LinkedIn is a great tool for people to use when it comes to their professional life; the site is a way for businesses and people to connect. Whether you are looking for a job or just building your online professional profile, it is a platform that helps consolidate all your skills, experience, and education to one place online for others to see. The site allows for professionals to network with one another and builds potential business relationships.
Getting Started
According to the article “48 Eye-Opening LinkedIn Statistics,” LinkedIn has over 500 million members, and of those, 260 million are logging in on a monthly base. A common mistake being made by users is they are not creating a proper first impression; signing up and just filling out the sections is not good enough for your online presence. LinkedIn can be used similarly to Facebook; liking, commenting, joining groups, and more are all ways you can increase your profiles presence.
The following image is a representation of the essential levels when building your LinkedIn profile and network. Making sure that your LinkedIn profile is visible to others is important when companies are looking for potential candidates they now turn to the internet and conduct a search; what if you don’t come up on that search or your profile is bland? When companies google you, this gives you a chance to make a good first impression, but if you aren’t visible, you miss that opportunity. Another critical thing to remember is that you need to participate, connect, and build meaningful relationships; just having a profile is not enough to generate a strong network.
When people go to search for you online, there is a possibility of them having the incorrect spelling of your name, so when they go to search for you, you don’t appear. A tip given from author Bert Verdonck in the video LinkedIn Profiles for Social Business Success, have a section in your profile that has commonly misspelled versions of your name this way when your name is searched the algorithms pick it up, even if it is misspelled. If you have a nickname, it is also a good idea to have that in brackets behind your full first name, i.e., Jennifer (Jenn) LaFrance.
Having a professional picture on your profile is a good way for you to create a connection with someone; however certain things should be avoided when selecting your profile picture. A LinkedIn profile picture should not have other people in it or animals; the image should be a headshot and a current photo of you, not from 10-20 years ago.
A professional headline is another essential feature that can be used on your LinkedIn profile; this gives people a chance to stand out and show profile visitors a bit of personality. Some tips from author Bert Verdonck on creating an eye-catching headline:
• Add something you have in common
• Tell them something unexpected
• Use dividers I Increase readability
• Use your 120 characters wisely
The next step in making sure your profile is on the right path is by adding your location and industry. These two fields are important to have filled out because it helps you build a beneficial network and increases your chances of others finding you.
Your Contact Information
Email address –> LinkedIn selects the email address you use, but if this is not your primary professional address, it is important to update it.
Phone Number –> having your current phone number is essential for others that want to contact you.
Address –> the address field allows you to enter multiple addresses. Having a physical address can help when you are setting up meetings and having someone meet you. If you are based out of different locations, this gives you a chance to enter the various addresses for others to see.
Instant Message –> including your professional IM account is a way for your connections to find you on other communication platforms such as Skype.
Remember, only your connections can see your contact information!
Your Summary
The summary field is a critical part of your profile that entices visitors to read on and learn more about you as a professional.
Possible content that you can include is:
• overview of your organization and department
• a small summary of what you do at your company
• details about you so visitors can get to know you a bit better (personal branding)
Media such as videos are a way to catch visitor’s attention and show them what types of professional topics interest you. Multimedia increases the chance that visitors will continue onto the next steps of your profile.
Your Experience
Under your profiles experience section, it is essential not just to post content like it is just a resume; you want to display your results of what it is that you have done in the past and what you currently do. Just like under your summary it this is a place that should include a little overview of your company and inform visitors about what your organization does.
Job titles can be very vague and mean many different things so under your experience you can have a detailed summary about what you do on a day to day basis. You can include other bits of information such as achievements and milestones you have had with the organization. This section allows you to inform visitors about the responsibilities you have; by displaying evidence of your accomplishments and duties, this shows them that you are proud of your work.
We can’t forget about your previous work experience, having your work history shows readers where you came from and can give them insight into your skills and capabilities. Here you will want to list your duties, describe your role, provide examples of achievements, and tell the reader what you learned from your past position. Keywords are critical in attracting your target audience so make sure you think about what ones best represent you and your previous roles.
Visuals can be beneficial to your profile especially when visitors are browsing people quickly. Presentations, infographics, pictures, and videos are examples of visual stimulants that can be included on your profile.
The following two sites are good resources to check out when it comes to including visuals on your profile.
https://www.slideshare.net/ –> “Discover, Share, and Present presentations and infographics with the world’s largest professional content sharing community” (Slideshare, 2019).
https://embed.ly/ –> “The most effective platform on the web to engage your audience through rich media embeds. Get features like images, video, polls, slideshows, music, live video, forms, gifs, infographics and more automatically” (Embed.ly, 2017).
