How To Develop An Effective LinkedIn Profile
by Ken Docherty on 12/13/13
How to Develop an Effective LinkedIn Profile - www.expertresumewriter.ca
One of the best steps you can take to complement your investment in your resume, besides hiring me as a professional resume writer in Calgary, is to create a compelling LinkedIn profile. Although most employers still require traditional resumes, a LinkedIn profile can be a more active version of your resume and provide added insight into your professional network.
Choose an Appropriate Profile Image
LinkedIn is akin to a non-stop virtual networking mixer. Would you wear a mask to a networking event in person? Not likely, so use a current headshot on your LinkedIn profile. Few things diminish your credibility like having no picture or an image of something besides your smiling face.
Make your Headline Pop
As the most prominent piece aside from your picture, the headline is a hook that should pique the interest of potential employers and colleagues. Like any intriguing headline, yours should offer a preview of you, but without giving it all away. Headlines can only be 120 characters, so make your words count.
Pay Attention to the Summary Section
As LinkedIn is all about first impressions, draft the first paragraph to highlight your top skills or accomplishments and include just enough biographical information to humanize your profile. For example, compare the following two examples:
•"I have been serving clients for 10 years with XX brokerage"
•"As a 10-year veteran of the financial services industry in Calgary, I have highly developed knowledge of current regulation, a talent for identifying emerging markets, and a sincere devotion to my clients' success …"
In the second example, you discover this person has at least a decade of experience, is local to Calgary, and claims expertise in three areas of significance to his or her industry.
Experience Section: Details Matter
Much like the body of a resume, the experience section is where you detail work history and experience. Mind the details and make sure the dates, titles, and names accurately reflect your resume or CV. Recruiters will likely check your LinkedIn profile and will be wary of inconsistencies.
Add photos and links to online content to both the experience and the summary sections. Portfolio pieces, images and YouTube videos that show you giving talks or presentations will help your profile carry greater weight than descriptions alone. As your professional resume writer in Calgary, I might also be able to draft compelling summary and experience sections while I help you develop your resume.
Participate in Groups
Networking is easy when you join groups that discuss areas of your expertise. Participate in conversations and show your expertise through involvement, not self-promotion. Ask intelligent questions, share interesting content and offer specific examples when you discuss your personal experience to foster connections.
Interact with Peers
Aside from groups, interact with your personal network regularly. Endorsing your peers for skills, making intelligent comments on material they share, and thanking them when they endorse you are effective ways to connect. Recommendations are another key element, so be sure to give them and request them regularly. Remember that interactions are often reciprocal in that you receive when you give.
Stay Active and Engaged
Like most social networks, the key point of LinkedIn is to show you are active and engaged in your industry. With interactive examples of your work and the chance to learn more about you as a person, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool to raise an employer's interest.
With effective networking, your profile can even bring offers to your doorstep. If you would like assistance polishing your LinkedIn profile, consider hiring me to provide professional resume services in Calgary, and we can discuss your LinkedIn profile at that time as I offer a preferred rate for existing clients.
One of the best steps you can take to complement your investment in your resume, besides hiring me as a professional resume writer in Calgary, is to create a compelling LinkedIn profile. Although most employers still require traditional resumes, a LinkedIn profile can be a more active version of your resume and provide added insight into your professional network.
Choose an Appropriate Profile Image
LinkedIn is akin to a non-stop virtual networking mixer. Would you wear a mask to a networking event in person? Not likely, so use a current headshot on your LinkedIn profile. Few things diminish your credibility like having no picture or an image of something besides your smiling face.
Make your Headline Pop
As the most prominent piece aside from your picture, the headline is a hook that should pique the interest of potential employers and colleagues. Like any intriguing headline, yours should offer a preview of you, but without giving it all away. Headlines can only be 120 characters, so make your words count.
Pay Attention to the Summary Section
As LinkedIn is all about first impressions, draft the first paragraph to highlight your top skills or accomplishments and include just enough biographical information to humanize your profile. For example, compare the following two examples:
•"I have been serving clients for 10 years with XX brokerage"
•"As a 10-year veteran of the financial services industry in Calgary, I have highly developed knowledge of current regulation, a talent for identifying emerging markets, and a sincere devotion to my clients' success …"
In the second example, you discover this person has at least a decade of experience, is local to Calgary, and claims expertise in three areas of significance to his or her industry.
Experience Section: Details Matter
Much like the body of a resume, the experience section is where you detail work history and experience. Mind the details and make sure the dates, titles, and names accurately reflect your resume or CV. Recruiters will likely check your LinkedIn profile and will be wary of inconsistencies.
Add photos and links to online content to both the experience and the summary sections. Portfolio pieces, images and YouTube videos that show you giving talks or presentations will help your profile carry greater weight than descriptions alone. As your professional resume writer in Calgary, I might also be able to draft compelling summary and experience sections while I help you develop your resume.
Participate in Groups
Networking is easy when you join groups that discuss areas of your expertise. Participate in conversations and show your expertise through involvement, not self-promotion. Ask intelligent questions, share interesting content and offer specific examples when you discuss your personal experience to foster connections.
Interact with Peers
Aside from groups, interact with your personal network regularly. Endorsing your peers for skills, making intelligent comments on material they share, and thanking them when they endorse you are effective ways to connect. Recommendations are another key element, so be sure to give them and request them regularly. Remember that interactions are often reciprocal in that you receive when you give.
Stay Active and Engaged
Like most social networks, the key point of LinkedIn is to show you are active and engaged in your industry. With interactive examples of your work and the chance to learn more about you as a person, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool to raise an employer's interest.
With effective networking, your profile can even bring offers to your doorstep. If you would like assistance polishing your LinkedIn profile, consider hiring me to provide professional resume services in Calgary, and we can discuss your LinkedIn profile at that time as I offer a preferred rate for existing clients.
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