LinkedIn Research Memo

Memorandum

To: Amina Fatima Moustaqim Barrette, Student – ENGL301
       Evan Ruiz, Student – ENGL301
       Mitchell Prost, Student – ENGL301

From: Rodrigo Samayoa, Student – ENGL301

October 24, 2020

Subject: Memo – LinkedIn Profile Research

Dear team members,

I just spent a few hours researching LinkedIn best practices and would like to share my learnings with you. Here are a few of the top recommendations I found online:

• Use the right profile picture – the photo should be recent, clearly show the face and be professional. In the photo, you should be wearing what you wear to work. LinkedIn made a blog with some more detailed tips for the profile photo here. 
• Make your headline stand out – don’t just add a job title. Use the headline to describe your specialization and let the reader know a bit more about you. 
• Your summary should tell a story – the summary is the place where you can have a conversation with your reader about your goals, skills, passion and experience. 
• Use buzzwords with intention – LinkedIn published a list of most used buzzwords, which include worlds like ‘strategic’, ‘leadership’, and ‘experienced.’ It is ok to use these words, but make sure there is meaning and intention behind them
• Use your LinkedIn as a resume – In your profile you can list your skills, past experiences and education. But, unlike your resume, you can make it personal.
• Show, don’t tell – rather than just say you have a skill, use stories and numbers to demonstrate that. Did you increase sales at your previous job? Were you the top recruiter? Did you find new clients? Use all these examples as validation for your skills. 
• Get a custom URL for your profile – you can find this option in the settings.

I hope these tips and tricks help you when creating or updating your profile.

Works Cited

Abbot, Lydia. “10 Tips for Picking the Right LinkedIn Profile Picture .” LinkedIn Talent Blog, LinkedIn, 5 Aug. 2019, business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/2014/12/5-tips-for-picking-the-right-linkedin-profile-picture.

Editor, The Muse. “The Best LinkedIn Profile Tips for Job Seekers.” The Muse, The Muse, 19 June 2020, www.themuse.com/advice/the-31-best-linkedin-profile-tips-for-job-seekers.

Faraz, Darain. “Find the Right Words to Land the Right Job.” LinkedIn Official Blog, LinkedIn, 24 Jan. 2018, blog.linkedin.com/2018/january/25/find-the-right-words-to-land-the-right-job.

Fleming, Jane. “20 Steps to a Better LinkedIn Profile in 2020.” LinkedIn Sales and Marketing Solutions EMEA Blog, LinkedIn, 20 Feb. 2020, business.linkedin.com/en-uk/marketing-solutions/blog/posts/content-marketing/2017/17-steps-to-a-better-LinkedIn-profile-in-2017.

“How to Effectively Use LinkedIn.” University of British Columbia – Student Services, UBC, 18 July 2019, students.ubc.ca/career/career-resources/effectively-use-linkedin.

Kim, Larry. “22 Great Tips for Enhancing Your LinkedIn Profile.” Medium – Marketing and Entrepreneurship, Medium, 24 Apr. 2018, medium.com/marketing-and-entrepreneurship/22-great-tips-for-enhancing-your-linkedin-profile-c72e5b2a8cbc.