How to Change LinkedIn Profile When Laid Off

by Emily Co 0

It's tempting to keep your LinkedIn profile at the bare minimum after being laid off because of shame or other reasons, but it will actually hurt your job-hunting prospects if you choose to do so. Prospective employers will sift through a job candidate's Internet footprint, and LinkedIn will be one of the first places they'll look at. Here are some tips that Sandra A. VanGilder, a New York-based executive coach, shared with Forbes:

• Reach a 100 percent. The first thing you need to do is to make sure your LinkedIn profile is 100 percent complete. Having a solid profile will attract more viewers to your page and make you look more appealing.
• Craft your headline. Use a new headline to portray your dream career rather than your previous one.
• Polish your summary. Have a robust summary that describes your skills and accomplishments. Sandra advises to end the summary with sentences like "Actively pursuing chief administrative officer or chief human resources officer role in a dynamic, collaborative environment," or “Currently seeking to leverage my Equity Floor experience and education into Investor Relations."