HOW TO DEVELOP A GREAT LINKEDIN PROFILE

1. SIGN UP/CREATE ACCOUNT

● Step one is to open a professional social media profile on LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com)

2. GETTING STARTED

● Complete your profile using your resume as a guide.

3. PERSONAL HEADLINE

● Include a headline that differentiates you, e.g. current job title and/or brief statement about your uniqueness.

4. PROFILE PHOTO

● Upload a smiling professional headshot photo, a smile radiates warmth.

5. BACKGROUND IMAGE

● Select a good background photo that conveys your personality and personal style. The background image appears at the top of your profile. Think of it as a wallpaper for your profile.

6. PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

● Include a summary - who you are, what you have done, what you can do, what you want to do and use keywords.

7. WORK EXPERIENCE

● List positions held, current and previous, dates, companies and your major achievements.

8. EDUCATION

● List your educational qualifications.

9. HONORS AND AWARDS

● List any relevant honors, certifications and awards.

10. CUSTOMIZED PUBLIC URL

● Choose a customized Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or web address for your public profile with your name, for example: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yourname

● To get more details, search using the term “Customizing Your LinkedIn Public Profile URL.”

11. EDIT YOUR PROFILE

● Proofread your online profile and check for spelling and grammatical errors.

12. NETWORK / ADD CONNECTIONS

● Reach out to people you have worked with, gone to school with, add them to your network.

13. SEEK RECOMMENDATIONS

● Request for recommendations from former workmates, business partners etc.

14. RECOMMEND OTHERS

● Recommend others sincerely – former colleagues, bosses, business partners, classmates etc.

15. INCLUDE YOUR INTERESTS

● Add your interests or hobbies, they can make you connect with others and be more relatable.

16. FOLLOW COMPANIES

● Search for and follow the company you work for; follow other companies that you like or admire.

17. MANAGE PRIVACY SETTINGS

● Manage your privacy settings and notifications according to your personal preferences. Also customize how your public profile should appear.

18. ADD LANGUAGES

● Add your language skills - bilingual and multilingual language skills are an asset.

19. FOLLOW INFLUENCERS

● Search for a few inspirational influencers who speak to your heart and follow them.

20. INTRODUCTIONS

● Ask for introductions/referrals if you need them and return the favor to others who need your assistance.

21. VOLUNTARY EXPERIENCE

● Include your community experience, volunteering gigs and causes that you care about.

22. WORK PORTFOLIO

● You can add a portfolio of a few high quality work samples or examples that you are proud of. Be careful not to violate any non-disclosure agreements with current or previous employers and/or clients.

23. ADD KEY SKILLS

● Include at least three or more of your top/specialized skills.

24. ENDORSE PEOPLE’S SKILLS

● Endorse the outstanding skills of your connections/network. A good practice is to endorse people for only those skills you know they possess, this adds to the value of the endorsement.

25. JOIN GROUPS

● Join a few good groups in your niche area or your areas of interest.

26. SHARE, LIKE AND COMMENT

● Share, like and/or comment on articles, postings and discussions that make an impression on you.

27. SHARE THE LOVE

● Congratulate/give kudos to your connections on milestones e.g. work anniversaries, new job, promotions etc.

28. READ POSTS

● Read articles published by others that can help you grow personally and professionally.

29. PUBLISH POSTS/ARTICLES

● You can also publish your own articles on topics that you care about that can add value to others.

30. DISCOVER CHANNELS

● Find and follow any channel that features articles and topics that are of interest to you such as technology, entrepreneurship, leadership and management etc.

31. LINKEDIN SLIDESHARE

● Learn many exciting topics and slide presentations via SlideShare - https://www.slideshare.net You can also share/upload your presentations.

32. ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

● Update your professional social media profile on a regular basis. Synchronize your LinkedIn profile with your resume to ensure consistency of your professional experience.

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