You may not realize you have the ability to add a large background photo at the top of your LinkedIn profile. It appears behind your profile picture and is like a banner for your personal brand.
When someone lands on your LinkedIn profile, either a friend, recruiter or hiring manager, you want them to remember you. While most viewers will focus on your headshot and headline, your cover photo is one more way to brand yourself. There is still more work to do on your LinkedIn profile to set you apart. Use these ideas to help you create a branded, memorable cover photo.
[See: 16 Things You’re Doing All Wrong on LinkedIn.]
You at work. Do you love your work space or the view from your office window? Snap a photo and use it for your cover.
Feature your industry or occupation. Use a photo that represents your field. For example, if you are in information technology, you could use a technology-related photo like a computer. A graphic designer might use a photo of colorful pencils to represent the concept.
Be a shutterbug. You may have taken a photo of a scenic location, zoomed in on flowers or snapped ancient architecture. If you love taking photos, feature your ability to capture the moment.
Your favorite quote. Is there a quote that serves as your professional compass? Let everyone know. You can either insert the quote over a photo or against a plain background. Just be sure you credit the quote’s author.
Go abstract. Sometimes even an abstract image can be memorable. A staircase, clouds, bubbles or drop of water may be the way to go.
Use key words. You have a set of important skills and attributes you want to make sure people notice. You could create a word cloud containing these key words to reinforce your message.
[See: 10 Ways to Perfect Your Personal Brand.]
Your claim to fame. You may have won employee of the month or some other company or school recognition. Use the photo of you with the award as your cover photo.
Your interests. Have you visited someplace unusual? You could use a photo from one of your excursions as your cover. Or perhaps you’re an avid cyclist, foodie or foreign film buff. Upload a photo representing your favorite activity, either with or without you being featured in the picture.
A collage. Perhaps you have too many interests or professional achievements to feature in a single photo. Create a photo collage using several important pictures.
Use the right size cover photo. LinkedIn recommends using a photo with somewhere between 1000-by-425 pixels and 4000-by-4000 pixels. Other resources recommend you use a horizontal image that is 1400-by-425 pixels. If you don’t understand what a pixel is, in simple terms, it represents the dimensions of the image. To ensure the image you upload looks crisp, size your photo to the exact dimensions. You don’t need photo editing software. You can use Microsoft Paint, or there are free online photo editors available like Canva.com or PicMonkey.com that allow you to set the dimensions of the image you want to create or edit.
[See: 10 Ways Social Media Can Help You Land a Job.]
Sources for photos. As tempting as it may be to search the internet for photos, you should avoid doing this. Most photos and images are protected by copyright, which means you shouldn’t use them without getting permission and providing credit. If you do search online, make sure you look for photos with Creative Commons licenses (CC0), meaning the pictures are free to use for any legal purpose. Pixabay.com and Pexel.com are two searchable sites featuring photos and images anyone can use. You can search those sites by keyword or select a category ranging from animals to travel and everything in between. Have fun exploring these sites and look for an image that grabs your attention.
More from U.S. News
25 Awesome Business Jobs for 2016
How to Brand Your LinkedIn Cover Photo originally appeared on usnews.com
