8 Ways to Have an All-Star Linkedin Profile without Having to Update to Premium

Linkedin is a social media network for business professionals and companies. It’s a fantastic way to gain connections, market yourself to potential employers, and search for jobs. Furthermore, it’s one of the many ways employers can find you online.

I have a friend who was interviewing to hire an IT programmer for her company. One of the initial leading candidates for the position didn’t make the cut. One reason was because he didn’t have a Linkedin profile. “He was an IT guy,” she told me. “You would think he would have a Linkedin profile!” Therefore, I consider having a Linkedin profile to be crucial in your job or internship search. If you do not have a profile on Linkedin, I would suggest you should create one. 

Here are 8 ways to boost your profile:

1. Use a Professional Photo as your Profile Pic. According to Linkedin, providing a photo makes your profile 7 times more likely to be found in searches. Profiles without photos are likely to be perceived as incomplete or inactive and are less likely to be viewed. Avoid photos with pets, kids, significant others, and anything that can be viewed as inappropriate. That lovely Facebook photo of you and your sister at her wedding, doesn’t work.

Also, be sure you are in business attire when you take the photo. If you want your photo to be exceptional and professional as possible, go to a professional photographer. However, if you are on a budget, grab a friend with a nice camera or a camera phone with excellent quality. Have him or her take the photo of you in a professional background. Pick a background that isn’t too distracting. A room with a red or white wall with good lighting that doesn’t reveal your shadow would be the best place.  

2. Create a Noteworthy Headline and Include your Industry and Location. You have 120 characters to inform potential employers what you do. Don’t just use your job title, include your areas of expertise for which you would like to be known and found in searches. You may also want to include areas of interests and locations you are interested in working. Using brief, informative, and noteworthy keywords will help employers find you and lead to more profile views. For example, my headline is “Video Production Intern at [Company]. Interested in Multimedia, Journalism, Writing, Blogging in Big City Areas.”

Other examples: “Experienced Transportation Executive at [Company] in New York”; “Web Designer and Information Architect at [Company] in Los Angeles”. If you don’t have a job currently and you’re interested in going into the Film and Television industry in Los Angeles, you may write: “Recent College Grad Seeking Entry-Level Jobs. Interested in Film and Television in Los Angeles.”

3. Have a Killer Summary. Think of your Linkedin profile summary as your digitalized elevator pitch. This is the chance for you to describe who you are, what you do, what you have done, what you are passionate about, and what makes you unique. People are viewing your profile because they are interested in learning about you, so be sure to distinguish yourself from others. Also, your summery isn’t your professional résumé, so make it sound personal and conversational. Tell stories and paint a picture of yourself, but remember to keep it professional. As always, be sure to proofread your summary before posting.

For an elaborate example, here is my summary: “I am a member of the class of 2015 at [College/University] with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies and I am interested in pursuing a career in Multimedia Journalism and Writing, but my dream job is to be a travel writer. I absolutely love to travel abroad and get giddy whenever I prepare to go on a trip. During my time at [College/University], I was involved in the student newspaper, theatre, and was a brother of a service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. I also took an intensive course on writing film reviews and a three-day screenwriting workshop under the instruction of Joe Boucher, a producer of The Simpsons and King of the Hill.”

3 Stunningly Good Linkedin Profile Summaries offer a few more examples.  

4. Add your Current Position and Previous Work History. According to Linkedin, having your two most recent positions makes your profile 12 times more likely to be found. Be sure to leave a description with your current position and at least two or more previous positions. Also, add any corporate and volunteer positions that would be of interest to job recruiters.

Since it’s not your resume, you shouldn’t go overboard with your previous job experiences. A simple brief summary and some top accomplishments should be fine. That job you did as a rabbit whisperer won’t cut it. However, you could add that to your summary as an interesting fact. As a recent grad, it is acceptable to list jobs you had while in high school and in college, as well as internships and fellowships.   

5. Add Skills and Expertise. The skills and expertise section of your Linkedin profile gives you an opportunity to showcase the specific and detailed areas of your expertise. You should avoid being too vague or general, but rather list specialties. Adding skills and expertise also gives your connections the ability to endorse you in those skills.

You should list at least 5 skills, minimum. The average skills a college grad attains that you can add to your skills if you haven’t already: Microsoft Office; Social Media; Facebook; Twitter; YouTube; Teamwork; Research; Public Speaking; Event Planning.  

6. Include your Education. Don’t forget to add your education details in your profile. Add higher education school(s) you attended, degrees received (including minors and concentration), awards (can include making the Dean’s List), notable clubs and organizations (ex. Alpha Phi Omega, Chamber Chorale, Debate Team, Quiz Bowl, Student Activities Board, Young Republicans/Democrats).

Also, if you’ve studied abroad for a semester or more, you should add the university you attended, which country, how long you were there, relevant courses, and any clubs and organization in which you were involved. One of the many benefits of adding the school(s) you attended is that it allows you to connect with fellow classmates and alumni to find you and connect.

If you didn’t finish your degree, you should still include information about your attendance. If you didn’t attend college, it is better to list the high school you attended than having no education details at all. Not adding your education details will leave your profile incomplete and raise unnecessary questions.   

7. Provide your Contact Information. If you wish to be contacted by job recruiters or those who want to help you succeed, you should add your contact information. At a minimum, to protect your privacy, only give your email and phone number. Be sure it’s an appropriate email address that you check regularly and that the phone number you provide is associated to a phone you use regularly.

8. Get Connected. Linkedin requires that you have at least 50 connections. This can be easily accomplished by browsing connections. Go to your Linkedin homepage. Then, hover your cursor over the “Connections” tab between “Profile” and “Jobs” on the bar near the top of the page. There will be a pull-down menu, click on either “Add Connections” or “Find Alumni.” In “Add Connections” you can upload contacts from Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail, etc. by logging in to your personal email and see who has a Linkedin profile. “Finding Alumni” will provide you separate lists of students and alumni, notables, and recommendations from the school(s) you attended. One piece of often-ignored advice is to write a simple personal message when you send out invitations to connect.

There you go, eight tips on how to attain an all-star Linkedin profile! A complete and compelling profile helps you stay connected and broadens your personal brand. Regularly update your profile and keep it fresh. Imagine your profile as another Facebook profile. You should give your Linkedin profile as much attention as you give to Facebook if you want to maintain an all-star profile and a good start to your career. And don’t forget to proofread!