The Power of a LinkedIn Profile
Over the last 10 years, LinkedIn has catapulted into the social media world as an essential means of effective professional networking. As a professional it is crucial to maintain a strong online presence and brand. Colleagues use it to refer you for jobs, employers use it as a screening process, and recruiters use LinkedIn on a daily basis. It is essential that you have a sharp and comprehensive LinkedIn profile.
- If you haven’t already done so, go create a LinkedIn account!
- Over 450 million professionals have profiles on LinkedIn; you should be one of them.
- It is one of the most powerful means to professionally connect these days.
- An email address is all you need to create an account with simple steps to guide the process.
- Have a great head shot!
- Professional, sharp, up to date, and appropriate.
- Your picture is everything; people are less likely to reach out to you without a picture.
- It’s a great way to identify who you are.
- No out of date pictures.
- Make sure you are searchable!
- Include your entire name, first and last.
- Do not put your degree as your last name – this makes it difficult for colleagues, recruiters, and employers to search for you.
- Include a thorough employment history and education history in your profile.
- Create a comprehensive profile listing all of the relevant companies you’ve worked for and well written bullet points of your responsibilities.
- List your alma mater, grad year and add the appropriate logo.
- Keep your employment up to date.
- If you leave a company and start at another, make sure to immediately make those changes.
- Include your contact information on LinkedIn.
- If you are actively job searching, make sure to include a copy of your resume and contact information on your profile. If you are concerned about current employers seeing this, include just your contact information.
- List your skill sets at the bottom of the page.
- If you are a consultant list the name of the companies you worked for.
- Do not simply write consultant or “contract” and leave out the company name.
- Omit side jobs and small businesses.
- If you are a jack of all trades, great! But refrain from including “dog walker” or “babysitter” on your professional LinkedIn profile.
- Check your LinkedIn profile frequently.
- Employers, recruiters and colleagues do use LinkedIn mail to reach you. You don’t want to miss out of these messages.
- Link your LinkedIn profile to your mobile device.
- Connect, Connect, Connect!
- The more people you have connected with on LinkedIn, the better. Grow your network – opportunities are often based on who you know.
If you’d like to learn more about working with a recruiter/developing your LinkedIn profile/crafting a resume, join myself and my colleagues, Sonya Som and Keri Lindsay at the Minority In-House Counsel Association (MIHCA) 2016 conference October 26 at the Metropolitan Club in Chicago. We’ll be hosting one-on-one counseling sessions to help you get noticed in the market. You can also benefit from the enriching professional development sessions throughout the two-day event, which supports MIHCA’s mission of promoting the development and career advancement of minority in-house counsel and furthering diversity in the legal profession.