Making+an+impact+with+linkedin_final.pdf

CAREER TRANSITION SERVICES CLIENT REFERENCE GUIDE

Making an Impact with LinkedIn If you create a well-designed LinkedIn profile it will increase the visibility of your career profile. Whether you are actively seeking a new role or broadening your network, LinkedIn is a useful tool to build your network and keeping you in touch with other professionals, thought leaders, and recruiters. Here is a breakdown of what to consider when building or enhancing your LinkedIn profile and activity. Settings •

Personalising your URL We recommend creating a customised LinkedIn URL (web address). LinkedIn provides you with a URL when you register (including additional characters that may not be convenient for search). To customise, go to the LinkedIn Home page: > below your ‘thumbnail’ photo (top right side), select the down arrow (by the word ‘Me’) > select Settings & Privacy > select the ‘right hand’ tab – Privacy > select Edit your public profile. > Upper right corner – select blue stylus to edit. Suggestion: linkedin.com/in/_____ Note: you can also access this through the ‘Edit public profile & URL’ button beneath profile thumbnail

Optimizing the LinkedIn search algorithm In the coming sections, we will tell you all about LinkedIn profiles, but first we need to discuss something that you should be considering while you are creating your profile, namely search optimization. Search optimization comes down to optimizing your profile in order to show up higher in search rankings. This is important, because you want hiring authorities searching for candidates to find the beautiful profile that you are about to create. Which won’t happen unless you consider the following things: •

Keywords Hiring authorities will be searching LinkedIn using certain keywords. To increase your ranking in these searches you need to repeat keywords in the following

areas of your profile: the headline, the summary, experience and education. To find the keywords that you should be using, look at job postings and the LinkedIn profiles of senior and wellrespected professionals in your field. •

Connections When a hiring authority searches in LinkedIn the results will be ordered by level of connection: 1st level connections show up first, followed by 2nd and so on. Thus, make sure you have a broad network and are connected to the right people.

We should note, however, that LinkedIn adjusts its search algorithm frequently. Make sure you keep up to date with these changes and how they might affect your search rankings. Let recruiters know you’re looking for a role If you are actively looking for a job, let the hiring authorities know: 1.

Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.

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Select Settings & Privacy from the dropdown.

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Click the Privacy tab at the top of the page.

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Under the ‘Job seeking preferences’ section, click Change next to ‘Let recruiters know you’re open to opportunities’.

Personal Profile Your LinkedIn profile should align with the content in your resume, but doesn’t have to be the same, and probably shouldn’t be. While your LinkedIn profile and resume may have some similarities, they represent two separate channels to market. You can adapt and tweak your resume to suit various roles and hence have several versions. LinkedIn, however, is accessible by over 530 million people and while it contains some shared information with your resume, you only get one profile. On that basis, you need to decide if you want to be ‘everything to everybody’ and have a broad profile, or whether you want to refine it to appeal to a particular © 2018 Lee Hecht Harrison. All rights reserved.

profession/ industry and hence audience. When a user searches your profile, your photo is what shows first, closely followed by your headline (the section immediately beneath your photo). These need to be accurate, succinct and have impact. They will greatly influence whether the user will click into your full profile from search, or read on past the first few lines within your profile. Remember - most people only spend a few seconds on a web page! Check how they appear on mobile too, which is an increasingly popular way to use LinkedIn.

Don’t waste characters in your headline using words like ‘eager’ and ‘dedicated’. Recruiters and hiring managers are not going to search for your attributes or character. They will be searching for your job-related or technical skills first. •

While your actual profile shouldn’t be as formal (you can use personal pronouns – I, me, my), or as detailed (don't try to squeeze everything in!) as your resume, all LinkedIn content should be suitable for a professional audience, and should be considered as your own personal professional brand. •

This is where you tell your story. Where you show some genuine enthusiasm, and give some insight into who you are and what you really enjoy doing professionally. What are you known for? What are your achievements? What do you believe in and stand for in your field? How do you stand out from others? Quotes can also be helpful, as well as some well-placed keywords (as described above).

Photo Including a profile photo gives your profile increased visibility, such that visitors are estimated to be up to twenty-one times more likely to look at your profile. Your profile photo is a professional representation and should be a headshot, with a blank background or setting appropriate for a professional role. You should be looking at the camera, ideally smiling, with no one else in the shot and you should be wearing professional attire.

As a job-seeker, we also recommend having a second paragraph in your summary that reads something like: ‘I am presently looking for my next role as a XXXX and I can be contacted on [email]’. Those who are comfortable including a mobile phone number should do so. •

Having a profile photo can get you more connection requests, and greatly influence the perceptions of potential hirers. It’s a first impression of you professionally, so ensure it does you justice! •

Headline Your headline accompanies your profile photo and is the first thing people read before deciding to look at the rest of your profile. Your headline leaves your first impression and it should represent a high-level overview of who you are and the value you bring Professionals will often describe themselves by their current position title and employer name, although this is now somewhat passé in the world of LinkedIn, given that the profile is your professional profile and not that of your employer. Instead, consider using keywords that indicate the functions, skills and experience you possess and that might be required in the kind of role(s) you’re looking for in your new position (but ensure a natural tone, and don’t use too many!). There is a limit of 120 characters – so use them wisely.

Summary The summary section could be the same as the career profile section on your resume, but consider how to appeal to wider audience. Consider writing this summary as a standalone statement including the most important things about yourself.

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Experience This is where you provide details of you work history. For each position include the position title, employer name, period of employment, and a summary of your position and deliverables. -

Keep to your most recent 10-15 years of relevant experience.

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Include a 2-3 sentence “job overview”, letting your target audience know what you were accountable for in each position held. Then, include several bullet points (accomplishments).

