From: Glen Kavaliunas <gkavaliu@gmail.com>
To: Cathy Liu – The Scribblers Writing team member
CC: Dr. Erika Paterson, Professor for English 301
Date: July 9, 2020
English 301: LinkedIn Peer Review Form
Date: July 9, 2020
Peer Reviewer: Glen Kavaliunas
Author: Cathy Liu
Title of Linked In Profile: Cathy Lui LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-liu-87a9101b1/
Hello Cathy,
Thank you for creating and offering a LinkedIn profile for peer feedback. Below are a few observations and suggestions for enhancing the profile.
First Impressions
First impression of the LinkedIn profile is positive, but clearly demonstrates the profile was recently created. Three connections have been created, all from English 301 and only one interest is listed. The profile does not clearly indicate the industry the author is targeting or working in, but as the author is listed as a student, this is appropriate. An established profile would have more. In order to help to streamline the appearance of the profile and help make the URL memorable try:
- using a custom URL for the LinkedIn account to simplify the URL address.
The sections of the profile which have been completed are clear and organized, but the profile has minimal information. The content is professional, using appropriate language and the tone of the author is personable yet professional. Well done! Please try:
- To make the profile more dynamic by filling in more sections or making the existing sections more complete.
Quality and Appropriateness of Profile and Background Photos
The profile picture is professional and contains a friendly expression. The white background is neutral and appropriate. The author is wearing a neutral top appropriate for work and avoided showing a full body picture, but:
- zooming in a little would make the author’s face more visible and therefore more memorable to viewers.
- to increase interest professionals suggest adding an action shot of yourself at work.
- try adding a background photo (in the banner) that is professional or appropriately personal.
Headline
The headline is quite concise, but a little confusing. Try clarifying:
- “1st” as the reader is unclear what is being referred to.
- is there anything else that can be added to the headline. What else defines you?
Effectiveness of the Summary in the About Section
The tone of the summary in the About section is professional and friendly. The length is long enough to give an idea of who the author is, yet short enough that the reader has no trouble reading the full summary. The author clearly states personal background, skills and a concise work history. Future goals are also suggested, but:
- try listing some of the possible fields of interest that the area of study can provide.
Experience and Education
The author chose chronological order as the way to organize work experience. The information is relevant and consecutive and the timeline leaves no holes to be accounted for, but indicates that the author has not worked since May 2018. The timeline also includes work dates, location and a brief description of the job duties for all positions except AMS of UBC Vancouver.
- Consider adding a brief job description or list of duties for the job at AMS of UBC Vancouver.
- If the author has been employed since May 2018, this experience should be added.
Education experience is clear, but:
- computer programming experience should be listed as well.
- Try listing relevant courses taken to create a fuller profile, rather than being put into the category English Language and Literature student.
Licenses and Certificates
- Please include licenses or certificates if possible.
Volunteer Experience
Only one volunteer experience is listed so it is unclear if chronological or functional format was used. The experience listed is appropriate and includes details describing the experience.
- Expand this section if possible.
Skills and Endorsements
The Skills and Endorsement section is sparse. Three skills are listed. The list should have a combination of hard and soft skills and should help show the author as a well rounded individual. Try:
- adding hard and soft skills.
- adding computer programming languages worked with.
- complete a couple of the LinkedIn tests to verify skills.
- look at the suggestions this section gives after clicking on edit.
- request endorsements from employers/colleagues/professors who have witnessed the various skills
Accomplishments
The two languages listed by the author in the Accomplishments section are appropriate and impressive.
Interests
The Interests section is underdeveloped. The one interest listed, The University of British Columbia, is appropriate and expected for a student at UBC, but does not give any insight into the author’s interests and associations. Try:
- adding interests, both professional and personal (if appropriate), to paint a picture of a complete person.
Connections
As this is a new profile, created for the purpose of English 301 assignment 2:2, connections have not yet been established. To get the most out of a LinkedIn profile try:
- adding more connections. Students in a similar field of study or possible future employers would be appropriate.
- adding interests in order to develop new connection and expand the network.
Grammar and Expression
The profile is well written and free of grammatical and spelling errors. The profile is clear and consistent throughout, but:
- the profile needs further development.
Overall Impression
The profile achieves the goal of introducing the author in a professionally favorable manner. The most effective piece of the profile is the about section which gives a glimpse of the multiple dimensions of the author. The following areas require improvement:
- Skills and Endorsements is very spares. Adding skills helps interested employers get a better sense of the person and their abilities.
- Expanding the Interests section would expand the author’s network, developing more connections.
- A brief list of courses taken over the five years at UBC would give a better idea of the author’s skills than listing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language and Literature alone.
Conclusion
This is a great beginning for an excellent profile page and with a few changes and additions, you are well on your way.
To summarize, here is a list of suggested edits:
- use a custom URL for the LinkedIn account to simplify the URL address.
- make the profile more dynamic by filling in more sections or making the existing sections more complete.
- zooming in a little on the profile picture would make the author’s face more visible and therefore more memorable to viewers.
- to increase interest professionals suggest adding an action shot of yourself at work.
- add a background photo (in the banner) that is professional or appropriately personal.
- In the Headline “1st” is unclear in what is being referred to
- is there anything else that can be added to the headline. What else defines you?
- In the About section,
- try listing some of the possible fields of interest that the area of study can provide.
- Consider adding a brief job description or list of duties for the job at AMS of UBC Vancouver in the Work Experience section
- If the author has been employed since May 2018, this experience should be added.
- In the Education section, computer programming experience should be listed as well.
- Try listing relevant courses taken to create a fuller profile, rather than being put into the category English Language and Literature student.
- Please include licenses or certificates if possible.
- Expand the Volunteer Experience section if possible.
- In the Skills and Endorsement section, try adding hard and soft skills.
- add computer programming languages worked with.
- complete a couple of the LinkedIn tests to verify skills.
- look at the suggestions this section gives after clicking on edit.
- request endorsements from employers/colleagues/professors who have witnessed the various skills.
- add interests both professional and personal (if appropriate) to paint a picture of a complete person.
- add more connections. Students in a similar field of study or possible future employers would be appropriate.
- add interests in order to develop new connection and expand the network.
- Expanding the Interests section would expand the author’s network, developing more connections.
I hope my suggestions are helpful. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions or need clarification.
Thank you
Glen Kavaliunas
encl: Eng 301 – LinkedIn peer review template – Glen Kavaliunas
Link to Cathy Liu’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-liu-87a9101b1/
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