Making the Most of LinkedInGrowing Your Personal Brand via the World’s Top Professional Networking Site

Why LinkedIn matters

Top social networking site for business professionals

154 million US workers have LinkedIn profiles

50% of Americans with college degrees use LinkedIn

45% of users are in upper management

91% of executives rate LinkedIn as first choice for professionally relevant content

Read more: “16 LinkedIn Statistics That Matter to Marketers in 2019”

LinkedIn and the job search

LinkedIn is the 24/7 virtual home of your professional brand 3 million jobs are posted on LinkedIn each month 94% of recruiters rate LinkedIn as their primary recruiting tool At least 70% of job openings are not advertised

Networking matters; LinkedIn is the top professional network

Most hiring managers will view your profile – whether you apply via LinkedIn or not

Introduction card

Introduction card: Headshot

• Professional-looking headshot• Business attire, neutral background• Great lighting, great resolution

• Obvious selfie• Casual or attention-grabbing attire• Poor lighting, blurry

Read more: “What Should Your LinkedIn Headshot Look Like?”

LinkedIn profiles with headshots are 14x more likely to be viewed

Yes

No

Introduction card: Headline

A phrase meant to sell you in 120 characters Customize … don’t accept the LinkedIn default Headshot + headline is what recruiters see when they search,

so these have to be compelling Keep it short, punchy; add details and keywords No buzzwords (e.g., creative, strategic, energetic, responsible)

Read more: “Fifteen of the Best LinkedIn Headline Examples Around”

Headline examples

BBA in marketing | experienced in Adobe CS | aspiring brand manager

Isenberg sport management major | Game-day operations intern

Bloomberg-certified finance major, leader, interested in private equity

Experienced hospitality major, delivers 5-star customer service experience

Future management professional with Salesforce & SAP experience

List both Isenberg and UMass in your education

Include Isenberg and UMass in your education section so that you appear as “in-network” for both; this will give you access to a larger network when LinkedIn makes its education-based recommendations (and make sure Isenberg is listed first)

Add education to your introduction card

Under edit profile, select Show education in my intro

Isenberg School of Management

Note: be sure Isenberg is listed above UMass in your education section so that it – rather than UMass – appears in your introduction card

Introduction card: Custom URLs

The default URL for your public profile page is long and messy, but you have the option to customize it

To customize your URL:1. Go to your profile page2. Click Edit public profile & URL on the right rail3. Click the icon next to your public profile URL4. Edit the last part of your URL to create a custom version

Your “About” summary

First person narrative, 100-word minimum, short paragraphs A version of your core pitch? Be creative, personable, engaging … tell your story:

• Why you chose Isenberg• How you came to be interested in your major• What you have to offer• What you’re looking for right now• Where you see yourself long-term

Experience

List all relevant experiences, paid, volunteer, etc. (you don’t have to list all experiences)

Add descriptions, but DO NOT cut/paste bullets from resume When describing experiences, use brief narratives or a list of

tasks and accomplishments stated very briefly

Skills & endorsements

Be sure to add at least 8 skills to your profile LinkedIn reports that members with 5 or more listed skills are

contacted up to 33 times more by recruiters and othermembers … and receive up to 17 times more views

Endorsements are fine, but they don’t carry much weight

Read more: “Top Skills to List on LinkedIn”

Networking

Connectwith at least 50 peers

Followat least 2 companies

Joinat least 2 groups

Personalize your requests to connect

When connecting with business professionals, be sure to personalize the request

A personal request shows effort, interest, and respect; and provides useful context for the professional

On professional’s profile page, click Connect and Add a Note … then, type your personalized message

Dear Mr. Agassi,

I’m an accounting major at the Isenberg School of Management and a fan of E&Y’s work in forensic accounting. I’d love to be able to add you to my network of accounting professionals.

Best,

Alison Farner

Searching the LinkedIn network

For networking, click in the search bar and choose People, then select All Filters

Search connections by school, location, current and/or past companies, industry, etc.

For job searching, click in the search bar and choose Jobs and use the “sort” dropdowns

Recommendations

Having a recommendation or three is something to strive for At the end of an engagement, request a recommendation from

individuals who can speak knowledgeably about your work To make a request: On introduction card, click on More and

select Request a Recommendation Note: you must be connected with the individual first Quality is more important than quantity

Read more: “Are LinkedIn Recommendations Important? Here’s What Ten Hiring Managers Say”