MEMORANDUM
To: Syed Ahmed, Elton Kok , Aleem Tariq, Members of Team Undefined
From: Richard Chen, Team Undefined Member
Date: October 26th, 2020
Subject: LinkedIn Best Practices
Greetings team,
In anticipation of the creation of our LinkedIn profiles this week, I have compiled some best practices for LinkedIn I hope you will all find useful. These were the following tips I found the most useful:
- Include a professional headshot – Having a headshot on your profile makes your profile 7 times more likely to be viewed. Formal wear is not a necessity if that isn’t the image you want to reflect. A nice shirt can achieve the same effect.
- Write a headline that reflects you – Your headline is an opportunity to tell others what you are doing now or looking for in the future. The headline usually includes your title, position, or student status.
- Expand in your summary – Once someone has decided to click on profile, the summary acts like a cover letter to get people further interested in you. Elaborate on your interests and qualifications such that they would interested in seeing the rest of your profile. Make sure to show off a bit of your personality.
- Include your work & volunteer experience – Starting with your most recently held position, add all your experiences relevant to the jobs you want in the future. Write about your experiences in a way that shows what you have accomplished.
- Show off your portfolio – If it is relevant to your field, show off any personal projects or works you have completed to demonstrate your abilities. A personal portfolio gives employers a sense of how your skills can translate to the workplace.
- Nurture your network – Once you have built your profile, continue to connection with past and present professional contacts. Consider sending friendly LinkedIn messages every so often and offer your assistance if it is relevant. Small gestures like these can accumulate to help you in the future.
- Build your own Board of Advisors – Picking a few trusted contacts to mentor and advise you can be invaluable. Reach out with tailored questions designed to gain more insight into the job application process. Consider using LinkedIn’s Alumni Tool to find experienced people with similar qualifications.
- Join LinkedIn groups – Pick groups that appeal to you based on interest or companies you would like to work for and join them. Groups are a great way to gain insight into a company’s culture or be included in a circle of like-minded people.
- Write recommendations – Writing recommendations to others is another way to build and maintain your network. You also raise the possibility of having recommendations written in turn for you.
- Customize your LinkedIn connection requests – Just as you would customize your cover letter for each company you apply you, customizing your requests will increase the likelihood of your request being accepted.
In conclusion, build a profile that communicates the best of yourself, and maintain the network you build. I hope you have found these tips useful in crafting your own LinkedIn profile.
References:
- “13 LinkedIn Profile Tips for College Students.” Career Education, Elmhurst University, 18 April. 2019, https://www.elmhurst.edu/blog/linkedin-profile-tips/
- “The Student Job Hunting Handbook Part 1.” LinkedIn, https://university.linkedin.com/content/dam/students/global/en_US/site/img/StudentPublishMicroSite/pdfs/LNK_MM_JobSeeker_eBook_StudentEdition_Sec1_FINAL.pdf
- “How to Effectively Use LinkedIn.” Student Services, University of British Columba, https://students.ubc.ca/career/career-resources/effectively-use-linkedin
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