Why a personalized LinkedIn background is what your profile is missing

Just as you don’t want any of your job search materials looking generic, you don’t want your LinkedIn profile looking generic to a job recruiter or hiring manager. If your LinkedIn profile to serve as a piece of online personal branding that helps you stand out as a professional, one simple step you can take is customizing your background image. “The LinkedIn banner image instantly creates a strong first impression,” says Kyle Nelson, a founder of a product photography and video company. “Not only is it the first visual a visitor is presented with on your LinkedIn page, but it can say a lot about who you are.” If in the past, you hadn’t customized your background image before, you were left with an abstract series of blue dots as your background image. Then in 2020, as part of LinkedIn’s redesign, users were left with a plain grey-on-grey image, which unfortunately, is not a design that is approachable or personalized. “Failing to upload a background image creates a feeling of uneasiness in visitors to your LinkedIn profile. It suggests you’re not contactable and your presence is static,” says Patrick Ward, director of marketing at software company, Rootstrap. Without a background…
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