Create Your Own Brand
LinkedIn profiles have a section that allows you to list individual honors and awards that you may have; only include professional honors that are relevant to your field. Include who awarded you, the date you received the award, and a small summary of the award.
LinkedIn is also a section where you can write articles about your knowledge and expertise and then post the article. People can set up alerts to be informed when you publish new articles and as you build your network more and more people will be able to read your articles. Writing content for your profile can be beneficial and help develop your professional brand.
Other accomplishments that you can include on your profile are:
Skills and Recommendations
Showcasing your skills on your LinkedIn profile is an essential aspect of your profile but remember, only include skills that are relevant and real. Avoid skills that are not professional and don’t bother with “buzz words” like motivated and passionate. A list of professional skills can help with a visitor’s first impression of you and help make you stand out. A recommendation for this section is to select some skills that are general and others that are more specific.
“A recommendation is a statement that is written by a LinkedIn member to recognize or commend a connection, such as a colleague, business partner, or student. People who view your profile will often read the recommendations you’ve received from your connections to see what others have to say about your work” (Recommendations Overview, 2018).
Recommendations can be helpful to people who are visiting your profile but be careful not to include ones that are not going to be beneficial to the overall impression you are trying to give. Include ones that are detailed and provide evidence; a good profile should have at least five recommendations so if you don’t have any now is the time to start.
How do you ask for recommendations? If you are ok with asking someone for a recommendation, go for it, but don’t put them in an awkward position where they feel obligated, give them an out if they don’t feel comfortable writing one; you can also just let them happen organically.
Your Education
Adding your education to your profile is another way for you to build your network; fill out all fields that you can and make sure they are accurate. If you have other diplomas or degrees add them as well, don’t just include your education that relates to your industry. You can also list any certifications and courses you have completed, any training that you have is worth noting down.
Make the Most of Your Personality
LinkedIn has the stigma of just being a professional profile, but it is ok to add personal elements that represent who you are. Being relatable and showing those visiting your site that you are also human and have a personality behind the computer. Make sure your profile personality fits with your target audience and is going to help you in reaching your professional goals.
Add your volunteer history as well! This shows others that you are a caring person and that you take time out of your work and personal life to help others and your communities.
Extra Strategies to Stand Out
SEO and Keywords:
Keywords are words that are relevant to your target audience and help people find you when they search these keywords. Here is an example of a word that has many different variations that could be entered differently when someone is searching LinkedIn.
Groups:
Engaging with others on LinkedIn is a way for you to reach out to others and increase your network. Asking questions and generating content maximizes your chances of being seen and found on LinkedIn and helps you build potential professional relationships.
Follow Influencers:
LinkedIn influencers are leaders, thinkers, and innovators that generate popular content online and converse on big world topics. Some influencers that made LinkedIn top voices in 2018 list are Richard Branson, Melinda Gates, and Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau. Following influencers can be inspiring and educational for you! Take a look at LinkedIn to see who would interest you in following.
Control your visibility and privacy settings:
Under your account setting on LinkedIn make sure you have all your email addresses listed if you have more than one. They can be used to log into LinkedIn with the same password which is a handy tool. You can also edit your public profile so it can be found when people are searching online. Take the time to go through your account settings; you want to get optimal exposure and be visible to those searching.
Conclusion
LinkedIn is an excellent platform to use even if you aren’t on the lookout for a new job. As you have read, there are many steps in building a professional, but an eye-catching profile and I hope you have learned some great tips on improving your profile.
After completing the LinkedIn Profiles for Social Business Success video I went and made improvements to my profile. There are many levels to LinkedIn and various sections that you can fill out that will help in growing your network and connections.
A personal goal of mine is to improve my profile more and more each week and grow my network. You can find my LinkedIn profile at –> www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-jenn-lafrance-68a858102
References:
Recommendations Overview. (2018). LinkedIn Help. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/90/recommendations-overview?lang=en
Roth, D. (2018, November 13). LinkedIn Top Voices 2018: Influencers. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-top-voices-2018-influencers-daniel-roth/
Verdonck, B. (2017, February 3). LinkedIn Profiles for Social Business Success. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.lynda.com/LinkedIn-tutorials/LinkedIn-Profiles-Social-Business-Success/512777-2.html
Jennifer LaFrance 