7 Ways Veterans Can Boost Their LinkedIn Profile Views
Tips to Help You Stand Out
Yes, you’ll need to take a new photo.
Many veterans are able to use their established network of service members to help them decide where to go to college, what to study or even to find a part-time job when they are transitioning. The really savvy ones have been building connections to their network's network for career advancement years down the road.
And as these veterans move into the world of higher education, they may find more people they want to add to their network, using the ever-changing world of social media. Beyond the videos of TikTok and the photos on Instagram, there's a whole social media platform designed just for professional networking. Yes, we're talking about LinkedIn.
Many veterans already have a profile, but it may not be generating any networking leads. So, it’s time to do a little polishing. Here are seven profile tips for veterans that you should get to work on, right now.
LinkedIn Profile Tips for Veterans
1. Change the photo.
No more uniform photos, please. No selfies, no family photos, you need a professional-looking headshot. You can take one of these yourself, but it needs to not look like a selfie. At the very least, have someone else take the photo for you.
2. And use a background photo.
Yes, another photo. But this one can be much less complicated. You want to use a photo here because if not, the default is a boring white/blue pattern. Consider a landscape shot or even one of the custom images that LinkedIn is using that month.
3. Updated your location.
It's important for those following you to know where you are looking for work or where you are attending school. Add your current city and state or if you're moving within the next month, change it to that one. If you're open to relocation, make sure you include that in your headline or summary.
4. Write a headline.
The headline is the first thing people will see. You want it to be clear and concise and answer the question, "why am I here and what do I want?" For example, Military Logistician, Seeking Opportunities in Supply Chain Management. You want to stand out, but keep in mind that you don’t need to overuse military terms to do that.
5. Use civilian terms.
Read through the information you're putting into your profile. Will your mom understand it? If there are acronyms, decide if you really need to use them and if so, spell them out. Describe your military jobs in a way that anyone will understand. You cannot copy and paste from your latest evaluation; you have to tell people what that actually means.
6. Focus on results.
You'll hear this in every resume writing class, and it's true on LinkedIn as well. Don't just state what your job was, tell the reader what you accomplished. Did you successfully transport a company to and from Afghanistan with millions of dollars of equipment? Say that instead of "commanded company on deployment." Be specific in the results that relate to the field you want to work in.
7. Connect with others.
You don't have to accept every invitation on LinkedIn, but you should be strategic with those you do. Find people in your field with whom you have a mutual connection or a shared interest that can connect you. Learn to distinguish between spam and sales profiles and deny those. Join groups, participate in conversations.
Start building your LinkedIn Profile today and start connecting with other veterans and classmates as you build your network for future opportunities.
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