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Develop accomplishments that include, where possible, the quantifiable business results that you achieved.

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Using a variety of action verbs will help draw your audience into your profile.

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Remember to include keywords to help recruiters and hiring managers find you.

Education List out your qualifications, include course details, period and educational institution. © 2018 Lee Hecht Harrison. All rights reserved.

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Don’t include High School qualifications unless there is something ‘special’ or unique (such as being the dux of the college or scoring 99.95 on your final exams).

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We recommend omitting graduation dates.

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Spell out your degree earned such as Bachelor of Science, Honours in Psychology, rather than BSc (Hons) Psych.

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Include any professional certifications.

If you have recently started studying a relevant skill but have not yet finished, you can (and should) still add it without a finish date. • Volunteer Experience and Causes This will help to show the causes you care about, a willingness to contribute your time and skills outside of your employment, and connect you with others who share this interest and concern. Be cautious listing political or religious organisations, as you don’t want this to put off any would-be hirers or connections. • Skills/Endorsements List out the key relevant skills you have obtained through your experience, education and volunteering. Possible skills to include are the computer programs you can use e.g. excel, technical skills e.g. finance and customer service, and soft skills e.g. teamwork and organisation. Others will then be able to view and endorse those they feel able to comment on. This adds some credibility to your list, although not everyone values endorsements highly. The new version of LinkedIn highlights the top 3 skills on your profile with a brief overview of endorsers. You will need to click "view x more" to see other endorsements. You can choose the order endorsements appear in, and the key is to focus on the skills you want to highlight and which best represent you professionally. Check the number of people who have endorsed you for a certain skill, as the more you have, the more credibility this skill has. If you need to promote a particular skillset, it’s OK to ask for endorsements from people who have seen what you can do in the target skill area. Also, when you endorse other connections for their skills, LinkedIn prompts them to return the favour and to endorse you. Be generous!

If there is anything you really don’t want to do then remove those skills from this section, and minimise these keywords in your headline, summary and professional experience section. • Recommendations A LinkedIn Recommendation is a statement that is written by a LinkedIn member to recognise or commend a connection, such as a colleague, business partner, or student. People who view your profile will often read the recommendations you've received from your connections to see what others say about your work. It is important to choose wisely who you ask in your LinkedIn community as this can shape a person's opinion as to whether they’ll connect with you or if they’ll get in touch with regards to a role. Very often, your referees are also your recommenders, but they need to be 1st degree connections on LinkedIn to be able to provide a recommendation. Consider asking some of your contacts for recommendations (if they have a good view and opinion of your work of course). You could consider former or current bosses, direct reports and peers, and customers or vendors. Try to aim for at least 2-3 current recommendations to appear on your profile. It is also possible for others to see the recommendations you have given to others – so consider how you come across and what you focus on when you provide recommendations. • Accomplishments This section contains optional sections that allow you to emphasise your key selling points. You don’t have to complete all sections, but be sure to include the accomplishments that will help you demonstrate skill and experience in your target job type/industry. Certifications Add any additional certifications achieved or courses attended that may help to promote your relevant skills and interests. You can also add relevant registrations here (i.e. Professional bodies). Projects Outline any large scale/high impact projects that demonstrate your skills and experience in areas relevant to how you want to be seen by the hiring community and your professional network. You can attach photos, documents and videos as ‘evidence’ to further strengthen this section. In fact, you can add media in the form or links or attachments to © 2018 Lee Hecht Harrison. All rights reserved.

various sections of your profile, which is another way to showcase your professional background.

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Organisations Include professional organisations with which you are affiliated. This helps to promote your career interests and showcase the professional networks you are a part of. Publications

Join college/university alumni and former employer alumni groups; professional and industry association groups. You may join up to 50 groups. The number of groups also helps drives views to your profile and allows you to connect with fellow group members as a logical way to expand your number of connections.

If you have a blog, or have professional publications which are relevant to your career focus, add them here. This helps to build your credibility as an expert in the area. Patents For any inventive achievements. Honours and Awards Share any relevant achievements you have been formally recognised for. Test Scores If you have excelled in a particular exam or test, you can highlight it here. Languages

Join and Contribute to Groups Groups are like communities of interest and span a diverse array of professional areas including Unix, Human Resources and Engineering to name just a few. By joining groups, you can then interact with likeminded professionals, build your knowledge as well as positioning yourself professionally within the group.

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Follow Follow influencers and companies of interest to you to increase your visibility.

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Post A great way to build visibility and credibility. Write, like, comment, and share articles and resources relevance to your expertise and chosen career path.

Share any multi-lingual capability here.

Building a Professional Network You can also use LinkedIn to make professional connections and to keep up to date with what’s happening in the business world by following companies and LinkedIn profiles of socalled Influencers such as Richard Branson, and join groups based on topics that you’re interested in. •

Make Connections It is important to connect with others, as this is how you drive your online reputation and brand. Just remember to write a quick note when you make a connection request, as many people consider it quite rude or simply ignore the request if it’s not personalised.

Want more information? •

Your career coach will be able to advise you further on how to best create your online brand presence.

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You might also like to consider our social media for networking webinar, available via your online career resource network (career transition hub).

Your connections will be able to see the information contained on your LinkedIn profile, as well as your activity (if you make a comment, share a post, make a new connection, change your job title, or write an article). You want people who have networks in your target job area to be able to see what you are doing and saying. Note: it is not advisable to just connect with anyone Focus on people you know and who you have engaged with in some way - quality is better than quantity! That said, don’t be too fussy - the more connections you have the more potential views you can get! © 2018 Lee Hecht Harrison. All rights reserved.