences can signal well-roundedness and knowledge towards members in your network as well as employers.
- Using the free premium feature. LinkedIn premium provides a significant advantage while job hunting and is available for free for the first month.
Following these best practices can help build a strong professional network on LinkedIn, which is crucial to achieving career goals.
References
Deehan, J. (n.d.). 20 steps to a better linkedin profile in 2023. LinkedIn. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://www.linkedin.com/business/sales/blog/profile-best-practices/17-steps-to-a-better-linkedin-profile-in-2017
Ryan, R. (2022, November 9). 17 linkedin profile writing tips to make you standout. Forbes. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/robinryan/2021/01/19/17-linkedin-profile-writing-tips-to-make-you-standout/?sh=1c7bb8ad26c8
Suder, R. (2022, March 10). How to use linkedin effectively during your job search. TopResume. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://ca.topresume.com/career-advice/14-ways-to-leverage-your-linkedin-profile-during-your-job-search
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