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How do you make the best LinkedIn profile?

I am wondering what companies look at if they use LinkedIn. #recruiting #linkedin #internet-recruiting

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William’s Answer

HI Simone,


LinkedIn is a very important networking tool. Many employers look at it to either recruit someone or to glance over your profile for research if you happen to be interviewing for them. You can also use it to meet new people to expand your network in whatever field you are looking to be in. As for building the best profile, my suggestion is to list all of your education, associations, volunteering, honors, interests, and any applicable experience towards your career. Join LinkedIn networking groups in your field or your school. Keep your profile up to date and look at job openings on the site. With a good amount of work you should be able add to your network in no time.


Bill
Thank you comment icon Thank you for your answer! I have another question, often I have read that you should not add people you do not know as connections. What is your opinion on that? Simone
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Callie’s Answer

Hi Simone!

This is a question that comes up often, and honestly it is up to you how you choose to leverage the network. I have connected with people I have never met in person, but if that same person was to ask me for a referral and I have never worked with them before then I would not give them one even if they were a connection of mine.

If you were connected to a ton of people you don't know, then it defeats the purpose of having a LinkedIn profile all together. It is meant for networking, and if you expect that someone you never met is going to help you in your career, just make sure to be active with them on the network (commenting, liking, following them).

-Callie
Thank you comment icon Callie - Thank you for your answer. We need more advice like this, now more than ever! There are more than 1k unanswered questions on CV right now. Hoping you'll answer a few more this week! Jordan Rivera, Admin COACH
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Sarah’s Answer

Here are some tips to create the best LinkedIn profile:

1. Photo For starters, add a photo. It helps you build credibility with others and be authentic. It doesn’t need to be perfect or professionally shot. Just choose something recent that shows the real you. And when you upload it, you can enhance it with our filters.

2. Location Details are good. The more you add to your profile, the more LinkedIn can help you find your next opportunity. When you add your location, you’re more likely to be contacted by recruiters and employers about jobs in your area.

3. Summary This is your career snapshot. Think of it as your personal “elevator pitch.” Describe what you do and highlight your strengths. Pro tips: Stick to a few short paragraphs. Lose the jargon. And be your authentic self.

4. Experience Starting with your current position, write about projects, accomplishments, and the value you bring to your team and organization. Keep it clear and concise. Bullet points work great here.

5. Pictures and videos Adding media is a great way to engage other people. Posting photos, videos, and more helps you tell your professional story in eye-catching ways.

6. Education Be sure to include where you went to school and what you studied. People who list these details get up to 11x more profile views.

7. Endorsements Add skills you want to be known for—and that your connections can endorse you for. Every new endorsement adds credibility to your profile.
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Lena’s Answer

Hi Simone,

I used to work at LinkedIn for 2.5 years prior to coming to Google.

I've learned a lot about what makes a good LinkedIn profile while being there. The three tips I have for you is:
1. Upload a professional photo. It's important to be able to put a face to the name and it tends to get more clicks and humanizes your work experience.
2. Fill out a summary with a short introduction to your career path. You can write about what you're passionate about, your interests, why you chose your major and what kind of jobs or roles you're interested in. This helps employers and recruiters piece everything together rather than guess.
3. Include the experiences you have in your extracurriculars from school or outside of school as work experience. For instance, if you are in a club in a certain role you have developed great skills that can transfer to work skills, don't cut yourself short, include them!

Feel free to check out my profile here if you want to use it as an example: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenasernoff/

Hope this helps!

Lena
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Andy’s Answer

Hi Simone

First I would decide what you want LinkedIn to do for you. Are you wanting to job hunt, network or just feel you should have a profile on there because a lot of people have profiles on LinkedIn who are in the workplace.
Then I would look at the areas to complete before completing them. What I mean by this, is draft up your content outside of the platform. By not rushing this will enable you to edit offline and give you time to reflect on the content you will publish the the world.
The photo you upload should reflect you and not what you anticipate your audience will want you to be. If you are job hunting though, make sure you present yourself appropriately.
One thing which annoys me about LinkedIn, is people treating it like Facebook for the workplace, keep it professional.

Regards

Andy
Thank you comment icon Hi Simone, I agree with Andy that it's important to decide what you want linkdin to do for you. Are you job searching? Networking? Hiring? Just keeping a social profile? Depending on that I would post another question and get specific advice. Irina Tsukernik
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Gabby’s Answer


Hi,

Good question. LinkedIn is used for professional networking. Your profile should represent you as a person and a professional. A few additional suggestions:

1. Include a professional picture. This is extremely important because employers will be reviewing your profile when considering you for opportunities, prior to interviews and after they've made you an offer. Professional doesn't have to be stuffy, but make sure you're wearing business attire in your photo. Selfies do not belong on this platform!

2. Have a summary prepared, not too long, highlighting your skills and what you are seeking. This gives the employer and recruiters an idea of what you're seeking at a quick glance. The remainder of your profile is where you can elaborate on your work experience, internships, volunteer opportunities, etc.

3. Ensure your contact information is correct and updated. As a recruiter, I've found that many times candidates have the incorrect phone number or email listed. I am still able to contact them by sending a message, but this does not reflect well on you. Same goes for spell checking! There is a feature in LI that allows you to show whether you're open to new opportunities or recruiters reaching out. Ensure you check this in your settings to make sure your profile is public and accessible by others.

4. If you don't have a lot of work experience, don't worry. Use LI to highlight your volunteer or internship experience as well. Having a variety of experience highlighted, indicates you're well rounded and open to new opportunities. All these experiences will enhance your overall work experience.

5. Include any professional organizations, diversity groups, networking or other groups you belong to. These are great ways to make a connection with someone looking at your profile. You also have the option to "follow" companies you're interested in. Be selective and choose a few to focus on. You can always change this setting/update accordingly.

6. Recommendations can also come in handy. Have past supervisors or colleagues write a recommendation for you based on your work. Think of it as a letter of recommendation which future employers can view. These can be helpful to employers because they can understand how you were successful in a role or contributed to the company/project's success.

7. Keep it updated! I suggest looking it over 1-2 times a year (more if you're taking on different roles and responsibilities) and adjusting as necessary.

Gabby recommends the following next steps:

Start working on your profile and don't forget to ask family and friends to check it out. They can provide you with recommendations and suggestions as well!
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Hanleigh’s Answer

I love LinkedIn because you can easily transfer your resume onto your LinkedIn. First, you will want to include a professional profile photo and a cover photo that really represents your career interests. Your cover photo is one of the first things a person sees when looking at your account. You also a want a good summary. There is a lot of variation on how to write your summary. My personal recommendation is to include briefly what you've done in the past, what your currently doing, and what your future goal is. Your experiences should follow a similar format to your resume. I think any experience like internships, organizational leadership, jobs, and many other positions can be great experiences to include on your resume. Remember, not all of your experiences have to be a traditional job. You also have an opportunity to include any volunteer, awards, and education.
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