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Guide to Creating a LinkedIn Profile


Do you want to create a LinkedIn profile or have one but want to make it better to stand out? LinkedIn is a business-oriented networking website with over 500 million members. Having a professional LinkedIn profile allows you to create your professional brand which will help you in gaining opportunities and network. LinkedIn provides you with the ability to showcase your profile, expertise, recommendations, and connections. There are many pros to creating a LinkedIn account including exposure to hiring managers and recruiters, demonstrating your knowledge, credibility, and leadership, using it for research, etc. If you are looking to create an amazing profile, here are some ways on how you can do that!


Choose a profile picture and add a background photo

You should add a profile picture because it is how people are introduced to you. You should have a professional headshot of yourself, wear what you would wear to work, and smile! Make sure that your face takes up sixty percent of the profile picture. You should also add a background photo; it is the second visual element at the top of your profile and it can set the context and show what matters to you!


Write an eye-catching headline

The headline is positioned right below your name and is usually the first thing people read about you. Your headline usually fills with your current position. but you can change it to whatever you would like! Use this space to say a bit more about how you see your role, why you do what you do, and what makes you stand out.


Write an interesting summary

Your summary gives you a chance to tell your story. You have 2,000 characters, so you can dive deeper than the headline. However, don’t use up all 2,000 characters as some people may not have the time to read that much. You should be creative and really paint a picture of who you really are. Some things to write about include your work passions, key skills, unique qualifications, and your experience.


Highlight your experience

Your LinkedIn profile should be customized to the industry you want to work in as well as the role you are hoping to land. In your experience section, you should emphasize the elements of past experiences that are most relevant. You can include experience such as volunteer work, school projects, extracurriculars, etc. In the descriptions, describe what you did and your accomplishments. You want to demonstrate the impact you’ve made, the change you enacted, the initiatives you’ve led, and the results you have delivered.


List your skills

In the skills section, you should list skills that are most relevant to you! Listing your skills can help prove what you wrote in your headline and summary. People can also endorse your skills. However, you shouldn’t have a long list of skills; you need to stay relevant. LinkedIn allows you to list up to 50 skills, but people will only see your top three, so you should pick the most important ones.



Grow your network

Last but not least, start making connections! You need to keep growing your connections because they can keep you visible to others. You should connect with people that you personally know, but you can still connect with people you don’t know; just send them a personalized note. Once you connect, you are able to communicate with them. You can chat with them and learn something new!


Overall, LinkedIn is a great site to network with people and find jobs or internships! You can utilize your profile if you can take advantage of all the features LinkedIn makes available. It provides a great platform to learn and grow in your desired field and can open many doors.


Sources

Borsellino, Regina. “31 LinkedIn Tips to Make Your Profile Shine.” The Muse, The Muse, 3 Mar. 2021, www.themuse.com/advice/linkedin-profile-tips.

Fleming, Jane. “20 Steps to a Better LinkedIn Profile in 2020.” Business Solutions on LinkedIn, business.linkedin.com/en-uk/marketing-solutions/blog/posts/content-marketing/2017/17-steps-to-a-better-LinkedIn-profile-in-2017.

Omoth, Tyler. “How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out.” TopResume, 21 Dec. 2020, www.topresume.com/career-advice/10-ways-to-create-a-winning-linkedin-profile.

Rycraft, Sarah. “7 Benefits of Using LinkedIn.” LinkedIn, www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-benefits-using-linkedin-sarah-rycraft/.

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