Memo – Research Summary of LinkedIn Practices

To: Thoth, Writing Team Members

From: Cynthia Li

Date: June 29, 2020

Subject: Best Practices for Professional Networking on LinkedIn

In line with the guidelines for assignment 2:2, after some research, listed below are a few findings of common practices for better networking which may be useful.

1. Creating a Profile
   • Use a quality headshot that looks professional
   • Attach the resume and cover letter
   • List at least 5-10 skills
     • A combination of soft skills and hard skills for a more well-rounded set
   • Make sure to include keywords for other’s to search by and to be known for, but avoid buzzwords
     • Insert these keywords throughout the different areas of the profile but avoid going overboard
   • Fill out all areas
     • Being selective: not every detail must be included. Highlight information that shows career interests and aspirations as well as skills and interests
2. Updating
   • Update the profile regularly. This keeps the profile fresh as well as relevant. It keeps fellow connections up to date and employer’s are able to review any new skills or information
3. Being Active and Engaging
   • Being active on LinkedIn means going out of the way to interact with those on the homepage whether through liking, congratulating, commenting, chatting, sharing etc.
     • This helps in developing relationships and other’s can see how one is focused
4. Connecting
   • There are a few ways to build a network:
     • Reaching out or accepting: inviting those on the recommend page, actively searching, or accepting invitations
     • Joining a group: LinkedIn allows one to join up to 100 groups and these groups allow access to large numbers of people interested in the same things. It is important to be respectful when joining a group and to engage and promote others as well as share their work alongside promoting the self.
5. Posting
   • Posting things that are relevant to the interested industry shows how one is well-informed and continuously learning
     • Personal posts, showing insight
     • Sharing articles and other posts
     • Visuals such as charts and graphs
   • For more general audience posts however, some tips include:
     • Avoiding jargon
     • Shorter posts if possible (can include a link to a longer article or post)
     • Include images and statistics when possible and relevant

The works cited below include the links to the helpful articles with further, more detailed information on building profiles and networking on LinkedIn. Thank you for reading.

Works Cited

Arruda, William. “LinkedIn 201: How To Cultivate A Powerful Network.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 2 July 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2017/02/05/linkedin-201-how-to-cultivate-a-powerful-network/.

Arruda, William. “LinkedIn 101: How To Craft A Stellar Profile.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 2 July 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2017/01/15/linkedin-101-how-to-craft-a-stellar-profile/.

Edwards, Vanessa Van. “The 15 Best LinkedIn Profile Tips To Make Your Profile Pop.” Science of People, 20 May 2020, www.scienceofpeople.com/linkedin-profile-tips/.