LinkedIn is the premier social media site for developing and engaging with your professional network. Are you using this network to your best advantage?

This blog post is part one of a two-part series on effective use of LinkedIn, and you can access this site at www.linkedin.com

This post focuses on your personal profile. To help you get some ideas for your LinkedIn personal profile, check out my profile on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/joycefeustel/

Seven Key Items in Your LinkedIn Personal Profile

The more your LinkedIn profile stands out, the more people will seek to connect with and engage with you.

1. Your Profile Photo should be a relatively recent headshot that is clear, in-focus, and without any distractions in terms of background, silly hats, or other paraphernalia. Don’t include anyone else in this photo. A professional photo is recommended, but is not necessary.
2. Your Headline should be catchy, memorable, and include the services you provide and/or how you help others. Use the words that people typically use when searching for whatever you do.
3. Your Summary should contain many of the key words found in your headline and elaborate on those concepts. It should convey what you do currently and your vision for the future. You have up to 2,000 characters, so use them to say everything you need to say. Draw language from your resume (as well as from your website if you have one), and paint a word-picture of yourself and what you bring to the world.
4. Your Experience section should contain your current paid position, previous paid positions, and current and past volunteer leadership positions. Don’t forget to include a short description of what you accomplished in each position. Keep in mind that your LinkedIn connections can recommend you for any position listed in this section.
5. Your Endorsements and Recommendations should reflect the skills and activities you want do more of. So you should not accept an endorsement or recommendation for something you don’t want to do any more. Be proactive and ask your connections to endorse you for specific skills or recommend you for a particular position.
6. Your Publications and Projects are great ways to showcase your professional contributions, whether in a paid or volunteer capacity. Include anything you have written – an article, a chapter in a book, a book, etc. Include a short description of the project and be sure to mention anyone else who was involved. Include a link to the article or a place to purchase the book.
7. Your Groups are another way for someone to learn about your professional and personal interests, affiliations, and areas of expertise. Review the groups you have joined regularly to insure that they remain appropriate representations of where you are and where you’re heading.

How About You?

What parts of your LinkedIn profile do people mention when they ask you to connect? Where in the profile do you need to do some updating? How well do you feel your profile represents you?

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 50 and up, to become more comfortable using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter.

She works with business owners, nonprofit organizations, retired people, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.