- LinkedIn is a powerful platform for people who are looking to start a new business or change career paths.
- The site allows you not only to connect with people in your industry, but also to network with colleagues of colleagues and expand your professional network, just as Facebook suggests you connect with friends of friends.
- For those trying to break into a new industry, LinkedIn is a great way to revamp your professional profile, express your career aspirations, and go a step further than simply updating your resume.
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What if your LinkedIn profile is perfect for conveying what you do now, but not what you want to do? What if you want to do something new — like start a business?
I often hear questions like this from clients. They have a corporate career in, say, finance, but they crave a change. Maybe they want to leave behind the corporate world for the nonprofit world. Maybe they want to do what they do now, but instead as an independent business professional or small business owner.
When the change you crave is to start your own company or to go solo, there are tweaks you can make to your LinkedIn profile to raise your profile, and gain credibility for that next professional adventure. When I was starting my public relations business nearly four years ago, I didn’t have clients lined up out the door. But I made sure to talk up results I’d had with clients I worked for in my corporate communications role, which helped me gain traction.
If you’re yearning for a professional change, here are four ways to change up your LinkedIn profile.