Assignment 2:2 – LinkedIn Best Practices

To: English 301, The TechniWriters
From: Samuel Kobierski
Date: February 09, 2019
Subject: English 301 – Assignment 2:2 – LinkedIn Best Practices

As our Professor, Dr. Erika Paterson, requested, I have researched LinkedIn best practices and formulated a list with ten of what I consider the best practices to follow when building a LinkedIn profile to achieve the best results for the user.

1. Build A Complete Profile: Filling out every section in your LinkedIn profile allows your connections to learn more about you and your history. Give your reader the full story, from cover to cover, rather than a snapshot.

2. Professional Headshot: Having a professional profile photo is very important and might be the single most important component of a successful LinkedIn profile, drawing others to your profile.

3. Headline: Stand out from the pack, be recognizable, and distinguish yourself from the competition.

4. Summary: This complements your headline, should draw the reader in, and this is your chance to tell the reader what you think they should know about you.

5. Name Field: Use nothing but your name, keep it professional.

6. Personalize: Make connection requests and conversations personalized by pretending that you are having a face-to-face conversation.

7. Be Professional: Move on if someone does not want to connect. Do not try to link with connections more than once, take the hint and move on.

8. Skills & Endorsements: Avoid listing skills in this section that do not make you stand out from the crowd. Listing common programs such as Microsoft Word will not help your case.

9. Update Past Roles: Keep your profile up-to-date, descriptions in the present tense are not appropriate for the previous roles you have held, update them in the past tense.

10. Too Much Text: Over elaborating on any section of your profile is not a good thing and will hurt much more than it will help. Keep everything short and concise.

LinkedIn is an immensely powerful tool for professionals. However, if you do not accurately present yourself, your LinkedIn account can have negative consequences. I hope the above list of LinkedIn best practices will allow you to improve your LinkedIn profile, allowing it to stand out from the crowd. Please let me know if you require further information or have any questions about the above list.

Kind regards,

Samuel Kobierski

Works Cited:

“Build your online presence on LinkedIn.”  UBC Student Services. https://students.ubc.ca/career/career-resources/build-online-presence-linkedin. Accessed 09 Feb. 2019.

“Add Punch to Your LinkedIn Profile Using These Examples as Inspiration.” LinkedIn, 30 Dec. 2018. https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/best-practices–thought-leadership/2018/add-punch-to-your-linkedin-profile-using-these-examples-as-inspi. Accessed 09 Feb. 2019.

“Using LinkedIn to Find a Job or Internship.” LinkedIn. https://university.linkedin.com/content/dam/university/global/en_US/site/pdf/TipSheet_FindingaJoborInternship.pdf. Accessed 09 Feb 09. 2019.

“5 Small Things That Make Recruiters Leave Your LinkedIn Profile (and Never Come Back).” The Muse. https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-small-things-that-make-recruiters-leave-your-linkedin-profile-and-never-come-back. Accessed 09 Feb. 2019.

“Here Are 20 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts From Digital Marketing Pros.” Adweek, 14 Sept. 2017. https://www.adweek.com/digital/here-are-20-linkedin-dos-and-donts-from-digital-marketing-pros/. Accessed 09 Feb. 2019.