How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile (In-Depth Guide)

This Photo by Unknown Author is
licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Jobseekers like LinkedIn because it’s
the most effective way to establish a
presence online.
Best of all, LinkedIn’s basic features
are free for professionals like you.
Your profile provides enough
information to get people to connect
with and contact you.
A LinkedIn profile is a marketing
piece.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

 First, LinkedIn’s terms of service stipulate that we are allowed only one LinkedIn account. They likely put
that in place to help prevent spamming (e.g. fake profiles) and make their member numbers more accurate.
 Second, LinkedIn profiles are best when positioned towards one or two RELATED job targets.
Jobseekers who are targeting more than one job role will find this restriction tricky — and possibly painful.
 Third, you may not want to include EVERYTHING in your LinkedIn profile. Remember, what you
include in your LinkedIn is there for the world to see.
consider excluding privy information; e.g. revenue and sales data. You may also
want to opt out from mentioning specific projects you worked on, client names, or certain successes
you’ve had.

 You have to get someone’s attention. You’re trying to get them to take that first step and connect with you.
Your LinkedIn Headline and the first 2-3 sentences of your LinkedIn Summary are critical to making connections and securing opportunities
with recruiters and hiring managers. Therefore, do yourself a favor by focusing on what you have to offer a prospective employer. Don’t focus
on you.
 The information you provide should be 80% about what you have done for your current employer (accomplishments-oriented),
and 20% about you and what you’re looking for. Unfortunately, most LinkedIn profiles (especially the Summary section!), are the reverse.
 Remember: Employers hire for their reasons. Not yours. Think of it this way. Prospective employers are tuned into a particular radio
station — it’s called “WIIFM.” All employers are listening for is: “What’s In It For Me?” (WIIFM). What proof do you have that you can
offer the employer the results they are seeking? Sure. Look at other profiles for ideas. But, don’t copy someone else’s LinkedIn Headline.
 Remember — your online presence must speak to your “onlyness.”
Also, don’t be afraid to give your profile some personality when appropriate.
This will also help your profile stand out from all the others.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to writing your LinkedIn Headline.
 The first is using a narrative or descriptive title. (appeals to human readers)
 The second is using keywords separated by commas, bullets, the pipe symbol on your
keyboard ( | ) or other keyboard characters (stars, arrows, checklists, etc.). (appeals more
to computer searches)
- LinkedIn’s current algorithm gives higher ranking to matching keywords.
Eventually, all profiles found through computer searches will get reviewed by a human
being. It is important to balance readability with the inclusion of keywords.

1. Job Titles (Marketing Manager | Corporate Branding Specialist | Account Manager)
2. Types of Customers/Projects Worked With (Provide Software Solutions to Fortune 50 Clients)
3. Industry Specialization (ERP Consultant for Clients in Life Sciences)
4. Brands You’ve Worked For (Resource Planning For Top Brands; e.g. Nike, TOMS & Lands’ End)
5. Certifications (Project Manager | Six Sigma & PM Certified)
6. Geographic Territory Specialization (Infusionsoft Solutions For Clients in Dayton & The Surrounding Areas)

THE DEFAULT
HEADLINE
REMEMBER, IF YOU DON’T WRITE YOUR OWN
HEADLINE, LINKEDIN WILL CREATE ONE FOR YOU —
USUALLY, THE MOST RECENT JOB TITLE IN YOUR
PROFILE AND A COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION
NAME. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO STRATEGY NUMBER
ONE, SO THIS IS THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF
LINKEDIN HEADLINE YOU WILL SEE ON THE SITE.
BUT IT’S NOT THE MOST EFFECTIVE LINKEDIN
HEADLINE. TO IMPROVE READABILITY, CAPITALIZE
THE FIRST LETTER OF EACH OF THE WORDS IN
YOUR HEADLINE.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

Say it simply and directly. Your job title and the company you work for.
This is a good strategy if your job title is a strong keyword and/or the company
you work for is well-known.
The advantage is that it clearly communicates who you are and what you do.
The disadvantage is that it doesn’t set you apart from many others who could
claim those same credentials.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

 This strategy focuses on job functions instead of job titles.
 The advantage of this headline strategy is that job functions often make excellent
keywords.
 The possible disadvantage is if you simply string together a bunch of job functions
without creating a story to explain who you are — along with what you do — so
make sure you add some context to your keywords/job functions.
 This strategy can also incorporate key projects and/or the names of key clients or
important employers, especially if any of those have high “name recognition” value.
You may also wish to include a specific industry or geographic area to your job
function-focused headline.

