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Week 1: How to Start Building Your Outstanding LinkedIn Profile

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

How to Wow People with Your Profile Image and Headline!

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Video Time: 6 Minutes           Action Time: 2 – 3 Hours

This Section is divided into 4 parts below:

  • LinkedIn Wow!
  • How to Make Your LinkedIn Private
  • Headline
  • Where to Find Keywords
  • Back to Top

LinkedIn Wow!

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!!!!

LINKEDIN HELP

Turn off Activity Broadcast

  1. Navigate to https://www.linkedin.com. You will see the following page. When you are ready to begin, click Join Now.

  1. Type in the email and password you want to use for your account.

  1. 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!

  1. You will come to a welcome screen which will require you to put in a country and postal code.

    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.

  1. Skip the next screen, which asks you to connect with people, by clicking the Skip button in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.

    We'll teach you how to start connecting with people later!

  1. The next screen wants you to add a profile photo - don't do it!

    We will be covering how to add a great photo in a little bit. Just hit that sweet Skip for now.

  1. This screen is the door-to-door salesman that you want to Skip.

    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*

  1. Skip this last screen too!

    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.

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How to Make Your LinkedIn Private

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:

  1. On the top bar of your LinkedIn dashboard, click on the little circle with the word Me beneath it.
  1. From the list that drops down, select Settings & Privacy.
  1. You'll be taken to the section of your LinkedIn where you can edit your settings.

    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.

  1. In the right-hand column, find the toggle next to Your profile's public visibility and click it to switch it off.
HERE’S A TIP:

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! 

  1. Check to make sure the toggle worked.

    With your profile's public visibility turned off, your profile preview should have changed to look like so ...

  1. Now you can return to LinkedIn via the link in the top right-hand corner and get to the fun part!

Photos

  1. Take a clear and professional photo of yourself (also known as a headshot) so that others can clearly see you.

    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.

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CREATING YOUR PROFILE PICTURE:

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:

  1. Find a cover photo that showcases your personal brand and the career you want.

    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.

HELPFUL WEBSITES YOU CAN USE TO FIND YOUR BACKGROUND:

Canva – A site that allows you to create and customize your own background

LinkedInBackground – A great website with tons of premade background photos

NEVER…

…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.

  • Back to Top

Headline

  1. Create a headline that shows your value to the field/company that you are interested in incorporating keywords on how you can help them.

    Headlines need to have these 3 elements, also known as an elevator pitch:

  • What you do.
  • How you do it uniquely.
  • Who you serve.
NEVER USE “SEEKING NEW OPPORTUNITIES”

No one will ever be impressed by you, let alone be able to find you, with that headline. Also, it’s lame and you’re cool. Cool humans, by definition, are never lame and if they are, they’re shunned. Don’t get shunned.
  1. Determine the keywords that you are going to use that are popular in your field and include them in your elevator pitch...

    Do you sell vacuums? Make sure you use the word "vacuums" in your headline so that it sucks less... Wait... Sucks more?

  1. Next, use a line to separate your headline from your title or the title you want to be considered for.
  1. Finally, use a line to separate your title from your pronouns.

    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!

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES:
I reduce company costs while increasing employee satisfaction. | Benefits Specialist | Pronouns She/Her

Increasing Conversions for Hospitality Websites Through Easy User Experiences | UX Designer | Pronouns They/Them
 
DON’T…
… Just put your job title and/or company. This space is used to sell yourself!

… Leave your headline blank. People want to know who you are and what you do! 
  • Back to Top

Where to Find Keywords

There are several places that you can go to find keywords:

  • Job postings. Sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, SimplyHired, or any of the many other job sites out there have a ton of job postings for all sorts of positions. Find job postings for your position and look through them. Take a look at the sorts of words they use for requirements to land a job with them.
  • Resume-building articles. Your LinkedIn profile is some what like an online resume. That being said, employers look for the same keywords on your LinkedIn profile that they would on a resume. Therefore, these articles not only pertain to your resume but also to your LinkedIn!
  • A search engine, such as Google. More on how to get the best results below!
  • A thesaurus. You heard us! You can use this to spark inspiration for keywords that suit your magnificent, splendid, phenomenal, outstanding self! There are quite a few online thesauri out there (did you know that’s the plural form of thesaurus?).

Finding Keywords Using Google

  1. Go to our trusty friend, Google!
  1. Type in your job title/position followed by a space.
  1. After your job position/title, type keywords for search engines.
  1. Review your results!

    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!”

  • keywords for resume
  • skills list
  • job skills requirements

 

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! ​

  1. Determine your keywords.

    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!

MORE HELPFUL INFORMATION

How to Choose Powerful Keywords for Your LinkedIn

How to Choose the Right Keywords for Your Resume

 
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