What’s the most important part of your LinkedIn profile?

It’s that top few inches. Your profile pic, your banner, and your “About” section. Because unless you hook the reader there they probably won’t read any further.

Getting the profile pic right is easy. It should be reasonably recent, professional, and a good resolution. I’ve seen bad selfies, and I’ve seen portraits that look 20 years old. Both give the impression that maybe you don’t care that much about the details, or your standards are low. If budget is a concern, many trade shows and conferences will have someone doing professional head shots for free. So look out for those and prepare appropriately.

The “About” section should be pretty straight-forward too. Some combo of what you do (or aspire to do), the problems you solve, the value you add - and so on. A cut down version of your personal positioning statement can be great here. No need to reinvent the wheel…

Which leaves us with the banner. Arguably the most important of the three. Because it’s the biggest, most striking piece of real estate you have in your whole profile. Which begs the question….why do so many people waste it? 

I get that some people want to express themselves, show a bit of their character, or spotlight their life beyond the cubicle. I’ve also seen some that are professionally produced, but add nothing. They’re slick and professional, but they look like a business card. Handing someone a business card while you’re talking to them is great. But LinkedIn isn’t that. People see your profile when you’re not there. Ever.

If you want to get hired, make that banner work for you. Write something short that will instantly engage and make the reader want to learn more about you as a professional. Once you have those words, use a free Canva

account to make your banner. The right sized templates are already there, it’s easy. And you get to add Canva to the list of skills on your resume too!