It’s important to identify the primary benefit you have to offer a prospective employer.
How can you be a problem solver for your next employer?
Think about the job you want and what your next boss would want in an employee in
that role. Make that the focus of your headline.
This can be expressed in several different ways:
• (Job Title) That Gets (Results)
• (Adjective) (Job Title) With a Track Record of Success in (Results)
Adding numbers and other specific wording can also make the best of your LinkedIn
Headline.

 Using a testimonial in your LinkedIn headline can be an extremely effective strategy if you word it correctly.
 It’s important that the designation is clear and stands on its own without too much detail. It if requires too
much explanation, you may not have enough room within LinkedIn’s 120-character limit.
 A word of caution, however. Don’t trade on honors or recognition that are too far in the past.
 For example, awards from 1998, 2001, and 2005 aren’t as impressive as those received in the past 3-5 years.
 This strategy also works if you can make a claim that is defensible (if the statement is “arguably true”).
 Put the claim in quotes so it appears as if it was published somewhere.
 If you are having trouble writing your LinkedIn Headline, look on LinkedIn for inspiration.
 Check out the headlines and summaries of people you’re connected with, or do a search for others in your
field. Just remember not to copy their information; instead, use it as inspiration.
This Photo by
Unknown Author is
licensed under CC BY

From here, you can update your:
Headline
Current position
Education
Country/region
Zip code
Target industry
Summary
Sign in to your LinkedIn account.
From the main menu, click on your picture located
on the top-right side of the navigation bar. Then,
click “view profile.”
To update your LinkedIn headline, simply click on
the PENCIL located near the top of the page.

The summary section of your LinkedIn profile is vital to your LinkedIn presence too.
In many ways, its role is similar to the summary in your resume.
A LinkedIn summary is limited to 2,000 characters. That should be plenty of space IMHO. When you find that 2,000
characters aren’t enough, revisit how wordy you’re being.
Then, do the necessary nip/tuck to your content to get to what’s fresh and most notable about you.
 To write your LinkedIn summary, start by answering these questions:
1. How will your next employer benefit from hiring you? (Use specific numbers and facts about your most recent career
successes.)
2. What experience do you have that provides value to your next employer?
3. What skills do you have that set you apart from other candidates with a similar background?

VP of Customer Care – Leverage & Improve
Programs, Processes, and Systems That Enhance
The Customer Experience & Increase Customer
Satisfaction Levels
Take complex projects and programs from
conceptualization (data gathering and analysis) to
subsequent development and implementation.
Manage the projects and programs that support sales
and customer service activities; i.e. portfolio
development and referral strategies. Focus efforts
across multiple departments and functions,
specifically handling projects that improve human
resources, financial management, customer service/
management, and sales areas of a retail operation.
Thanks for visiting my LinkedIn profile.
I’m a VP of Customer Care with JohnsonBQ, Inc., overseeing customer service and
relationship building activities for a call center handling 30,000 calls per month. My
goal with my current employer is to focus heavily on the complete customer
experience, starting with the initial call and progressing throughout the complete
client relationship. With management, I identify and improve the programs, processes,
and systems that employers are using so I can identify ways to make improvements.
A new component of my current role is to analyze and leverage departmental data.
By reviewing micro and macro data for my department, I’ve been able to support and
improve sales and customer service activities. I also support human resources,
financials, customer service, and business development.
In short, I close gaps in performance for the customer care team and work closely on
preserving customer satisfaction and revenue.
Please feel free to connect with me if you’re within a management or executive-level
customer care position — my email is jonathanmills@myemail.com.

