A fee days ago I received a message on LinkedIn from a director of a financial group. Earl, the director looked through my profile and was “thoroughly impressed.”
What’s even more exciting was the potential job offer he hinted at. He explained how his company is expanding and he asked if we could meet up to see if I would be a good fit.
Pretty awesome right? All from updating my LinkedIn.
Polishing your LinkedIn is one of the tasks Praxis has their students complete and there’s a good reason why they emphasize on creating an appealing profile.
Here’s why.
For one, it shows more information about your skills, experience, and personal interests. Compare that with a traditional resume, which limits you to just one page.
Think of LinkedIn as Facebook for professionals. It’s an invaluable (and free!) networking tool and it’s basically one big resume.
So what did I do to make my profile appealing?
Start with the following.
- Take a professional headshot. The background should not be distracting, a plain color or simple texture is fine. I chose a background with vines since I wanted to follow the nature theme I had on my website.
- A cover photo is recommended but not required. I’d go for one because it’s an opportunity to show your personal side. My friend loves music so she added a photo of her playing the guitar. Employers also want to see a personality behind that resume so don’t be afraid to show your hobbies.
- Add your work experience AND write a description of what you did in each job. Bonus points if you name an example of how you created value for the business. Take a look at my profile for inspiration.
- If you’ve written an article or book and got it published you should include it. I wrote a FEE (Foundation for Economic Education) and linked it to my profile. Publications are impressive and will make you stand out because few entry-level people accomplish that.
- Get at least three recommendations from your bosses, not your professors or coaches or anyone you haven’t worked with. This will lend you more credibility.
- If you have any certifications, list it.
To get a better idea of what an ideal LinkedIn looks like (shameless plug I know) check out my profile, it’s linked on my website, just click the menu tab. If you’re on a desktop it’ll be to your left.
Good luck in polishing your LinkedIn!