8 tips on how to properly complete your LinkedIn profile
spoken by Debra Manente to Dr. Rigali, Director of Career Services
With
the rapid ascension of social media use, especially among college students and
recent grads, none may be more vital than LinkedIn in landing a job.
According
to research, 92 percent of companies use LinkedIn or some form of social media
as a recruiting tool, and 79 percent of all jobs are posted on social media.
Sixty one percent of all LinkedIn members are hiring managers and
executives.
There
are 200 million
people currently on LinkedIn so
that means there are a lot of jobs and contacts out there waiting for
you.
“Anyone
who means anything to your career is probably on LinkedIn,” said Debra Manente,
who is the associate director of the Career Services Department at Post
University.
Ninety
percent of people say they got a job because of someone they know,
and LinkedIn allows you to connect and
stay in touch professionally with as many people as possible.
The
whole purpose of LinkedIn is to build relationships, and some of them could help
you get a job. The social media tool also allows you to professionally promote
yourself, and helps you rank high in search engine results.
Debra
met with a group of Post University students recently about the importance of
LinkedIn as one tool in the career search process. She urged students to create
LinkedIn profiles and complete all eight steps to achieve 100 percent
completion, which enables you to be seen by more people.
“It
helps you establish an authoritative voice regarding your accomplishments,
experience, and capabilities and leads people to find you when they search the
internet,” Manente said.
She
walked the students through the eight steps including name, picture, headline
and strong summary, experience, education, skills, demographic area and
industry, and connections.
1.Name: Use
the name you will use professionally on LinkedIn. Don’t use a
nickname.
2. Picture: Your
picture should be a professional-looking headshot with a pleasant expression on
your face. No one else should be in the picture. It’s appropriate to have your
work setting in the background.
3. Headline
and strong summary: Debra said this is the most important part of the
process. It’s vital to use this space to convey your skills. For example if you
work in a career services department write Career Developer/Career Search
Blogger/LinkedIn Trainer/Program Coordinator.
Don’t
just state your title as that is already included lower in the profile. Debra
said no matter what you do, don’t leave this section blank.
4. Experience:
College students can include internships under experience along with full- and
part-time jobs. You must list at least two positions under experience, which can
include volunteer work.
5. Education: For
recent graduates you can move education to the top of your profile. Debra
suggested you only list relevant classes and there is no need to list your high
school.
6. Skills:
List skills employers want to see based on the career you want. You must list at
least three skills in order to achieve a 100 percent completed
profile.
7. Demographic
Area and Industry: Failure to include this information means you won’t show
up in LinkedIn’s searches.
8. Connections:
You need at least 50 connections to bring your profile to 100 percent
completion. That sounds daunting but you can connect with people on your gmail
and yahoo emails. And, you also can actively seek out connections among
professionals in your current or future field.
If
you want to connect with someone you don’t know or don’t know well, it’s best to
send a personal message instead of LinkedIn’s automated impersonal
message.
Debra
said 10 percent of your network should feature recommendations by other LinkedIn
members. Don’t be shy about asking for recommendations from people with whom
you’ve worked closely and can attest to your skills, work ethic,
etc.
What’s been your
experience using LinkedIn? Have you ever learned about a career opportunity or
gotten a lead on an interview through LinkedIn? Leave a comment and let us know.
