Your LinkedIn profile is much more than just your online CV.

The job search is something that everyone over 18 has pulled their hair out over at one point or another in their life. What ways can you improve your credibility and the opportunities that are out there?

Check your LinkedIn profile should be top of the list! And if you don’t have one, sign up now and make it good.

So, why should you spend time completing your profile on LinkedIn? What is the benefit of having one?

There is no escaping it, we are in the age of social media. More and more people are turning to networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to discover information that will help them in both their personal and business lives. This is not going to be any different for employers looking for shiny new employees and recruiters looking for the perfect candidates.

You should not regard your LinkedIn profile just as your online CV, it is so much more. It shows your skills, employment history, qualifications, areas of expertise and knowledge, projects you have been involved in and most important of all – recommendations from others. It means anyone looking for information about you will find everything they need to know at a glance.

This is your opportunity to blow your own trumpet, something which many of us hate doing. Make your experience, expertise and personality shine through to show why you are THE PERSON that recruiters and employers need to be contacting with the top job prospects in your industry.

LinkedIn also provides the opportunity to build your community of important business contacts by connecting with them. This gives you the ability to stay visible, sustain your relationships and build your personal brand. Your LinkedIn profile is about your CREDIBILITY as a business person.

For this to happen it is imperative that your profile is 100% complete with lots of information and a professional headshot. Take the time to consider the wording and detail you include. First impressions do matter so you must check for typos and grammar. If your LinkedIn profile isn’t complete, what else can you not be bothered to finish?

Photo credit: Brazen

Via Social-Hire