In the opening paragraph, draw attention to issues, challenges, or problems faced by
your prospective employer.
In the second and third paragraphs, demonstrate the value you offer to employers
by quantifying the accomplishments in your current position (ideally related to the
problems outlined in the first paragraph).
In the fourth paragraph, if you’re employed, talk about why you MIGHT be open
to inquiries. If you are unemployed, you might state the reason why your most
recent position ended (if the company closed, for example) or that you are available
immediately. Give the reader information on how to contact you. You can use the
contact section of your profile to provide a phone number and email address.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

 Don’t use an old photo. There are few things worse than meeting someone for the first time and not recognizing them because the profile on
their LinkedIn profile is from 10 years ago (or longer)
 Use a photo of YOU, not a photo of an object. If you’re wondering whether your LinkedIn photo should be black and white or color, ideally
color is best. Though professionally snapped black and white photos can be great for LinkedIn headshots as well.
 Smile! Radiate warmth and approachability in your photo.
 Photos should be professionally done, if possible. But, refrain from using Glamour Shots.
 Wear your most complementary color. Bright colors can attract attention, but muted (tan or light olive green) or jewel tones (dark green, navy,
or burgundy) will draw attention to you, not your clothes. Above all, avoid patterns.
 Don’t have other people in your photos (and don’t crop other people out of your shot — there should not be any errant body parts in your
LinkedIn photo!).
 Take multiple shots and pick the best one. Ask people their opinion on which one makes you seem most “approachable.”
 Make sure the background in the photo isn’t distracting.
 Relax. Look directly at the camera.

• Tips for Women:
Wear something you feel comfortable in. No t-shirts. No big or busy patterns.
Soft, dark v-necks look great. Black always works; avoid white. Long sleeves are
best so you’re not drawing attention to your bare arms — instead, you want them
to notice your face. (Bare arms also appear “bigger.”) If possible, your hair and
makeup should be professionally done.
• Tips for Men:
Wear a dark blue or black dress shirt. No t-shirts or Hawaiian shirts. No busy or
crazy patterns.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

 Remember the instructions above on who to update your headline, well, you update your LinkedIn photo in the same place.
 Click on your photo in the top navigation; click on view profile; and lastly, click on the pencil.
 The popup shows your picture with a pencil to click and edit your photo.
 The one new LinkedIn feature we love is the ability to drag and reposition your headshot as well as the ability to straight it
and zoom in/out.
 You can also adjust the visibility of your photo; e.g. show your picture to only your connections, your network, all LinkedIn
members, and the public. For most of us, the “public” option is likely best.
 You can also crop, filter, and adjust your profile photo as well.
 With LinkedIn’s new interface, the ideal size for your LinkedIn profile picture has changed as well.
 It was once 200 pixels by 200 pixels. However, you can now use a 400 x 400 pixel photo that’s no larger than 8 MB
(formerly 4 MB).

 Do you have access to PowerPoint?
 Few people know about PowerPoint’s EASY image
editing capabilities.
 PowerPoint enables you to insert a photo and then crop
it.
 For example, take a look at this group photo that was
cropped to hone in on one individual:
 This isn’t an ideal way of handling a profile picture, but it
works in a pinch.
 Another tool for cropping graphics and photos is
https://pixlr.com/editor/.
 A passport photo can also work.

Knowing whether your LinkedIn summary and
resume summary should be different is a very valid
question.
Your resume summary should be different than your
LinkedIn summary; but, NOT completely different.
Let me explain…
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under
CC BY-NC-ND

1. Your resume summary is generally shorter and written in the third person (e.g. you’re referred to as
professional, manager, or executive).
The best practice for writing your LinkedIn summary, however, is to use first person wordage (e.g. I and my). Your
resume summary is shorter, maybe 6 lines or so. Your LinkedIn summary can be up to a dozen or so lines long. Some
folks consider your LinkedIn summary to be a brief bio. So, if you have a brief bio, you may use that to help flesh out
your LinkedIn summary.
2. Your resume summary is oftentimes written very “tight” and focuses on keywords/key phrases.
Your LinkedIn summary, on the other hand, is written “loose” and has a more conversational tone. See the above
example to get a better idea of what I’m talking about.
3. LinkedIn secured an eye-popping $1.2B (that’s billion!) just from its recruitment platform last year.
Although recruiters and HR managers check your LinkedIn profile, they will want to see your resume too. This is the
primary reason for having different resume and LinkedIn summaries.

