Here are some tips I gathered to create a great LinkedIn profile. I hope you find them useful!
What is the point of having a LinkedIn profile?
Most recruiters, hiring managers, and head-huntingcan firms use it as their main database to find candidates. They will be able to see not only your experience but also your interests and learn more about who you are.
When you are establishing business connections or deals, your counterparts would like to know more about you before meeting, and so will you.
You are able to share your thoughts, ideas, and interests with your network.
There are lots of great resources on Linkedin: job boards, pro-finder (freelance work), research reports, articles, etc.
THE IMPORTANCE OF KEYWORDS
Considering that you want to come up in searches, keywords are important to consider. The 3 sections that have the highest weight are 1) Your headline, 2) your About summary 3) Your work experience.
Keywords are those words that link you to a profile. For example, if someone is looking for a Marketing Director with experience in the Pet Food market, that person could write “Marketing AND Director AND Pet Food”. If you had this role but in your company, it was called: “Category Manager”. If none of the words above appear in your profile, then you will not appear in their search. It is important to make sure that all the possible words a recruiter could use to find a profile like yours are integrated somewhere in the 3 sections mentioned above.
Other factors also help you appear higher in searches: number of connections, articles you write, how much you interact with comments, likes, shares, recommendations, etc. Paid members also have a higher score in searches.
YOUR PICTURE
Here are some tips for your profile photo:
Bright/ Light, not dark and black and white picture
Dress professionally if you are a job seeker, shirt, not a T-shirt (unless you are aiming for a highly casual sector or to be a Gym instructor for example)
Look at the camera, make eye contact, and smile! People want to see a friendly face.
Clean background, with not too many objects behind you. It can be your company brand, but few elements.
Close up or half-body, but make sure that we can see your face.
HEADLINE
The headline is the line below your name. It has the highest weight in the keyword search.
You can use this like to place keywords that tell us in a nutshell Who you are: your role, industry, geographic focus, qualification, industry, mission, skills, company. The more specific, the more you can stand out.
Examples:
Marketing Director | Consumer Goods | EMEA | Digital | Multicultural Leader | Strategy | UCLA MBA
Finance Manager | Consulting | Project Leader | Controller | SAP Expert | CPA | MBA
SUMMARY - ABOUT
The summary is a direct and concise set of paragraphs describing who you are. Not too long that the person will not read it, but not too short that it will not provide us with a good hint of who you are.
I recommend that it includes a general overview of your professional experience, skills, what you are working on today, and your mission as a professional or aspirations (if you are a job seeker). At the end, you can add your email address or website, so it is easier for people to contact you (you can also make these visible in your profile, but it takes more clicks).
Example:
15 years of experience in Human Resources Management, Payroll, Learning and Development, and Recruiting. Designed and implemented several projects related to cultural change, high potentials, online learning, mentoring programs, payroll platforms, and employee incentives and retention.
I am currently enrolled in a coaching master course at ABC while searching for job opportunities in (location A). I am also an active mentor to young professionals starting up in their careers.
I am passionate about developing people whether through coaching or developing programs that will help them feel engaged and growing. My experience in multinational companies has helped me gain expertise and passion for highly diverse environments. I am especially interested in working for organizations where people development is a top strategic priority.
You are welcome to connect with me at abcds@gmail.com
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Your experience section should be easy to read and concise. It is not a CV describing all your responsibilities and achievements but just a Teaser. A few lines describing your general responsibility and key achievements. Don’t forget to use those keywords!
Example:
Marketing Category Director- ABC Brands
Led a marketing team of 5 product managers, consumer research, and digital marketing professionals. Responsible for the marketing strategy of 3 brands with 30 million USD in revenues in the US market, managing a budget of 3 million USD per year.
Implemented a new brand and communication strategy for the category which resulted in a sales increase of 20% and increased market share by 2 points in 3 years.
EDUCATION
Under education, I would suggest that you add your extracurricular activities, honors, college jobs, volunteering, and achievements such as rank (if you were a top student) or awards you won.
EXPAND YOUR NETWORK
Start increasing your network, so more people can find you. It is recommended to reach at least 500 to appear in most searches. Pick your network wisely. Focus on the sectors and areas of expertise you want to work with. It is very important to add a note when asking a person to connect, it shows courtesy to the other person to let them know why you are interested in connecting with them, and that they feel special. An example note: "Dear x, I found your profile very interesting and would like to follow your insights. I find your industry/role/company of relevance to my interests/ career progression."
You can also join LinkedIn groups from your university, companies you worked for, industry associations, and common interest groups. This is another way of finding new connections and also being associated with those who share your interests. Once you share the same group, you can send messages to its members without a paid LinkedIn membership.
Follow companies, people, or businesses that you find interesting. It will tell recruiters more about your passions and interests.
For any more questions, contact me or search for many resources out there about Linkedin.
Mai Shimizu
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