Image Source: Animation by Will – iamwill.co.uk
Why join LinkedIn?
You can use LinkedIn to find out about job opportunities, research, network and to develop your personal brand. The level of benefit you derive from the site is dependent on how well you maintain your LinkedIn profile.
Absolute Basics
• Your profile needs a good photograph.
• A head and shoulders picture with a plain background is best.
• Use the name that you are most commonly known by.
• List all previous jobs and educational details.
• Keep information up to date.
Headline and Summary
• The headline is critical. It goes right under your name.
• Identify your profession or speciality in your headline – not your current job.
• Use the summary section to prompt people to look through your whole profile.
• Be concise in the summary and don’t say things that are elsewhere.
• Highlight specialities you have in the summary section.
Key Words
• Keywords reflect what a person does and her/his expertise. They are used by recruiters and employers when they do LinkedIn searches.
• Decide on the 4 to 5 keywords that reflect you.
• Ensure your keywords all feature in each of the five key areas of your profile. These are your headline, your summary, your specialities, your current job and your previous one.
Networking
• Connect with people you know and knew in the past.
• Get and stay involved in chats with connections.
• Seek recommendations and offer to provide recommendations.
• Provide skills and endorsements. In return, you’ll receive ones.
• Join groups and get involved in discussions.
LinkedIn – How good is your profile?
Maintain your profile
You can use LinkedIn to find out about job opportunities, research, network and to develop your personal brand. The level of benefit you derive from the site is dependent on how well you maintain your LinkedIn profile.
Top Section
• Have you included a good photograph?
• Are you using the best name possible?
• Are job seeking efforts well served by the headline in your profile?
• Does the ‘Education’ summary capture what is most important?
• Have you a personalised URL?
Summary Section
• Does your summary section tell an interesting outline story?
• This section is best written in the first person. Is yours?
• Is your text segmented – in paragraphs and with headings?
• This section should have a call for action. Does yours?
• Does your summary provide contact details – such as your email address?
Experience Section
• Is information about each job distilled to the minimum possible?
• Are recommendations in place for all recent employments?
• Have best names been used for all previous employers?
• Do previous job titles reflect appropriate career progression?
• If you’ve had many short term jobs, have you merged these?
Important
• Are you using the most appropriate key words?
• Were key words inserted without compromising the text they were incorporated into?
• Is your profile largely free of typos?
• Are your settings appropriate – such as visibility of your contacts?
• Have you connected with enough people and joined enough groups?
Image Source: Animation by Will – iamwill.co.uk