As the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Or, in more practical terms, your audience determines your message.
To see if your LinkedIn profile has all the right stuff… go through the 20-step checklist below.
1. Headline
Your profile headline is the first thing someone sees after your
name. Make it memorable. It should help someone understand the role you
want to do next or contain key words important to your profession.
2. Photo
Choose a professional, high quality headshot for your photograph. Having a picture is recommended.
3. Email
List all your email addresses so they are associated with your
LinkedIn profile. You can set the default email which will be viewable
by your connections and the account that receives InMail and updates
from LinkedIn.
4. Vanity URL
Your LinkedIn profile has a URL (an Internet address). You can and
should edit this by adding your name (www.linkedin.com/in/yourname).
This also looks more professional when you include it on your resume,
business card, or email signature.
5. Other Web References
If you have a personal website, professional Twitter account, or
links elsewhere on the web, you can add them to your profile within the
“contact info” section at the top. You should change the label from
“other” to a short, descriptive title.
6. Summary
Consider this section a mini bio. Highlight the best of your
background, experience and skills. You could also provide insight into
your leadership style, personality, values, longer term goals, or
outside interests.
Keep the reader’s attention by using short paragraphs. And make it
more personal by writing in the first person by using “I”, “Me” or “My”.
You may want to include your email address to make it easy for people
who are not connected to contact you.
7. Work Experience
Include all the significant work history and include strong, key word
rich descriptions and accomplishments under each position. Your work
experience should be the same as listed on your resume. You may chose to
include more or less detail for each job.
8. Embed Media
Add media (documents, video, images, audio) to your profile to make
it an online portfolio. You can embed these links in your summary, work
experience and education sections.
9. Skills and Expertise
List all the skills and areas of expertise which are most important to your profession and you want to highlight.
10. Education
Include all the institutions you attended. List your concentration,
major, and/or minor. If you are a recent graduate, include clubs
committees and groups you were active in.
11. Certifications, Test Scores, and Courses
These sections are particularly helpful for new graduates. List the most relevant and important information.
12. Projects
You can reference class projects, special work assignments and side
gigs as a project. This is another way to showcase skills and
experience.
13. Recommendations
Ask for recommendations from colleagues, managers or even clients who know your work.
14. Honors and Awards, Publications, and Patents
Complete these sections with as much detail as necessary to highlight why it is important.
15. Organizations, Volunteering and Causes
Provide details about your involvement in professional associations
and the organizations you belong to or committees you serve on. You may
also choose to list the volunteer work you do and causes you support.
Use discretion when choosing to include any religious or political
affiliations.
16. Personal Details
Your birth date and marital status are the least important details.
You may choose not to include this information on your profile.
17. Status Update
Regularly update your status so your network can see what you are up
to. A status update could include a link to an article, information
about a presentation you are attending, or it might be a question you
would like feedback from your contacts.
18. Groups
Join college alumni groups, professional associations, and any
industry related groups. Share their badges on your profile and
participate in discussions by answering questions, sharing links to
interesting articles and engaging in conversation with other like-minded
professionals.
19. Make It 100% Complete
Don’t leave information blank or overlook details which may help set
you apart such as: Languages, Honors & Awards, Patents, Courses,
Test Scores, Certifications, Volunteering & Causes, Organizations,
and Interests.
20. Make It Public
By default, LinkedIn sets your profile to be viewable to the public. For active job seekers this is the best option.
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