7 Reasons To Update Your LinkedIn Profile 

05 Apr 7 Reasons To Update Your LinkedIn Profile 

If you’re looking for a  new job, or even if you’re just open to possibilities, it’s important to keep your LinkedIn profile up-to-date. 

While it might seem like just another social media platform (and one that’s a little stuffy, if we’re being honest), LinkedIn can be a really valuable tool for your career and your future. 

Here’s why updating LinkedIn is important. 

• You don’t want to forget important milestones. Did you earn a new certification recently? Did you take a great class and meet some fun new people? Did you get a promotion or win an award? Go to LinkedIn right away and add that to your online profile. You don’t want to forget important details now that could make you a great candidate for a new position later! 

• Make yourself an attractive candidate for companies you aren’t even looking at right now. So many companies are contacting employees cold — so-called passive candidates — based on what’s available on their LinkedIn profiles. This means recruiters, HR managers and others are looking at LinkedIn profiles and trying to find people who aren’t exactly looking for jobs right now, but might make a great fit for an open position. You might have all the skills, background, training and experience to be just what a company’s looking for, and an up-to-date profile helps the company find you instead of the other way around. 

• Be prepared and well-positioned for an uncertain future. You might be aware that the economic state in the United States is less than fully stable. Some companies are going through layoffs or hiring freezes. But other companies have prepared for this and might be looking to add to their company in order to stay strong and profitable. Keeping your profile updated means anyone looking at your resume — whether it’s a company you’ve applied to or one looking for strong candidates — can have a complete look at your work history, skills, background and certifications in a quick glance. They can know whether you’re the candidate they’re looking for and whether you will add to their existing team in a meaningful way. 

• It’s still a great networking tool. Odds are pretty good that once you go into your profile to make your wonderful updates, you’ll take a few minutes and scroll through your feed or realize you have some unread messages. Maybe there’s a note in there from a friend you used to work with, wanting to let you know their company is hiring and they think you’d be a great fit. Or maybe there’s an opportunity to join a new community that closely aligns with your interests and professional background, one that could open doors in the future. Use LinkedIn for all it’s worth, including as a way to connect people who can help you professionally! 

• It’s a good time to update your profile photo. If you haven’t changed anything on your LinkedIn profile in a while, it’s a good opportunity to take a look around and make other updates as well. Maybe you’re no longer using that email address that you used to create the account; maybe it’s associated with a previous employer and it’s time to make a change. It’s a great time to update your profile photo as well — if you don’t have a professional headshot, find a friend who takes great photos and ask them to help. You want to look professional, of course, but also friendly and approachable. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date, along with your work history, certifications, trainings, etc., to create the best possible first impression. 

• Separate yourself from the competition. Not only does LinkedIn allow people to look for jobs, and companies to look for candidates, it’s a way to help show off what you know. You can share articles that you find interesting and relevant to your kind of work, but at the same time you can share your insight and thinking on a particular topic. When posting an article or sharing your own thoughts, you can offer perspectives and add details to established pieces that demonstrate your own knowledge, experiences and innovative ideas for moving your industry forward. This is commentary only you can provide, and you never know who’s reading and might be impressed enough to reach out with a great opportunity. 

• New features mean new tools for professional growth. LinkedIn has been around for 20 years in 2023. Depending when you first signed on, it’s likely things have changed quite a bit! LinkedIn isn’t just for posting a resume and getting on with your day; it’s a multifaceted platform that connects people in personal and professional ways and can make the difference between learning about great job openings and wondering where all the jobs are hiding. Plenty of companies also use LinkedIn as an application tool, speeding the process and allowing you to simply upload your resume, or link your profile, and get started. 

In short, LinkedIn is a great job searching and networking tool and if you haven’t spent time there recently, here’s your reminder to log in and look around! 

If you’d like a little more assistance on updating your profile, or if you’re ready to look for a new position but want personalized help, call LeadingEdge Personnel. Our recruiters are ready to help match you with a great company looking for what you have to offer. Take a look at the jobs we’re working to fill and then contact LeadingEdge to get started!