Maybe you’re a LinkedIn newbie or maybe you’ve been doing this for awhile also known as a LinkedIn Pro, either way, I’ve got some tips for your profile. Hey, you might know some of these tips and if you don’t, please enjoy. Let’s talk LinkedIn first, though. What’s your purpose on there? Mine is to showcase myself whether it’s my accomplishments, volunteer work, career portfolio, I’m on there to put myself out there and make connections with people that align with my career interests. Maybe you don’t even know what LinkedIn is and you’re actively searching for jobs and internships? Get one. It’s basically an online network that connects you with people in your job-related network plus you get to showcase your resume online without having to send it to a company depending on if a recruiter finds you.
I can rave all day why you should be on LinkedIn but I’m here to give you some tips on your profile. This is what people are going to see and make their first, first impression. You want to sell yourself and show people that you’re worth contacting. This is where people come to see your career path and network, don’t skimp on making your LinkedIn the bomb.
Some people would shy away from bragging about themselves but it’s your profile, do you. You know what you want the share and you have the opportunity to do that with your LinkedIn account.
Here are just a few tips to consider as you put the pieces to the puzzle together.
Clear Profile Picture
This is important — take it from someone that tried to crop a terrible background and ended up with a fuzzy picture once. A clear photo is needed to showcase your lovely face. Whether it’s a professional headshot or a picture that you have someone take one of you, it needs to be something that shows you. I wouldn’t say no to a selfie because let’s be real, you can edit a selfie up and showcase your skill — if you’re in the graphics area, you could spark something creative for your imagine (I wish I was good at stuff like this). Just remember your photo needs to depict you.
Updated Contact Information
Make sure your contact information is updated. Do not have an old email that will give you no leads! Don’t forget to update this stuff because it’s important if someone is trying to reach you. I include my contact information in my resume and it’s on my LinkedIn — I’m 50/50 on this because random recruiters call me in areas that aren’t in my interest and they’re relentless. Be smart like my brother and edit your resume for LinkedIn and suggest that people reach out to you via email to schedule something. Keep your contact information up to date by checking it once a month or every other month. You never know when something is going to change.
Summary
This area in LinkedIn is for you and about you. You can do whatever you want in this area that summarizes you as a person. Whether it’s in first, second, or third person, you need to talk about yourself and your expertise. This is where you summarize all that you’ve done and accomplished. Like I stated before, this is the first, first impression and you need to wow people. Your summary can be witty, it can be funny, it can be whatever describes you and appeals to people viewing your profile. I’ve seen so many people get creative with their summaries and treat them like it’s all or not. Do it, this is all or not. Make someone fall in love with the person you are or appear to be. Share your background and your knowledge, throw in a fact, fun or not, about yourself and your interviewer might just remember that about you. Share yourself, this is your pitch.
Join groups
I’m an advocate of joining groups. These show up on your profile along with your interests and really show your future employer what catches your eye. You never know who you’re going to meet in a group. Groups give you a means to communicate with people and meet people that are in your field. Take a chance and join a group that applies to you. I’m in dozens and I get updates from these groups that apply to my career. They can be helpful, just make sure the group you join is going to be of interest to you. On my end, I’ve learned a lot from the groups that I’m in due to sharing within our community on things that affect digital and social marketing. These groups aren’t a waste of time, you just have to keep up and take a peek every now and then.
Endorsements, Projects, & Examples of Work
Important. Endorsements and recommendations from your peers, present, and past co-workers/professors, they make a difference. I’ve learned that when you give a recommendation, you’ll receive. People like to have those references appear to people that are looking them up and trying to figure out if they’re the right fit. Not only that but you can showcase projects and team projects that you brought to life. I know on my profile, you can see the projects from my last job that were brought to life with the creative department. Projects also fall into examples of work but you can go deeper. Within each career path, you can share media and showcase what you’ve worked on. Don’t by shy, showcase as much as you can.
LinkedIn can be your ticket to your dream job — you keep building and building and someone is going to notice. Don’t ignore the profile that you’ve set up and if you want to show off that online portfolio, make sure you link to it so people can see how great you are at what you do. Make your profile reflect you and show yourself off. There’s no shame in bragging about yourself when it comes down to getting or not getting the job.
Show the people why you deserve that position. Show them with your LinkedIn profile.
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