Are you finally ready to fully utilize that LinkedIn profile? It may seem like a daunting task considering how many people are on the platform, but learning how to create the perfect LinkedIn profile will help you grow your professional network. LinkedIn connections may come easily, but truly connecting with individuals who can help you land your dream job is a much more intensive task.
In order to catch the eye of potential clients, network with fellow cloud computing professionals, or simply flaunt your projects and personal work, you’ll need a strong profile. That said, Ironhack has a number of tips to help you create the perfect LinkedIn profile for a cloud computing professional.
Why Use LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is a powerful professional networking platform that offers users the opportunity to stay updated on industry trends, explore job opportunities, and to grow their professional network. The platform is structured such that users post, expand their visibility, and receive valuable feedback from peers and clients.
Here are a few other benefits of the platform:
Networking: LinkedIn offers the platform for one to connect with peers, colleagues, and industry experts, expanding your possibility to access these “hidden job markets” and increase your collaborations and partnership opportunities.
Visibility: a well-designed LinkedIn profile displays your skills, experience, and achievements. It operates as an online resume, allowing you to publicize your expertise in a given field or files.
Knowledge sharing: LinkedIn facilitates knowledge sharing through hosting various groups and forums for discussion on industry trends, insights, and asking questions. Participating in these discussions helps users stay up-to-date on the latest industry developments and learn from the experiences of others.
Job opportunities: ultimately, many companies use LinkedIn to recruit talent. Having a strong presence on the platform increases your chances of being discovered by recruiters and allows you to get a sense of the job opportunities that exist. You can also actively search for job postings and apply directly through the platform.
Helpful Hints for All LinkedIn Profiles
Now that you’re convinced that creating a quality LinkedIn profile is necessary, let’s delve into the specific steps to do just that. Here are a few helpful hints to improve any LinkedIn profile:
Professional profile picture: use a high-quality, professional-looking headshot as your profile picture. A clear and friendly image helps make a great first impression.
Compelling headline: the headline is a 220 character tagline designed to capture the attention of potential clients or fellow professionals in the industry. Write a descriptive and concise headline that exhibits your expertise. For example, “Cloud Computing Specialist, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, DevOps Enthusiast.”
Detailed summary: craft a compelling summary that outlines your skills, experience, and career aspirations. Use keywords related to your industry in order to be easily discoverable by recruiters and peers.
Work experience: include all your experience, including roles, responsibilities, and achievements. Focus on projects and accomplishments related to your field or the industries where you aspire to work.
Skills and certifications: include both hard and soft skills, focus specifically on skills that are relevant to the fields you’re looking to be associated with, and ask your colleagues and clients to endorse those skills in order to improve your profile. In addition, include your educational background and any relevant certifications you may possess in order to increase your profile’s credibility.
Stay active: remember to regularly update your profile with new skills, experiences, and achievements. Engage with your connections by congratulating them on their achievements or sharing thoughtful comments on their posts.
The Perfect LinkedIn Profile for Cloud Computing Professionals
In the realm of cloud computing, for many, your LinkedIn profile is the initial point of contact for job recruiters and other cloud computing professionals. So how should your cloud computing LinkedIn profile look? We’re happy to offer some advice!
Cloud profile picture
Your LinkedIn profile picture, for better or for worse, is the first image that anyone viewing your profile will encounter. That said, it’s crucial to have a professional profile picture that resonates with your expertise in cloud computing. This could be a professional headshot, an image of you engaged in your work environment, or even a photo of your involvement in cloud-related activities. The photo should reflect your unique perspective and visually convey your professional brand. To ensure a strong profile picture, consider these guidelines:
Prioritize clarity: select a high-resolution image where your face is clearly visible. Avoid using filters or background that might distract viewers from your professional demeanor.
Showcase your expertise: if you’re a cloud computing professional, make it known. For example, include subtle indicators of cloud technologies in the background of the photo, communicating your connection to the industry.
Highlight your professionalism: avoid using photos that are taken in non-professional settings or that might be deemed inappropriate in a professional context.
