How to Build a Brilliant Linkedin Profile
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The document provides tips for building an effective LinkedIn profile in 20 steps: update your basic info and photo; write a compelling summary and background; customize your URL; add sections and media; connect with contacts; request recommendations; engage with your network by commenting, messaging, and joining groups; use LinkedIn search, jobs, and privacy settings; and keep your profile complete, typo-free, and regularly updated.
How to Build a Brilliant Linkedin Profile
- 1. How to build a brilliant Linkedin Profile Clayton Wehner
- 2. What is Linkedin? • World’s largest online professional network • Started in 2002 in the living room of founder Reid Hoffmann • Currently has more than 10,000 employees with offices in 30 cities globally • Currently has more than 467 million members in over 200 countries and territories (8 million in Australia) • 2 new members per second • Linkedin was bought by Microsoft last year for US$26.2 billion
- 3. This is Linkedin HQ in San Francisco
- 4. Awesome Perks for Linkedin Staff • Free food – breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks • Free drinks, including alcohol any time of the day • On-site barista • Wellness centre, masseurs, group fitness classes and gym • Meditation rooms • Vending machines with computer equipment • No limit to annual leave – take what you like!
- 5. Why should YOU have a Linkedin profile? • It’s your online CV, personal brand and portfolio • It’s a place where you can get independent validation through recommendations/endorsements = trust • It’s the first place that hiring managers and recruiters go to find talent • It will show up when someone searches your name in Google • It’s a great way to cultivate and manage a network • No need to keep a contact book – you can reach all your contacts through Linkedin • It’s a great place to ‘spy’ on other people and on companies
- 8. Do you have a Linkedin account? • If yes, please login! • If no, then there’s no time like the present…please create one
- 9. Keep the basic info up to date • Name – just your first and last name; no nicknames or funny stuff • Headline – highlight your expertise and your value proposition, not your current job (120 characters) • Location – make sure it’s correct • Industry – choose the one that most appropriate • Contact information – email, phone, website
- 10. Make sure your photo is professional • If you have a photo, your profile is fourteen times more likely to be viewed • Use a professional head shot, with you in professional attire • Do not use old photos, casual photos, photos that you would use on a dating site…
- 11. Write a great summary • This is where you ‘sell yourself’ to people viewing your profile; it’s your elevator pitch • 2000 characters max • Build on the professional headline above and provide more detailed information about your key skills, experience and education. • First or third person? Just keep it consistent • Avoid jargon • Don’t ‘oversell’ • Make it sharp, snappy and easy to read
- 13. Add a background photo • You can brand your profile by adding a background photo • Makes your profile look more interesting • Use an image (PNG, JPG, or GIF) with a resolution of 1400px x 425px
- 14. Use keywords from your industry • Search is such an important part of the online experience and it applies to Linkedin too • You should include words and combinations of words in your profile that will be searched for by prospective employers • Use these keywords in your headline and summary in particular • Using the right keywords will expose you to more potential connections and opportunities
- 15. Personalise your Linkedin URL • The default URL that you are given when you create an account is an unwieldy combination of letters, numbers and backslashes. • You can customise your URL so that it reads a little better: eg. https://www.linkedin.com/in/claytonwehner/
- 16. Add sections to your profile •Work experience •Education •Volunteer experience •Skills •Publications •Certifications •Courses •Projects •Honours and awards •Patents •Test scores •Languages •Organisations •Interests
- 17. Create and share media • You have the option to add links, documents, photos, videos, and presentations to all sections in your profile • You can write articles on Linkedin • You can share items on Linkedin – make sure that they’re business related
- 18. Connect with others often • Connect with every existing business contact you have • Connect with people after corresponding for the first time • Connect with people after meeting for the first time • Consider connecting with people in your wider network (eg. 2nd or 3rd level connections) • Consider connecting with people you don’t know – but write a clear justification in your invitation
- 19. Personalise every invitation to connect • “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.” • This is the default message – it is very impersonal and your invitation will likely be ignored • Make your invitations personal – mention where you met or provide some shared context
- 20. Go through ‘people you may know’
- 21. Ask for recommendations • Positive recommendations from other people on your profile can be very powerful • You should ask people that you have worked with for recommendations – use the ‘Ask to be recommended’ button • A good way to get a recommendation is to write one for them, and then ask for one in return
- 22. Tidy up your endorsements • Your connections will endorse you for your business skills • If you don’t want an endorsed skill to appear, you can remove it • Take care – you might not want some of those skills!
- 23. Read your feed and engage regularly • Glance through your home page feed and engage with any posts that are interesting by ‘liking’ or commenting • Use the notifications page to engage with people in your network – eg. congratulate people on new jobs
- 24. Use Linkedin Messaging instead of email
- 25. Check out who’s viewed (‘stalked’) you
- 26. Join Linkedin Groups • Linkedin has thousands of thematic ‘groups’ where you can engage in conversations, ask questions and provide advice. • Find the right groups and become an active participant in the discussions • Don’t sell overtly; use the group to demonstrate your expertise
- 27. Use Linkedin Search • Looking for someone? There’s a good chance they will be on Linkedin • Linkedin’s normal search function is pretty good for searching names in a particular locality • LinkedIn’s advanced search helps you find people by job title, school, relationship, location, industry, current/past company, profile language, and non-profit interests - and combinations of these
- 28. Search for jobs • Linkedin has become a ‘jobs board’ in recent years • Many employers advertise directly on Linkedin • Visit https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/ to search
- 29. Manage your privacy settings • Remember the ‘who viewed my profile’ function?? • Unless you change your own privacy settings in Linkedin, people you visit will know that you have seen their profile • You can change your settings to remain anonymous, if you wish
- 30. Make sure your profile is complete • Keeping your profile fresh and up-to-date will increase your credibility. • You will not appear in Linkedin search results if your profile is not complete • If you’re looking for even more things to improve your profile, try this massive infographic: https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2016/01/build- your-linkedin-profile-from-start-to-finishwith-this-massive- visualguide/
- 31. Check your profile for typos and grammar • A good Linkedin profile can be brought undone by a single spelling or grammatical error
- 32. And we’re done! Any questions?? Clayton Wehner contact@bluetrainenterprises.com.au