The Social Media Newbie Series – Part 1 LinkedIn
With the world going digital and businesses indulging increasingly in online servicing, communications and social interactions have become more of a hotspot, especially with LinkedIn helping freelance and stay-at-home workers connect and grow their brands.As an ever-growing platform, certain aspects call for a sturdy base for an end-user, and such can be obtained by adding on and working around a few LinkedIn Must-Haves to boost your profile in the digital world. LinkedIn requires each individual to start by creating their profile, but that’s where most users leave it. There are many options, tips, and tricks to get the most out of your profile and make it attractive.
Use Your Real and Full Name
Your name and title should be exactly how they are in real life. Please refrain from using nicknames or pseudo names like you won’t dare on your resume. LinkedIn is a social media platform full of professionals and businesses looking to get the most out of their work. It is also one of the world’s largest sales databases of decision makers and contacts, which you can partially access without a Premium Account (other than German competitor XING, for example). Read more about the potential here: https://socialflyny.com/linkedin-statistics.
Use a Professional Headshot
At a glance, your name and photo are the most commonly viewed information regarding yourself. Adding a professional headshot provides the first visual representation – do your best. Remember, it will make your profile 7x more likely to be viewed by others. We recommend you work with Carmen Sirboiu or Geoff Pegler if you are located in Zurich, Switzerland.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-sirboiu-b91643b/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffrey-pegler-5a32ba6/
Please mention GPT2025 as a reference.
Optimize Your Location
Setting your location as accurately as possible helps businesses and others find the ones around them, so optimize yours to the best of your ability. This will help you network where you will work geographically. Be honest regarding your location, as clients/companies prefer to have this information. In Switzerland, you might want to explain in your “ABOUT” section that even if you are living in Zurich, you are willing to commute up to 90 minutes for work or a client.
Nail the Profile Headline
We often wish to see a trailer of an individual before we get to know them for a better understanding; your LinkedIn Profile Headline is just that! So you’ve got 110 characters to describe yourself professionally and aptly.
Angie Weinberger can help you craft an impactful personal brand on LinkedIn with three labels that describe you as a professional.
https://globalpeopletransitions.com/personal-brand-bourne-effect/
Get Connected and Interact with Others
LinkedIn is still a social platform at its core, and what do we do on social media? -Getting “LinkedIn”,- is part of the name. If you don’t have enough LinkedIn connections, you might not appear on as many LinkedIn searches as a 2nd-degree connection as you should. You should regularly comment on people’s posts to become a relevant contributor. LinkedIn will recommend three actions per week.
Explain in Your “About” Section how You want to be Contacted
Your presence on other social networks should be easy to find. This is crucial for verifying your credibility as a person. Provide your email address and respond to all Direct Messages and connection requests within 24 hours.
For a limited time: You can now watch Angie Weinberger’s tips on YouTube as well:
Make it Easy to Get Hired on LinkedIn.
Now that you’ve got your head above the crowd, how about we get ourselves on stage? Now that the basics are covered and your profile is brimming with details let’s get into the nooks and crannies to make it a tight seal.
- Have an English language profile: It might not work for every country, but we recommend having an English profile in Switzerland. In addition, you can have a 2nd profile in the local language (German, French, Italian).
- Stack up on Experience: Work on adding more experience and skills. Being a Swiss army knife in this regard with tons of skills and expertise in your repertoire will help you stand out and be a prominent prospect for anyone looking to hire. The easiest way is to go through target job profiles and add the skills that are requested in the target role profiles. Ensure that you do not have too many duplications or similar skills. Stay consistent in English.
- Rewrite the “About Me” Section: The basics will help lay the foundation, but you’ll need to ice the cake to make it look pretty! Show examples of your work.
- Create a Vanity URL: Create a vanity URL to make your look sleek and extra presentable. Use a customized URL like linkedin.com/in/JohnWick rather than linkedin.com/pub/john-wick/4a/z89/145/
- Comment on three posts per week.
- Post at least once a week: Make it a weekly habit to post, comment, and endorse your connections on LinkedIn. Update your status regularly. Share thoughtful/insightful news within your industry.
- Give others Endorsements: Endorsements may influence how you appear in LinkedIn searches by users looking for similar people or results. Multiple billion endorsements have been received since LinkedIn’s initiation! The expected number of endorsements per LinkedIn client is five. It is a simple method for being better in search results than expected!
Creating a professional LinkedIn account has many benefits, but it also requires a bit of work. If you feel like you’re still lacking the motivation and drive to start implementing it, need more inspiration, or feel overwhelmed by all this information – then our HireMeExpress workshop is just what you need. And if you’re unsure, we also offer a regular free online workshop series on this topic.
Sign up here to download our free HireMeExpress guide for finding a job in Switzerland as a lifestyle expat, and don’t miss the next Master Class. on Thursday, 20 March 2025, from 12 PM to 1.30 PM CET.
About the Author
Nabeha Latif is a Digital Media/Branding Consultant specialising in leveraging online marketing channels to achieve desired goals. Since majoring in digital marketing, she has collaborated with organizations such as the UN, Ali Baba Inc., Uber, UNESCO, and UNDP. She is also actively involved in providing business development services related to marketing.
Your Time to Shine: 6 Tips to Create a Strong LinkedIn Profile
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