I remember back in high school, people would post pictures of their prom dresses to make sure nobody wore the same dress as them. Why? They wanted to stand out!
If we do this for a single event that's a few hours long, why don't we do this for something on a much bigger scale? Say...the job search?
I see many LinkedIn users who have the generic LinkedIn cover photo - this doesn't help you stand out. This is like wearing the exact same dress to prom as everyone else.
Your cover photo is prime real estate for you to be different and stand out! I'll showcase a few examples that use the cover photo space quite effectively and two awesome websites that can help you with designing your cover photo!
EXAMPLE 1: Ali
Ali does a great job here at drawing in the viewer's attention.
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You know right away that Ali is working in the digital marketing space. This is helpful for employers as they don't need to guess. This also helps Ali's network know to keep an eye out for digital marketing roles for Ali.
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You see Ali's smile which creates an appeal and makes the viewer feel like Ali is a nice person and could be someone you may want to work with.
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There's a call to action to connect with Ali and view the linked website to learn more. 9 times out of 10, I'm looking up that link to learn more about Ali.
EXAMPLE 2: Rahees
Rahees takes a different approach here but still accomplishes the goal of standing out.
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Including numbers adds credibility, making Rahees a more attractive candidate.
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Mentioning passions such as photography, real estate, and stocks provides a full picture of their personality, beyond just professional titles.
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A clear call to action for employers who are looking for a star performer.
EXAMPLE 3: Maggie
Maggie opts for a scenic photo rather than text, which is arguably more visually appealing.
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It creates a conversation starter for those curious as to the whereabouts of the location.
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It draws people in with similar interests (travel, mountains, city life, photography).
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People who have been here are more likely to reach out and break the ice.
From these examples, I hope you can see that there isn't a single, correct way to use the cover photo space, as long as you are doing just that - USING IT!
Now that you've seen some examples, it's time to make your cover photo! I recommend using Canva to design your cover photo.
Now the one problem with LinkedIn cover photos is that your profile picture will cover part of it. Instead of tedious trials and errors, you can check out this cool website where it easily shows you which part of your photo will be covered.
If you found this helpful and want to learn more about optimizing your LinkedIn profile, you can enroll in my Leveraging LinkedIn course which will give you 24 modules full of videos, templates, and experiential learning assignments to help you elevate your game and stand out in the recruiting process!