LinkedIn Profiles
LinkedIn profiles are essential in the professional world. They are also considered mandatory in a job search. LinkedIn is an enormous web of interconnected people who have shared information about their professional backgrounds. A little bit like an online resume, a little bit like a database of job information, LinkedIn is really something quite amazing!
MJ writes comprehensive and engaging LinkedIn Profiles
Why You Need a LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn allows you to stay connected in your field or become connected in a new field. It can help you learn about companies or organizations, find out who the insiders at those companies are, and get introduced to people who can help you advance your career. Joining one or more industry/professional groups on LinkedIn can assist you in doing the things I just listed, plus it will build your visibility. In addition, if you have ever lost contact with a former colleague or supervisor and now wish you hadn’t (perhaps you need a recommendation?), you have a good shot at finding those old contacts using LinkedIn. You can also use the site to directly search for jobs by keyword, location, or company name.
Tips on Writing a LinkedIn Profile
Your profile needs to be extremely well-written and should not be a copy of your resume. This is because an employer or recruiter is likely to read both your Profile and your resume. The writing must be consistent yet different enough to grab the reader’s attention. As with resumes, there are keywords that are essential and you must use them prominently yet naturally. The best Profiles also communicate your valuable skills and work-related knowledge in a way that is sophisticated and engaging. While doing so, your LinkedIn Profile should not read like a marketing piece to promote you for a new job, which is not ideal in any case, but can be truly problematic if you are currently employed.
Common pitfalls I see when individuals write their own Profiles include lack of content in the “About” field, content that is not optimized to attract recruiters or employers, fields with missing information, wordiness, and alternatively, very sparse content.
Hire a Pro to Do it Right
Careers by Choice, Inc. can help you by writing or substantially editing your LinkedIn Profile and providing other advice on how to use the tool in your job search. If you would like a no-cost review of your Profile, please use the contact page to provide your name and I will contact you after I take a look at your Profile. If you do not have a Profile yet, I can provide a quote once I see your resume. All inquiries are confidential.