Have you ever wondered how to go about adding sections to your LinkedIn profile?

Nearly a year ago, LinkedIn changed the process for adding sections to a profile.

The place to start when adding one or more sections to your LinkedIn profile is by clicking on the button “Add profile section.” On the LinkedIn app, the button is called “Add section.”

When you do that, you will see three groupings of sections:

Core – LinkedIn calls these sections the “basics,” and they are summary (the about section), education, position (experience section) and skills.

Recommended – LinkedIn points out that “completing these sections will increase your credibility and give you access to more opportunities.” These sections are: featured, licenses & certifications, courses, and recommendations.

Additional – These sections, according to LinkedIn: “add even more personality to your profile…[and] will help you grow your network and build more relationships.” The sections are: volunteer experience, publications, patents, projects, honors & awards, test scores, languages, organizations, and causes.

Tips for the Sections Within Core

  • The about section is typically the most challenging section to write. I describe this section as the story of you in the context of where you are heading professionally and where you have been. I recommend that you use the first-person voice when writing this section. Also, telling stories or using examples can make this section more impactful. Including testimonials from work colleagues and others who can sing your praises adds social proof to this section.
  • The education section typically includes any post-secondary education you have had, such as technical schools, community colleges or universities. I encourage you to share information about activities during these years. Examples would include participation in such entities as fraternities and sororities, sports, and service organizations. Note that you don’t have to share when you started school or finished it.
  • In the experience section the rule of thumb for job seekers is to limit your positions to those held in the last 10-15 years. Business owners, in my opinion, can go further back in time with the positions listed. Be sure to briefly describe the entity where you work(ed) or the business you own(ed). Then describe your role with the entity. Sometimes business owners neglect to write about the specifics of their involvement in the company.
  • There have been some changes this year in the skills section. Now you can associate selected skills in this section with the appropriate positions in the experience section. Also, you can rearrange the order in which you list your skills.

Watch for my upcoming blog posts with tips for the sections listed under Recommended and Additional.

 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 55 and up, to become more effective using social media, especially LinkedIn and Facebook. She works with business owners, business development professionals, business consultants, job seekers, and more – ranging from entrepreneurs to people in large corporations. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com