CAREER PURSUIT

Don’t forget to use LinkedIn for your interview research as well – what are the company’s main focuses at the moment? What role is your interviewer in? (yes – they will see that you have looked at their profile, but they will only be impressed that you are doing your research, and they will probably expect it!). I am freelancing, or I have my own business … LinkedIn is a powerful tool for freelancers and business owners, as it works perfectly for networking in your industry to help find your next client or customer. One of the most powerful tools for you on LinkedIn is the ‘Services’ section. On your profile page, this section is right at the top, next to your job preferences (this feature is still being rolled out, but it seems to be very widely available in the UK now). This is the place to list the services that you or your business provides. The benefit of listing it here is that potential clients can search by services, so it is a great way of clients finding you without having to do any work! When you complete this section it will also appear in the search results underneath your headline, saying ‘Provides Services:’, and then it will list what you can offer. It also allows clients that you have no connection with to message you, which would not normally be possible without this feature. If you feel your business would benefit from its own page (normally better suited for service businesses than products) then bear in mind that you cannot publish articles like you can for a personal profile. So a page works best when you have a website to direct people to. 11 C A R E E R P U R S U I T 2 0 2 0 Don’t set up a page for your business unless you can see a real benefit, and you can describe who your customer on LinkedIn would be. Make sure your profile headline describes clearly and concisely what you or your business offers, e.g. ‘Freelance business administration support’, ‘Wellbeing education for small businesses’. Make the most of your ‘featured’ sections to highlight work you have done, or to link to an article you have written on LinkedIn or your website. A good profile picture is a necessity. This doesn’t have to be done professionally – a decent smartphone will take a good enough photo if used properly (we all love a bit of soft focus or background blur!). Also think about where your picture is taken, and try to reflect your personality in it – are you a cool city person, independent coffee shop lover, or do you love the outdoors? Think of a background that will show a little bit of you, not just a plain magnolia wall. Don’t forget your banner. This is a second opportunity to showcase your personality or your offer if you are providing a service. Make your headline count. When you appear in a search, this, along with your name and picture, is what people see. The default setting is your current job title, but you can edit this to something more generic if you need to sell yourself, e.g. ‘Award-winning architect’ or ‘Industry-leading education specialist’. TOP TIPS FOR FREELANCERS/BUSINESS OWNERS TOP TIPS FOR EVERYONE