MEMORANDUM
TO: Team BEAD, Writing team of ENGL 301
FROM: Emily Leung, Writing team member of Team BEAD 
DATE: October 21, 2019
SUBJECT: Ten Best Practices for using LinkedIn Profiles
In reference to the assignment for Lesson 2.2 concerning LinkedIn best practices, please find the list below for the ten tips for using LinkedIn as a professional networking site.
- Maintain an up-to-date profile: Regular updates keep your profile active and boost profile visibility (Kim).
- Pick an audience: As with any writing genre, LinkedIn profiles should be tailored to a target audience, be it an employer in a field of interest or coworkers who wish to connect. Be strategic to include relevant keywords and experiences. A focused profile can strengthen your personal brand and leads to more connection opportunities (Edwards; Seiden; The Muse)
- Impress with a professional photo: Leave a professional first impression with a photo that creates an engaging and approachable image of you (Kim).
- Craft an engaging summary: Advertise yourself by highlighting your passions, skill sets, qualifications, and aspirations in the summary section. Be concise and on-point to catch viewers’ attention (Mora)
- Include media: a web portfolio, a presentation, or a publication speaks louder than words. Media adds interactivity to the profile and are concrete examples that can increase your credibility (The Muse)
- Expand professional network beyond your immediate circle: be open to invite and accept requests from strangers, as a new connection opens the door to hundreds of second- and third-level contacts. In particular, utilize features such as the LinkedIn’s Alumni Tool to connect with or follow employees working your dream job. Be sure to personalize the invitation to increase the chance of being accepted. (Burnham; Edwards)
- Put specific accomplishments: provide three to four skills developed through each work or volunteering experience with specific examples. Avoid using buzzwords to show authenticity (Edwards).
- Join groups that align with your professional interests. Meeting like-minded people and learning the latest news in the field help you stay in the loop. Take a step further and make yourself known by contributing valuable content to a page (Burnham; Kim).
- Request LinkedIn recommendation and endorsement: Recommendation and endorsement serve as excellent references that prove you are an established and credible professional (Kim).
- Write blog posts: periodic posting display your passion in a subject and help you acquire new connections.
The best practices listed above are but a few suggestions to establish a reliable and effective LinkedIn Profile. If you have any questions, please refer to the work cited below or reach out to me.
Thank you.
Work Cited
Burnham, Kristin. “LinkedIn Tips: 10 Steps To A Stronger Profile.” InformationWeek, 18 March 2014, https://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/executive-insights-and-innovation/linkedin-tips-10-steps-to-a-stronger-profile/d/d-id/1127744?image_number=5. Accessed 21 October 2019.
Edwards, Vanessa Van. “The 15 Best LinkedIn Profile Tips To Make Your Profile Pop.” Science of People, https://www.scienceofpeople.com/linkedin-profile-tips/. Accessed 20 October 2019.
Kim, Larry. “22 Great Tips for Enhancing Your LinkedIn Profile.” Medium, 20 February 2018, https://medium.com/marketing-and-entrepreneurship/22-great-tips-for-enhancing-your-linkedin-profile-c72e5b2a8cbc. Accessed 19 October 2019.
Mora, Celeste. “4 Tips to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out to Recruiters.” Grammarly, 23 July 2017, https://www.grammarly.com/blog/linkedin-profile-tips/. Accessed 21 October 2019.
Seiden, Jason. “How to Create an Effective LinkedIn Profile.’ LinkedIn, 17 July 2013, https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/2013/07/how-to-create-an-effective-linkedin-profile. Accessed 21 October 2019.
The Muse. “7 Expert LinkedIn Tips A Lot Of People Don’t Really Know About.” Forbes, 22 January 2018, https://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2018/01/22/7-expert-linkedin-tips-a-lot-of-people-dont-really-know-about/#6ad93f352f2a. Accessed 20 October 2019.
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