Keeping a watchful eye on who views your profile can be helpful to build your
LinkedIn network. To see “All profile viewers,” click on Notifications from the top
navigation. Then, look for a notification that mentions individuals who viewed your
profile.
Click on that notification. If you’re using a LinkedIn free account, your view of the
“who viewed your profile” will be limited. The above graphic shows the view from a
free account. If you’re using a Premium LinkedIn account, your view of the “who
viewed your profile” will be much more detailed.
Your goal is to view this page daily (or often), regardless of whether you’re using a
free or premium account. There will be times when folks (e.g. recruiters, colleagues)
will view your profile, but opt not to connect.
Your objective is to connect with those you deem to be good potential connections.
Potential connections include:
• Recruiters
• Hiring Managers
• Department Managers
• Industry Competitors
• Colleagues
• Friends
• Acquaintances

This is an opportunity for you to establish communication with one of your preferred companies.
You should act quickly now to get the momentum going.
1. Call or email the recruiter.
Get in front of the recruiter now to find out if what they saw in your profile meets their needs or if there is something lacking.
If your LinkedIn profile didn’t quite fill the requirements, the recruiter has likely moved on to other prospects.
A call or email gives you the chance to quickly address the recruiter’s concerns before they forget about you.
2. Use the LinkedIn InMail function to contact a recruiter to which you do not have a connection.
Use InMail to ask similar questions about what you would ask during a phone conversation. For example:
“Thank you for taking a look at my LinkedIn profile. I’m curious as to what part of my profile interested you most and what items you were
looking for that you did not see. I would be glad to answer any questions and clarify any part of my profile for you.”
3. Send the recruiter an invitation to connect with you.
Do this before you call or email the recruiter, but don’t wait for them to respond to your Connection Request.
They may not see or respond to the request for several days.

 In-Mails are a paid feature of LinkedIn Premium that enables you to send emails directly to
a person’s LinkedIn mailbox, regardless of whether or not they’re in your network.
 Depending on your account level, you’ll receive a credit for a certain number of In-Mails.
 If you send an In-Mail but don’t get a response from a recipient after seven days, your
account is credited for the InMail.
 Although In-Mails require payment — and you’re running a risk by contacting someone
who doesn’t know you personally — they can be an effective way to connect with someone
who you don’t know directly.
 Using In-Mails to meet a fellow LinkedIn member shows you’re serious about your job
search and willing to invest to make the right connections.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND

 Technically, you can send a LinkedIn connection request at any time.
 With the connect feature, you don’t need a connection or a paid account to send one. However, it’s advised to use discretion
with this method.
 Recipients can respond by stating they don’t know you, preventing you from ever sending another invitation.
 If you receive too many “I don’t know this person” responses, LinkedIn may restrict you from sending invitations
altogether.
 Instead, you can click on the “Connect” button and you’ll be prompted to identify how you know this person before you’re
able to send a LinkedIn invitation to connect.
 Recent changes to how LinkedIn enables us to connect certainly has slowed the growth of our LinkedIn networks. For
those people, you don’t know and have had no prior dealings with, you will likely select “other” when answering the “How
do you know…?”
 This selection immediately requests an email address for your intended connection, which can sometimes be found in the
person’s profile (most often found in the top summary section or within the Additional Info section.

Teena Rose, Certified & Published Resume Writer & Leading Career Coach, Resume to Referral, LLC
https://www.resumetoreferral.com/get-quote/ or CALL MY OFFICE: (937) 325-2149
We’d love to help. Contact us.

How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile (In-Depth Guide)

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