Maximizing Linkedin as a Tool for Career Progression
Written by: Chigozie Paul
If you are in the labour market, one social app you should be familiar with is Linkedin. Wait, don’t roll your eyes yet. We know Linkedin is that one app that many people dread mostly because of career pressure, but the truth is, while Linkedin has its disadvantages, it also has many advantages.
For instance, it is a very good place to look for jobs (it even has a job-search feature and you can turn on notifications for the positions you are considering and receive job alerts over time),it is an excellent place to sort for talents, It can be a good storytelling tool to document your career journey and show your professional skills.
According to Forbes, stories are more powerful than statistics in convincing people. Interesting claim, right? However, it is true. Human beings are emotional beings, so while facts and figures are good to look at and provide solid proof, stories are inspiring and appeal to the emotional needs of people.
People want to be able to trace where you are coming from and how far you have come in your career journey. There is a popular quote that says people can tell where you are going, from where you are coming. Based on this, it is important to emphasize the importance of storytelling in your career progression.
I can go on and on, but this article is not about us making a case for Linkedin. This article will highlight tips on how you, as a career person, can maximize Linkedin as a tool for career progression.
Six Ways to Maximize Linkedin
- Change your public profile/LinkedIn URL: It always amuses me when people share their Linkedin URL or public profile, and it looks like combinations of words and numbers e.g https://www.linkedin.com/in/Khaki-Akoloju/05981724/. Why are there numbers at the back of your name when you can easily edit it? Here’s how to make your public profile look more professional:
Go to your Linkedin icons and click on “me”. Some options will pop up on the drop-down menu, click on “settings and privacy”.
Under settings and privacy, go to Visibility, and you can edit your public profile under visibility to your professional name. That’s it. Edit and save.
2. Pay attention to your header: When people visit your Linkedin profile, your header is one of the first things people see, so you want to use something accurately represents your brand or the work you do. There are so many Linkedin header templates available on the internet. My go-to for headers is Canva (a free design tool with a premium package).
3. Take the Linkedin skills quiz: This one, a lot of people ignore, but, as irrelevant as it seems, it adds to your credibility. According to Linkedin statistics, candidates who earn a skill badge are 20% more likely to get hired. There’s no reason not to take advantage of this feature. Take a Linkedin skills quiz today.
4. Make connections: One thing we must not forget is that Linkedin is a social platform, and social platforms are good for networking. The more connections you make, the higher the chances of more people (or potential recruiters) seeing your posts.
5. Have a plan: I wrote earlier that Linkedin is great for documenting your career journey, and this is crucial. Even more crucial to achieving this is having a plan. It may seem cliche, but the simplest key to doing something or being consistent is “having a plan.”
How do you want to tell your stories? What kind of stories do you want to share, and how often? Answer these questions and then proceed to draw up a Linkedin content plan. It’s worth it, I assure you.
In conclusion, there are various features on Linkedin at your disposal that can be of great help, for instance, the job search and job posting features I earlier highlighted, the Linkedin badges that help recruiters know you are available to work or talents know that you are hiring, the analytics for organizations, the creator’s mode, etc.. Explore them today.
