‘Creator Mode,’ Pronoun Fields, and More Exciting LinkedIn Updates
LinkedIn continues to prove that it’s more than a job-searching tool. It’s transforming into a creator-first platform before our very eyes. This week, the business-focused site announced several updates that will allow its users to showcase more of their personal style while networking and spotting job opps. From a “Creator mode” to pronoun options, here’s what you can expect when these updates start going live globally this week.
Video Cover Story
Is the Cover Story the new cover letter? If this new feature takes off, it might just be. According to LinkedIn’s announcement, this new tool will allow you to “personalize your ‘hello’ so you can speak directly to followers and potential employees about your skills and interests. Once you’ve created a Cover Story, an orange ring will circle around your profile photo and a video preview will auto-play sans sound. (See it in action here.)
“According to a recent U.S. survey* almost 80% (76%) of hiring managers believe seeing a pre-recorded video of a job seeker would be useful,” says LinkedIn. “If you’re a freelancer, you can attract new clients by using a Cover Story to talk about your services. You can now create a dedicated Service Page right from your Profile, giving you more reach to LinkedIn’s global community of nearly 740 million members.”
Pronouns Option
Another update coming to Profile pages will be an optional field for your preferred pronouns (i.e. he/him, she/her, they/them). Should you want to showcase your pronouns, they will appear next to your display name in slightly smaller font. According to LinkedIn, “70% of job seekers believe it’s important that recruiters and hiring managers know their gender pronouns, and 72% of hiring managers agree and believe it shows respect.”
Creator Mode
Finally, LinkedIn will introduce a “creator” version of profiles to better serve those who aren’t traditional business owners, job-seekers, or entrepreneurs. This feature will prioritize profile fields that emphasize conversation and connection instead of job skills.
For example, “you can add hashtags to indicate what topics you post about the most…”It will move your Featured and Activity sections to the top of your Profile to more prominently display your content, and change the ‘Connect’ button to ‘Follow,’ to help you engage your community and build a following.”
Additionally, your profile background will show LinkedIn Live broadcasts at the moment you start streaming to increase visibility and, hopefully, engagement.
If it’s been awhile since you updated your LinkedIn profile, here are a couple of other things to keep in mind as you optimize your account.
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