Are you trying to get your freelance web developer LinkedIn profile noticed? In a sea of skillful professionals, it can feel like it’s hard to use the platform. You might even see a ton of red notification bubbles, connection requests, and an incomplete profile.
Companies that are hiring their next software developer are out there somewhere. If you’re a freelance web developer, you want as many of them as possible dropping on your inbox.
How do you create a competitive LinkedIn profile? Here’s how to optimize your profile to show how good you are at your craft. Not only will you learn web dev profile must-haves, but we’ll also slide you some tips and tricks that can encourage recruiters to get you on board.
1. Upload A High-Quality Headshot
One of the most common issues for web developers and most tech professionals is a bad profile image. The headshot sounds so simple when you think about it but many tend to forget its importance. Some even slap a random passport size image and call it a day; some don’t even add a picture at all!
Put a face on your profile and offer your best look forward. Use a high-resolution image and pick something that looks like you. Find the time to look glowing and happy, with zero distractions in the background. If possible, wear something that you’d be willing to wear at work.
As a freelance web developer, you want to exude your ability to fit in any team as needed. You want to show that you’ll fit in any culture that your skills are needed while showing you’re a consummate professional.
2. Aim For A Complete LinkedIn Profile
Another simple solution that many pros overlook in their LinkedIn profiles is completeness. A fully-accomplished profile with a 100% score nets an “all-star” rating. All-star profiles have as much as 40% higher a chance to land more opportunities compared to incomplete profiles.
With that said, the all-star profile is not only a matter of filling all the boxes for your profile. LinkedIn requires professionals to add a profile picture, headline, experience, industry/location, a summary, skills, education, and at least 50 connections. All these requirements make sense in the grand scheme of things.
As a freelancer, you want more than 50 high-quality connections with at least first-hand knowledge of who you are. Having an all-star profile should help you get more business opportunities.
3. Maximize Your Contact Information
Freelance web developers live and die by their contact information as to their gateway to the world. Your contact info is a vital piece of information that will help recruiters offer business opportunities to you. The standard LinkedIn profile does not show your contacts, but it’s crucial to fill it properly.
Start with your portfolio website. As a web developer, a professionally designed portfolio website does not only show off your capabilities; it also shows your wealth of past experiences.
If you’re looking to work with businesses in your area, add your location. This can help encourage a business to recruit you based on your listed geographical location. You would also want to pick an industry that best matches your experience and the opportunities you want to land.
4. Build A Headline That Resonates With Recruiters
As with any professional on LinkedIn, your profile’s headline is a must to help visitors reading your information. The headline is valuable real estate, telling would-be recruiters what you do and what else you’re capable of. This 120-character phrase is your business card; use it well.
Write something in your headline that will resonate with the recruiters that want to hire your services. Instead of simply listing you’re a web developer, mention your specializations.
How did you benefit your company? What kind of success can you do for anyone who recruits you? Speak the language of the industry and write for your target audience.
5. Tell Your Professional Career Via Your Summary
The summary is another powerful tool that you would need to leverage as a freelance web developer. In your summary, you have 2000 characters to tell your professional career and accomplishments. You want a quick way to make people feel the need to meet you for a potential opportunity.
Attention spans are as short as they come, so keep your summary short too. Tell them what you can do, where your expertise lies, and what you can offer to potential employers. How do you do it?
With your summary, keywords are crucial! Use industry-related language that connects well with your potential employers. Naturally add the coding languages that you know, especially ones that are relevant to your industry picks. Add the years of experience you have with each language and the use cases you have.
6. Experience, Experience, Experience
Whether you like it or not, experience matters – especially in the web development space. A competitive LinkedIn profile means flaunting whatever experience you have. It doesn’t matter if you’re a veteran web dev or fresh from university – you need something that tells employers your experience category.
Some recruiters seek veteran web developers who know their way around several programming languages. Some employers would want rookie web devs they’re looking to integrate into their team. Even then, you want to be clear and prevent misrepresenting your experience through your profile.
Be honest and truthful about what you can and can’t do, but don’t sell yourself short. Represent your experience and what you know. Don’t embellish it! Freelancers rely on trustworthiness, as much as experience and skill, to be marketable.
7. Build A Network of High-Quality Connections
The most crucial elements that set competitive LinkedIn profiles apart are the connections. Much like friends or followers in social media, making connections improves your chances of being found by recruiters and hiring teams. These connections are the backbone of your freelancing career.
For freelance web developers, it’s a must to go beyond 500 quality connections. Having more than 500 connections gets you closer to the all-star profile status. Going beyond 500 connections tells recruiters that you’re a potentially valuable asset with a decent network.
Here’s a pro tip with your profile: go for quantity and quality. Add LinkedIn profiles of people that you know. They can be acquaintances, people you know within the industry, colleagues, or even people you went to school with.
If you’re looking to connect with someone you don’t know, send a small message to say why you’re adding them.