MEMO — Best LinkedIn Practices

To: Team Capybara, ENGL301 Technical Writing

From: Yang Liu, ENGL 301 Student

Date: October 22, 2021

Subject: Best LinkedIn Practices 

The idea of using social media like LinkedIn to seek a job is commonly accepted by both employers and employees. Editing your LinkedIn page in a professional way becomes essential for job seekers. Here are some best practices in using LinkedIn:

1. Choose a Specific Audience for Your LinkedIn Profile — The first step is to identify your audiences by writing to choose appropriate strategies to attract your audiences.
2.  Put Keywords and Search Terms in Your “Skills” Section — Keywords help you get found in search results on LinkedIn, and LinkedIn skills count as keywords. Choose skills that are relevant to your potential audiences.
3. Optimize Your Headline and Profile Picture — Make sure your image looks professional and friendly, and your headline title shows your skills and expertise. You can also include relevant certificates in the headline.
4. Focus Heavily on Your Experience Section — List responsibilities in your previous experience and specific numbers and accomplishments in your bullet points under each previous job.
5. Get Professional Recommendations — Getting two or three recommendations from colleagues builds credibility and makes companies want to interview you once viewed on LinkedIn.
6. Write a Summary Section — Make sure you include a summary session on your page. Avoid simply listing your skills and job titles you have had. Focus on your own story and think about why your skills matter and what makes you different from other people. 
7. Declare War on Buzzwords — Make sure you demonstrate any buzzwords such as ‘specialized’, ‘leadership’, ‘focused’, ‘strategic’, ‘experienced’, ‘passionate’, ‘expert’, ‘creative’, ‘innovative’ in your LinkedIn profiles (experience, recommendations). Avoid simply listing them in your headline and summary since listing these words won’t convince people that you have these qualities
8. Grow Your Network — Grow your LinkedIn network by syncing your profile with your email address book. Get into the habit of following up meetings and conversations with LinkedIn connection requests
9. Showcase your passion for learning — LinkedIn offers many courses. Add a course certificate to your LinkedIn profile once you complete any studies to show your passion for learning.
10. Keep your profile updated — Keep your profile updated. Make sure each section is filled out and updated with your current job, skill set, and any other professional details.

I hope these tips are helpful in editing your LinkedIn page.

Citations:

Clark, B. (2021, July 5). 11 Best LinkedIn Profile Tips From a Recruiter. Career Sidekick. https://careersidekick.com/best-linkedin-profile-tips/

Deehan, J. (2020, February 20). 20 steps to a better LinkedIn profile in 2020. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/business/sales/blog/profile-best-practices/17-steps-to-a-better-linkedin-profile-in-2017

Shore, J. (2020, January 16). 17 LinkedIn Marketing Best Practices. Smart Bug. https://www.smartbugmedia.com/blog/17-linkedin-marketing-best-practices