LinkedIn is one of the most popular social media platforms for professionals. It’s an essential tool for the modern nurse; it allows networking and forging connections between those in the same field. One of the things that an employer looks at is your professional LinkedIn profile. Keeping your LinkedIn fresh, professional, and appealing can be challenging, but these tips will help redefine yourself.

5 tips for making a professional nurse LinkedIn profile

The right photo is extremely important

A professional photo on LinkedIn is often the first impression potential employers or colleagues will have of them. A well-taken and polished photo can convey a sense of competence, professionalism, and trustworthiness.

Clean backgrounds should be used — preferably white. Wear your best professional attire and sport a neutral face. Make sure you look sharp and professional. This can help set you apart from others and make your profile stand out in a crowded job market. 

Leaving a great first impression will make it more likely for employers to remember you when considering people for a job or networking opportunity. 

A professional photo can be a valuable key to giving employers an excellent first glimpse at who you are as a nurse.

Make a headline with a hook

The headline on your LinkedIn profile is one of the first things possible recruiters see. Headlines with a hook will help engrave you in their minds and entertain and intrigue them.

It's an opportunity to impact and stand out from the crowd. You can choose to be creative and playful with your headline or keep it simple with your job title and last employer.

To maximize its potential, consider incorporating keywords relevant to your industry and align with recruiters' terms when searching for professionals like you.

Doing so increases your visibility and makes it more likely that recruiters will find and remember you.

Plug in keywords related to nursing

Incorporating nursing-related keywords into your profile to increase your chances of ending up on a recruiter’s or employer’s LinkedIn page is essential. 

Create a list of keywords from job postings and descriptions and then incorporate them throughout your profile. 

This will ensure that your profile is more likely to be pulled up when recruiters are searching for professionals with specific skills. 

Using the same terminology that recruiters are searching for will paint a clear picture of your expertise and qualifications, making it more likely that they will consider you for job opportunities.

Surf for resources like job descriptions

Job descriptions and nursing job posts are valuable resources when crafting your LinkedIn profile. These sources can provide insight into the type of keywords and phrases commonly used in your field.

To effectively use this information, list the nursing-related keywords and phrases most relevant to your experience and skills.

These can be found in various LinkedIn sources, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics or LinkedIn job boards.

Finding these keywords will make it easier for you to plug in and incorporate them throughout your LinkedIn profile.

Lay out your best achievements

Include quantifiable successes in your LinkedIn profile to give recruiters a tangible reason to consider you for open positions. This can include numbers, statistics, or awards demonstrating your achievements and capabilities. 

This information can help a hiring manager evaluate your qualifications and decide whether you are a good fit for an open job. 

It’s an efficient way to showcase your skills and experience. List down your achievements and pick out the best ones. Make sure that they relate in some form or manner to nursing. These relevant achievements will entice employers.

Providing measurable successes in your profile helps set you apart from other candidates and increases your chances of landing the job you want.

It’s all about me and ‘I’

Many online profiles are written in the third person, which can make them sound impersonal and distant. On LinkedIn, it can be more effective to write your profile in the first person to create a more personal and direct tone. 

Imagine what you would say to a hiring manager in an interview and use that same conversational style in your profile. 

Use ‘I’ instead of ‘she.’ Sentences should be active and showcase you as the doer. This helps to create a connection with the reader and makes your profile more relatable and approachable. It also makes it clear that you have those accomplishments and experiences.

The modern LinkedIn professional

With these tips, there’s no doubt you’ll be able to create an excellent professional LinkedIn profile. As a nurse, you can easily market yourself to employers if you know how to play cards online. Present the best professional version of yourself condensed perfectly, and employers will notice.