Have you ever wondered how to add sections to your LinkedIn profile? Nearly a year ago, LinkedIn changed the process for doing this.

This blog post is the second in a series of three posts on how to add sections to your profile.

In last week’s blog post, I went over the three groups of sections: Core, Recommended and Additional. Then I provided tips for how to approach the Core sections.

Here’s a link to that post: https://boomerssocialmediatutor.com/adding-sections-to-your-linkedin-profile-tips-for-the-core-sections/

In this week’s blog post, I provide tips for how to approach the Recommended sections.

As a reminder, the place to start when adding one or more sections to your LinkedIn profile is to click on the button “Add profile section.” On the LinkedIn app, the button is called “Add section.”

 

Tips for the Recommended Sections

  • The featured section of your profile is a place where you can showcase selected posts and articles that you have created on LinkedIn. You can also feature photos and documents (e.g., PowerPoints, PDFs), and show links to web content (e.g., YouTube videos or a landing page on your website.) To add an item to the featured section, click on the + sign to the right of the word Featured. You will see the options of posts, articles, links, and media. Click the circle to the right of the type of item you want to add. For a link, you need to paste in the URL. For a document, you find the item you want to share (e.g., PowerPoint, photo, PDF), and then click on Open.
  • In the licenses and certifications section you can display your credentials to enhance your professional credibility. Examples of licenses include those held by Realtors, mortgage consultants, and insurance professionals. Certifications can include those achieved by educational training and/or by passing a professional level exam. After you click on “Recommended,” click on “licenses & certifications” and complete the template that pops up.
  • Use the courses section to list continuing education and professional development courses you have taken over the past 5-10 years, or longer if appropriate. This section is especially important if, like many people, you are in a career that is vastly different from your formal education. People want to see that you make a point to develop and keep up your knowledge in your field. After you click on “Recommended,” click on “courses” and type in the name of the course – and if you wish, the entity through which you took the course. As mentioned above, when your courses result in a certification, add the certification to the licenses and certifications section.
  • If you don’t have any recommendations yet, click on “Recommended” and then click on “add recommendations.” Type in the name of the LinkedIn connection you want a recommendation from, and when LinkedIn shows you their photo, name and headline, click on that. Then click on “Continue.” Complete the template and include a personalized message. Please remember that you must be connected with someone on LinkedIn for them to recommend you or you to recommend them.

In next week’s blog post, I’ll be giving tips for the Additional sections.

 

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