Setting Up and Using LinkedIn
I recently had the chance to write a piece for Covid Women Help, which is working to help women in India who were widowed during the pandemic, find jobs and build careers.
The piece focuses on setting up a LinkedIn profile for the first time, making the profile stronger, and using LinkedIn to develop professional connections. The following was developed for and originally posted here; I hope you find it useful.
Having a LinkedIn account is an absolute must, whether you are starting your career, returning from a break, or have been working for a while. There are several benefits to being on LinkedIn: it establishes credibility, it makes it easy for prospective employers to see your profile, it can help improve the search results for your name, it helps you stay connected professionally and more. Starting an account if you do not already have one may feel a little overwhelming, and this article breaks down the process in steps to make it manageable.
Step 1: Open An Account
Go to the LinkedIn sign up page.
You have two options:
Sign up with your email/phone address.
Sign up with your Google account.
My personal recommendation is that you use an email address you are comfortable sharing with prospective employers and recruiters (for example instead of using a pet name consider using your name with a combination of numbers).
You will then have to fill out your name, current/previous employment status, location etc.
Once you enter all their details, it will ask you if you are looking for a job:
If you say yes, it will ask for your preferred job title and location.
It will then ask you if you are okay letting recruiters know if you are looking for a job.
If you say no, it will take you to the profile page.
Make sure to check your email in case you need to verify your LinkedIn account.
Take a moment and congratulate yourself for taking the first step.
Step 2: Set Up Your Profile
Once you set up an account, it is important that you create a strong and complete profile that represents you professionally. This does not mean that every single thing you have ever done needs to be on your profile; rather you want to highlight the major achievements, skills and pieces of work from your career.
Start by clicking on the ‘Me’ icon on the right side up top.
Add a photograph - having a professional photograph as part of your profile is important and helps build credibility. Here are some tips for your photograph:
Use a professional photograph, preferably with a plain background so your face is clearly visible.
Use a relatively recent photo.
Do not have anyone else in the photograph (friends, children, pets).
Do not use selfies.
Do not use a photograph that you would not want an employer to see or that looks nothing like you (so not party photos or something from your childhood).
Many of us do not have professional photographs. If that is true for you, ask a friend or family member to take one using a phone. This is a great article with tips.
The steps below provide instructions for each section within your profile:
About:
Make sure that your first sentence is strong, something which will make people want to continue reading.
Break down the content into paragraphs to make it easier to read.
Highlight your experience in specific industries, number of years if significant, any key accomplishments
You can also use this section to highlight your skills, ideally supported by examples. If you have any professional certifications or awards, you can also choose to include them here.
This section is editable, and you will likely have many versions of this as you build your profile, and progress in your career. While it is important to make sure you craft this carefully, do not worry too much if it does not feel perfect the first time.
This piece on the LinkedIn site has examples of strong LinkedIn profiles.
Job:
Enter in details of your current and/or previous jobs, including titles and dates
Do not copy job duties from your resume directly; instead read and extract the most relevant parts. Including a few bullet points under each job is helpful for anyone who wants to understand your work experience.
Education:
Enter in details of any degrees you have, whether undergraduate, Master’s or any other.
License and certifications:
Include details of any licenses and certifications you have (these could include Chartered Accountant credentials, Project Management Professional certifications etc).
Volunteering:
If you have or are currently volunteering, whether in-person or remotely, add that information here. If the organization where you volunteered is on LinkedIn, make sure to select and include their name,
Skills and endorsements:
Use this to highlight your skills, focusing on your strengths instead of just having a large number of skills.
Once your profile is active, those in your network can endorse you for these skills.
Recommendations:
People in your network can give you recommendations, and you can give them recommendations as well.
You can also ask people directly for recommendations - use this feature judiciously and reach out with people you have worked with, and worked well with
Accomplishments:
List any awards/scholarships you have received.
Link to anything you have published.
If you know multiple languages, list them out here.
Interests:
This section allows you to follow companies and leaders on LinkedIn. This allows you to see their posts and updates, and is a good way to stay informed.
Step 3: Connect With People
Once your profile is set up, it is important that you start building your network on LinkedIn.
Start by searching for people you have worked with - the ‘you may know’ feature in LinkedIn will likely show you other colleagues from the same organizations.
Consider adding anyone else you have engaged with professionally: it could be a client in a previous role, a career coach, someone at an NGO you are volunteering at etc. Your network does not have to be limited only to people you have directly worked with BUT
If you want to connect with someone who you do not know directly, consider doing one of the two:
If you have a mutual connection, ask them to introduce you to the person.
If you do not have any mutual connections, and send an invite, make sure to add a note explaining why you are reaching out to them. The person is less likely to accept your invite if they have no context for your request.
This article provides several tips on finding connections.
Step 4 (Optional): Participate
While this is an optional step, I recommend it strongly as a way to make your LinkedIn profile and network stronger. There are many ways in which you can engage with others:
Congratulating others on a promotion, new job etc.
Responding to an article or post someone shares with a thoughtful comment.
Joining a group which interests you: for example as a Project Manager I like to join groups about project management skills etc. This will also allow you to share your opinion and learn more from a group of people with similar interests.
Following people who are industry leaders: you will see a follow button show up on their profile. This will allow you to see what they share with their networks.
Remember that your LinkedIn profile is public, and while you may change the settings to limit who can see what, what is more important is to remember this is an external-facing professional platform. What you put on here can be seen by your current colleagues, bosses, recruiters and others; make sure it reflects you well. Do not get drawn into arguments; do not use it as you may use platforms such as Facebook, Whatsapp or Instagram.
Keep in mind that having a LinkedIn profile does not mean that you will get a job but it does mean that anyone looking to hire you will be able to find you on LinkedIn. Some websites also allow you to apply for jobs using LinkedIn, making the process simpler. I hope this article was helpful, please put any questions you have in the comments.