Have you thought of what to do with all of this extra time on your hands as we go through the COVID19 pandemic? I know I have. I intend to brush up and update as many of my profiles as I can over the coming weeks, starting with LinkedIn.
We all get busy and it's very easy to neglect our social media bios. You may well be very adept at sharing regular and relevant content on your social media platforms but people still check the biography before choosing to follow you. So let's make the most of this time and look at updating, upskilling and creating a more fluid experience for people who come across our social profile.
I would imagine over the coming weeks or months looking for work will be more relevant for many of us as its highly possible a recession will follow on from this worldwide pandemic. Let's get ahead of the game!
With the enforced restrictions on movement, a lot of us will be dealing with a lack of hairdressers and barbers! However, there's no harm in you doing your best at home and using your own phone or even digital SLR to update your photo. Ideally don't use filters however from social platforms, its too overdone and people respect more authenticity. Remember lighting is your friend!
Your background image is just above your profile picture and it's a place where you can perhaps capture an essence of what you do. Maybe create a feature background using the Free Canva app, which provides a template for the correct size. As long as you keep the image is large / High Definition it will look good.
Your Headline is searchable! You need to make sure you put in words that will lead someone to find you. It can be what you stand for, qualified to do and what you like to be known for.
These need not only updated once a year - it can be updated as often as you like so see what works for you. You have 120 characters in your headline to use, so don't be afraid to use all of them.
In fairness most people have put in some detail in their past roles. When I first wrote mine I did bullet points! However, maybe its time to go back and give it a rejig. Make sure you put down everything you did and not just what your role was. Let's face it, we do normally range over into other peoples jobs when they're on holiday or off sick perhaps.
Were there any work related projects or maybe an articles you wrote whilst doing that job as well? This is your time to add them to your profile.
There are many buzzwords that people use that are well and truly overused! Look to update them and make an effort to explain what you do better. Give examples, tell a story. People find it more interesting and remember it better. It's essential to be relatable!
Brave it out and ask! You may already have a few but they could be quite old. Take this opportunity to reach out and ask more up-to-date and relevant recommendations. There's a good chance you'll get them right now as the person you're asking is available.
You may need to prompt them about what to say, as it maybe the first time in a while they've been asked as well.
Now you've completed your profile, now its time to write about what you know best!
Start a conversation, get people thinking! We're all trying to think of things to perhaps feel challenged and / or improve our current situation. Maybe it's time to help people with free tips or giveaways?
At the end of the day - it's not what you say to people, it's the way you make them feel. So if you can offer something supportive and uplifting then this is the right time to share it.
If you have any questions or queries regarding this or any of my blogs, then please do not hesitate to contact me!
Working with clients Nationwide from base in Mullingar.
