Viewing your LinkedIn profile preview allows you to see what your profile looks like to other LinkedIn members before going live. This helps ensure your profile looks professional and appealing before sharing it more broadly on the platform. Here are some tips on how to view your LinkedIn profile preview.
Why View Your Profile Preview
There are a few key reasons you should view your LinkedIn profile preview before publishing your full profile:
- Catch editing errors or typos.
- Ensure formatting displays properly.
- Check profile photo and background image.
- Verify important information is easy to find.
- Double check experience and education details.
- Test customized URLs.
- Confirm skills and endorsements appear correctly.
Taking the time to review your profile preview can help you fix any issues and optimize your profile before sharing it more widely. This helps convey professionalism right from your profile view.
How to Access Profile Preview
Accessing your LinkedIn profile preview is easy. Just follow these steps:
- Go to your profile page in LinkedIn.
- Click on the “View profile” button under your introductory photo and information.
- This will open a preview of your profile in a new tab.
Once the new tab opens, you will be viewing your profile just as other LinkedIn members see it. One exception is that when you are logged in, you will see an “Edit profile” button at the top. Other viewers would not see this.
What to Look for in Preview
When reviewing your profile preview, look carefully at the following elements:
Profile Photo
Make sure your profile photo is high quality and professional. Look for pixelation issues, awkward facial expressions, distracting backgrounds, and poor lighting. A polished profile photo helps make a great first impression.
Header Background Photo
Similarly, check that your header background photo complements your profile photo and sums up your professional brand. Remove any busy patterns or imagery that distracts from your profile itself.
Headline
Read your headline carefully. This short tagline should highlight your current role and professional focus. Use keywords where appropriate.
Location
Verify your location is correctly listed. This signals where you are based and available for career opportunities.
About Section
This summary of your background should be inviting and easy to digest. Use concise paragraphs with plenty of whitespace. Ensure important information comes first.
Experience
Check that experience entries are up-to-date and filled out completely. Start with your most recent position. Include key achievements and skills gained at each role.
Education
Confirm all degrees, certifications, and training are correctly listed. Start with your highest degree first. Include relevant coursework or activities.
Skills
The skills section should represent your strongest competencies and expertise. Limit to around 10-15 skills. Ensure icons display properly.
Recommendations
Read what others say about working with you. This social proof builds your credibility. Thank recommenders by endorsing them back.
Profile Custom URL
Test any custom URL you created for your profile. Make sure it is working and easy to remember.
Call-to-Action Buttons
Check visibility and language of any call-to-action buttons like “Contact” or “Follow.” Remove ones you don’t need cluttering your profile.
Overall Flow
Read your full profile preview from top to bottom. Make sure information flows in a logical order and is easy to scan. Adjust sections as needed.
How to Edit Your Profile Preview
If you spot any changes you want to make based on the profile preview, editing your profile is straightforward:
- Click the “Edit profile” button at the top of the profile preview.
- This will open your profile page for editing.
- Make any updates to sections, media, content, or settings.
- Click “Save” at the top when done.
- Review the profile preview again to confirm changes.
Be sure to toggle between editing your profile and viewing the preview until everything looks right.
Preview on Mobile
In addition to previewing on a desktop, check how your LinkedIn profile looks on mobile as well. Toggle to mobile view in the preview tab to ensure content renders well on smaller screens. Mobile is critical since almost 70% of LinkedIn usage is via mobile app.
Do a Final Check Before Publication
Once your profile looks great, there are just a few final steps before fully publishing your profile and sharing it with your network:
- Triple check for any spelling, grammar, or formatting errors.
- Review all profile content from an outside perspective.
- Ask a friend or colleague to review your profile as another set of eyes.
- Test any customized profile links again.
- Confirm your profile photo and background image look polished and professional.
Taking this final pass ensures your profile makes the fantastic first impression you want when people view your page.
Enable Public Profile Setting
When ready to fully publish your profile, you simply need to adjust your privacy settings:
- Go to your LinkedIn Account settings.
- Select “Profile visibility”.
- Choose the option for “Make my profile visible to everyone”.
- Save changes.
Your profile is now public and shareable!
Promote Your Profile
To spread the word that your LinkedIn profile is ready to view, you can:
- Share the profile link prominently on other social media profiles.
- Let your professional network know your profile is ready to connect with.
- Update any online professional bios to direct people to your LinkedIn.
- Ask current clients, vendors, or partners to follow your profile.
- Claim a unique LinkedIn profile URL for easy sharing.
Promoting your new LinkedIn profile helps extend your professional personal brand and makes it easy for the right audiences to find and connect with you.
Keep Your Profile Fresh
Don’t just set up your LinkedIn profile and leave it! Update it regularly to keep the content fresh, complete, and compelling. Here are some tips:
- Add any new roles, education, or certifications when they occur.
- Expand key sections like your summary, experience, and skills as they grow.
- Rotate out older positions that are less relevant now.
- Change featured projects, publications, or volunteer work over time.
- Regularly update skills to accurately reflect your current competencies.
- Ask for new recommendations periodically.
Aim to give your profile a thorough refresh every 6-12 months as your career progresses. This keeps your brand polished and professional!
Conclusion
Reviewing your LinkedIn profile preview is a critical step before fully publishing your page. It allows you to perfect your profile by catching errors, improving formatting, updating details, and enhancing content. Take advantage of the preview to polish your profile before sharing it broadly across the largest professional networking platform. Keep your page dynamic and up-to-date to maintain your desired brand throughout your career journey.