5 Ways to Polish Up Your LinkedIn Profile

Trying to perfect your LinkedIn profile can be an exercise in anxiety management. What do employers want to see? What will make them click away? To get a better handle on profile best practices, we went right to the source: LinkedIn career expert Catherine Fisher.

Some main takeaways: your profile photo matters, so make sure to use a photo "that aligns with your role as a professional, but also makes you approachable." Also, the useful shelf life for professional skills is only five years! So keep honing those business skills.

Scroll on for more ways to make your profile shine bright like a diamond.

01
Say "cheese!"
StockSnap | Andrew E Weber

Say "cheese!"

"First impressions always matter – treat your LinkedIn photo like a virtual handshake! Upload a photo that aligns with your role as a professional, but also makes you approachable. Members who include a profile photo receive up to 21 times more profile views and 36 times more messages, so make sure your picture aligns with your role as a professional (no need for a suit, but wear something you'd feel comfortable going to the office in). As for that cute photo with your dog you use on your Bumble account? Unless you're a vet, save that for swiping right and left."

02
Go ahead and brag a little.
StockSnap | Darius Anton

Go ahead and brag a little.

"This is your chance to brag a little and set yourself apart! List all past experience that is relevant to your career goals to show potential employers you are the right fit. Then, bring it to life by illustrating your professional story and achievements. Add visuals like pictures, compelling videos, and innovative presentations to your experience section. If you are just graduating, don't forget to highlight your education, volunteer experience, etc. – the skills you learn here may be relevant for your future career!"

03
Say what you want.
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Say what you want.

"Don't be afraid to say where you want to be in your career. Including your current or desired location makes you stand out up to 23 times more in searches. Oftentimes recruiters will use advanced search based on location, so the more details you have the more likely you will be found and connected to your next opportunity."

04
Revamp your skill set.
StockSnap | Galymzhan Abdugalimov

Revamp your skill set.

"The useful shelf life of professional skills has shrunk to less than five years! Stay ahead of the game in the New Year by continually learning and updating your skills. If you want to learn a new skill at your own pace in the comfort of your home or favorite coffee shop, LinkedIn Learning was designed for you. The platform gives you access to more than 9,000 courses across a variety of topics from handling political conversations at work to project management fundamentals."

05
Let your personality shine.
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Let your personality shine.

"Adding a summary of 40 words or more makes your profile more likely to turn up in a future employer's search and adds an additional layer of personality to your profile, setting you apart from the crowd. Review desirable job descriptions for your field and include keywords and skills featured — you'll be sure to impress recruiters and prospective employers. This is your time to shine!"