Design Your Post-Service Career Action Plan: LinkedIn Edition

Welcome to the July edition of our newsletter! This month, we're diving into the world of LinkedIn, a powerful tool to highlight your military experience and attract potential employers. Each week, we'll explore different features of LinkedIn that you can utilize to showcase your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Let's get started with the basics.

Setting Up Your LinkedIn Profile: First Steps

Creating a strong LinkedIn profile is your first step towards building an online professional presence. Here are some actionable steps to help you get started:

Profile Photo: Use a high-quality, professional photo. Dress in business attire and ensure the background is plain and uncluttered.

Background Image: Choose a background image that represents your career goals or personal brand. It could be a relevant industry image or something that reflects your professional interests.

Craft a Compelling Headline: Your headline should be more than just your job title. Include keywords that reflect your career aspirations and expertise.

Example: "Project Manager | Veteran | Leadership & Operations Expert"

Write a Strong Summary: Your summary should be a brief introduction that highlights your background, skills, and what you’re looking for in your next role. Use first person narrative.

Detail Your Experience: Clearly outline your military roles and responsibilities, translating military jargon into civilian terms.? Focus on accomplishments.?

Focus on Transferable Skills: Leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and project management are highly valued in the civilian job market.

List Relevant Skills: Include skills that are in demand in your target industry. LinkedIn allows you to add up to 50 skills, so take advantage of this feature.

Connect with Relevant Professionals: Build your network by connecting with professionals in your desired industry.

Join LinkedIn Groups: Participate in groups related to your career interests to expand your network and engage in discussions.

By following these steps, you'll lay a solid foundation for a LinkedIn profile that effectively showcases your military experience and makes you stand out to potential employers. Stay tuned for next week's edition, where we'll delve into how to optimize the above so employers can SEARCH for you!

Get a FREE LinkedIn Optimization Course here:? vets2pm.com/training