Why You Need to Keep your LinkedIn Profile Current

Your LinkedIn profile is a living professional portfolio that reflects your ongoing career development and can be the first step toward developing your own personal brand online.
An updated profile is very important, as it allows you to showcase your current professional achievements, maintain a strong network, stay visible to potential employers, and readily connect with people in your industry, increasing your chances of finding new opportunities and staying relevant in the job market.

And here is what is important to know: Recruiters use LinkedIn to source and find candidates for jobs they are trying to fill. One of the first filters they use is to find people that have been active on LinkedIn within the past 30-60-90 days. They do not want to waste their sourcing efforts and time on people that may no longer be available. So, it makes sense to tweak your profile regularly, to show that activity has occurred. Active profiles always rank higher when recruiters use their own corporate search engines such as LinkedIn Recruiter or Navigator.

You can also update your LinkedIn profile when you start a new job, complete a project, or add a new skill or certification. So, say you have a new job. When should you post the update? There is not one perfect time to do it. However, recruiters believe the best time to update your profile with a new job is about two weeks after you have started your new position.

It is never too late to update your profile. This is especially true if you are only updating your experience section and not making a separate announcement post. However, do not wait too long, as the longer you wait to update your profile, the less relevant your update will be.

Now what about your photo? Make sure to keep your photo updated at least once a year. It will tell your business community you are in the job market and show that you are up to date with technology.

Is it time for you to create or update your LinkedIn profile? Check out the Social Media category in our Virtual Resource Room at Calgary Career Hub for relevant and interesting tips.