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Video Time: 6 Minutes Action Time: 2 – 3 Hours
LinkedIn is like your internet search history; in the end, the only people who will see it is you, your internet service provider, and (hopefully) your employer! So click away at those illicit websites and get ready to experiment like it’s freshman year, because, to paraphrase an advertisement we heard from a friend of a friend, THERE ARE LOADS OF LOCAL EMPLOYERS IN YOUR AREA LOOKING TO HIRE NOW!!!!
Turn off Activity Broadcast
Navigate to https://www.linkedin.com. You will see the following page. When you are ready to begin, click Join Now.
Type in the email and password you want to use for your account.
Type your first and last name.
Here’s a fun fact: “Super” apparently violates the terms of service as a first name, so Super Porpoise had to make do with “Superb Porpoise” instead. Bummer!
Once you've done that, hit Next and input your most recent job title and most recent employer. You may wish to wait until you're closer to finishing your profile to put in real company information so that your profile does not show up when people search for your company.
We'll teach you how to start connecting with people later!
We will be covering how to add a great photo in a little bit. Just hit that sweet Skip for now.
Hey, have you heard of the LinkedIn app? It’s a pretty cool way to use LinkedIn on your phone so you can have it with you everywhere! Did you also know that you can get it on the Google Play st-- *slams the door*
LinkedIn wants you to fill out one of those get-to-know-you worksheets. How nosy! This screen doesn't have a Skip link (like most worksheets thrust upon you), but you don't have to pick any interests, either. Clicking Continue will let you move on unhindered and finish creating your profile.
You’ve finished signing up for a new LinkedIn profile and taken the first step to the new you. Yay! But you can’t celebrate just yet! The first thing you want to do is make your profile private, so that you can’t be searched for anywhere other than LinkedIn. You can change this when you’re ready to go “live,” but for now it’s a good idea to build your profile in relative privacy. It’s kind of like getting dressed. You’d rather strangers didn’t see you in just your underwear, right (unless you’re into that kind of thing)? Here’s how to do it:
Of the four options near the top, select Privacy and then find the very first option beneath it, which is Edit your public profile. Click the Change link on the right-hand side.
You can also change your LinkedIn profile’s URL on this page! Just click the pencil beside your URL under Edit your custom URL to change it to whatever you want it to be!
With your profile's public visibility turned off, your profile preview should have changed to look like so ...
Make sure your profile picture aligns with the profession you are seeking. Stay away from an Instagram bathroom selfie as a profile photo. No company or professional would be interested in seeing that! And no Daisy Dukes either. Unless you want to work for the Daisy Duke company, then it would be appreciated.
Be mindful of the background of your profile picture. If there’s something in your background that you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see, find a different place to take your picture. Be mindful of your foreground and other people in your picture, too! Superb Porpoise hasn’t learned this yet.
Make sure the lighting is good. Taking a picture of yourself in the dark isn’t going to help you! Superb Porpoise isn’t doing themselves any favors, here.
Dress for the role you want! Even if you look “soooooo cute xoxo” in your leggings, Proctor and Gamble may disagree that your butt is as “juicy” as the rhinestones claim. Of course, Proctor and Gamble are also unlikely to hire the Superb Porpoise that looks like they’re running for president.
Smile! Let your future employer know you aren’t a psychopath! Or at least that you can fake it. And you definitely don’t want this dumb face on your profile:
As an example, Johnny is a dog walker who featured a photo of dogs as his cover image and got hired right away. By contrast, Layla is a motivational speaker who used a picture of Jonestown for their cover image and instead received a telephone call from the FBI.
Canva – A site that allows you to create and customize your own background
LinkedInBackground – A great website with tons of premade background photos
…use the default cover photo… Ever. Recruiters and employers are turned off by the default cover photo as it demonstrates a lack of creativity or is interpreted as unsophisticated career awareness.
Headlines need to have these 3 elements, also known as an elevator pitch:
Do you sell vacuums? Make sure you use the word "vacuums" in your headline so that it sucks less... Wait... Sucks more?
This is where you will be educating others as to the gender you identify with and how forward-thinking you are in the understanding of diversity and inclusion!
There are several places that you can go to find keywords:
Sometimes Google will give you a preview of the most popular article at the top. This doesn't mean it's always right! Take a look at relevant articles to find your keywords.
OTHER GOOD SEARCH PHRASES TO USE:Some positions may be harder to search for than most. Don’t fret! Sometimes you just have to change up your wording a bit in your search! Here are some great alternatives to “keywords for search engines!”
If none of those yield results, start thinking of other creative ways to ask for a list of desired skills and most searched for skills for your position!
You can get these keywords from online job descriptions you are interested in applying for. Add these keywords to your headline. Make sure to use keywords that are relevant to your desired career field. Even though you might have limited or slower internet access now that everyone is online 24/7 finding these keywords is still important!
How to Choose Powerful Keywords for Your LinkedIn
How to Choose the Right Keywords for Your Resume