18 Steps to an All-Star Linkedin Profile by Andrea T Edwards

Author:Andrea T Edwards
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781647606718
Publisher: Notion Press

Now it’s time to focus on your professional summary, and this is really important. A little exploring of profiles from your industry will show you that there are many different approaches to writing this piece. There is no right or wrong way; what matters is tell your story and feel good about it. In this section I’ll outline what I believe makes an effective summary.

Write it in the first person. That may feel uncomfortable for you, as it does for many people, but it comes across as more genuine in first person. To overcome any qualms, write it in the third person, and once you’re happy with it, flip it into the first person. This will give you permission to be bold.

What to write? It’s a snapshot of your professional career, what you do, and what you focus on. Remember to include keywords relevant to your industry. LinkedIn will encourage you to do this, but as an example, if you are in sales, include terms such as sales, sales leadership or customer service. This is how you will be found when professionals are searching LinkedIn for people like you.

But don’t just write about your work. Write about your values, what you care about, what you stand for—and please, don’t be afraid to use humor, especially if you are naturally a funny person. This is about you, the person, because you’re not a machine. It’s important to write this section in a way that will engage readers. There are enough boring summaries out there—why stay in

that herd?

Also, resist the temptation to make this section read like a resume or CV. That information should be available in your position descriptions throughout the rest of your LinkedIn profile, so try not to double up on what you have already said. Tell people a story. Let them get to know you and the type of person you are. Do you care about women’s issues? Talk about your engagement there. Is employee engagement close to your heart? Tell us why and how. Are you passionate about technology and its potential to change the world? Great—share that passion.

I also advise that you do not use bullet points to highlight your achievements in your summary. Visually, bullets don’t look good on LinkedIn anyway, as it’s not a platform designed for dots. Furthermore, there is plenty of real estate on LinkedIn to list your achievements—in your position descriptions and awards sections, for example. Use your summary to get people excited about the person that you are.

As a visual supplement to your summary (and for your roles as well) LinkedIn offers great possibilities to tell your story using photos, weblinks, YouTube videos, SlideShares, PDFs, and more. Visual storytelling is easy to do, offers your audience the chance to go deeper into your background, and rounds out your profile to be more engaging on multiple levels. Maximize this opportunity.

Here are some suggestions on where you can find content to feature in your summary (and positions). If you don’t already do so, make it a point to capture your professional moments from this day forward.

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