When is the right time for a LinkedIn profile update?

How do you know when it is time for a LinkedIn profile update?

You may wonder when you should make changes on your LinkedIn profile. How often?

LinkedIn is a website

What does that mean? LinkedIn, like other websites, needs constantly changing content to rank highly. You are one of 500 million users of this business-focused social network, according to Barb Darrow in this article published on Fortune, entitled LinkedIn Claims Half a Billion Users published in April 2017.

Additional interesting information:

The 500 million users come from more than 200 countries. LinkedIn lists more than 10 million active job posts and data on more than 9 million companies, according to a blog post by Aatif Awan, vice president of growth and international products for the Mountain View, Calif.-based company.

Getting lost in the shuffle

As a user of LinkedIn, you will get more visits if you change your content periodically, refreshing your content to make sure it is still in tune with your career goals.

You will also get more visits if you are present. Visit LinkedIn  regularly, “like” posts, share meaningful content, comment on articles fitting your brand, and if so inclined, write compelling content on the LinkedIn blogging platform.

If you have not had a LinkedIn profile update since you set up your profile, you are probably due.

7 clues it is time for a LinkedIn profile update

1. You have a new job. (Wait for a month to announce just to make sure it is a good fit, unless your employer wants an immediate update.)
2. You have new education or certifications.
3. Your skills have changed.
4. You have new accomplishments within your job. After six months on the job, accumulate stories you can talk about on LinkedIn. Your LinkedIn content should tell what you do, use the industry standard keywords for your particular work, and show results.
5. You are promoted. Celebrate your promotion with a robust announcement of your successes.
6. You never wrote your summary. If the summary area is woefully empty, it is time to craft a story of who you are.
7. You don’t have a LinkedIn profile. If this is you, you need to recognize that in today’s economy, no job is forever.

I include LinkedIn profile writing and coaching in all of my packages because I consider a LinkedIn presence critical to today’s job seeker.

Is it time for you to get your resume (the foundation of job search) and LinkedIn ready for the next opportunity? Or as many of my clients choose, are you preparing your resume and LinkedIn as an insurance policy if something changes with your employment. It never hurts to be ready.