Compelling headline
Your LinkedIn headline, limited to 220 characters, plays a pivotal role in your profile. It should encapsulate your role, expertise, and what differentiates you, catering to potential employers or clients. Follow the following helpful hints in order to create a headline that resonates:
Specify your role: begin with your current job title or position, providing a broad overview of your expertise.
Communicate your unique values: following your title, include a brief description of the value you bring to an organization. Try to display your diverse talents in order to highlight your adaptability and versatility as a cloud computing professional.
Avoid technical jargon: while expertise is necessary, avoid using overly technical language that may alienate those unfamiliar with industry specific terms. You want to bring in a broader audience with your headline.
Keep it fresh: there are millions of generic headlines online that you can easily replicate, but folks viewing your profile will immediately clock those cliches. It's important to craft a headline that feels fresh, authentic, and that genuinely reflects your unique capabilities.
Certifications
Certifications play a crucial role in showing off your expertise. Employers highly value professionals with certifications that validate their knowledge. Displaying these certifications of your cloud computing LinkedIn profile serves as tangible proof of your skills. For cloud computing professionals, notable certifications include:
Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certifications
Microsoft Azure Certifications
Google Cloud Certifications
Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
Certified Cloud Technology Professional (CCTP)
Remember, if you possess multiple certifications, display the ones that best match your career goals and enhance your credibility in the cloud computing industry.
Projects
Beyond your education and specific work experience, it is more and more helpful to exhibit specific projects and hands-on experiences that highlight your expertise and motivation in the field of cloud computing. These could be projects like cloud migration, or optimizing cloud infrastructure for better scalability, performance, and cost-efficiency. Be clear about the roadblocks faced while carrying out these projects and how you surpassed those challenges.
Use language that demonstrates your confidence, initiative, and expertise like, “developed,” “led,” and “created,” as opposed to flat language like, “did,” or “made.”
When adding projects to your profile, make sure you highlight your contributions and quantify your achievements using data. This not only demonstrates your success, but also provides data-backed evidence to support your capabilities.
Summary
Writing a compelling LinkedIn professional summary is important in emphasizing your expertise and attracting relevant opportunities. Your summary should be written in your voice and showcase your personality:
Clearly state your areas of expertise within cloud computing. Whether it’s cloud architecture, cybersecurity, data analytics, or specific cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, be specific about what you excel in.
Share achievements and projects that not only publicize your successes, but your resilience in the face of challenges or the numerical impact you made on a project or organization.
Emphasize what sets you apart from other cloud computing professionals. Whether it’s a unique skill, a pacific certification, or a niche area of expertise, make your unique selling point (USP) very clear to individuals viewing your profile.
Demonstrate continuous learning, the tech industry is ever-evolving, thus, showcasing your commitment to staying updated via certifications, training programs, and other ongoing education efforts is huge to potential employers.
Proofread and edit: it may seem basic, but not enough folks proofread! Ensure that your summary is free from grammatical errors and typos.
Recommendations and endorsements
Recommendations and endorsements on LinkedIn provide social proof of your skills and expertise. This is especially important for cloud computing professionals, as our knowledge is so important to our success in the field:
Specificity is key, the more you offer specific examples relating to your skills, achievements, and the impact you directly made, the more credible your profile is.
Request recommendations from supervisors and clients, it may seem daunting, but it’s what will set you apart. Recommendations from supervisors, managers, or clients speak volumes to your work ethic, leadership skills, and how you’ve personally contributed to the success of projects.
Demonstrate your soft skills and work ethic through endorsements of our soft skills like communication, problem solving, and adaptability. These qualities are ever more valuable in the collaborative world of cloud computing.
Regularly review and update your endorsed skills such that they align with your current expertise. Remove outdated skills and add new ones that you’ve acquired through learning or professional experience.
If you want to brush up on your cloud computing knowledge, or are interested in jumpstarting a career in the industry, then you’re in the right place.
Ironhack offers bootcamps in web development and data analytics that will give you the skills you need to stand out on LinkedIn, the knowledge to nail the interview process, and confidence to secure yourself the cloud computing job of your dreams.
