Beginner Tips for Building a LinkedIn Profile
In today’s increasingly online world, a LinkedIn professional presence has huge value. It can be daunting to start to build your profile - that’s why we are here to help simplify the process and share our tips!
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Where to begin
An easy place to begin is by joining interest groups, such as your high school or college page. This gives you a feel for what other profiles that may be similar to yours could look like. Start to form a mental list of profile ‘likes and dislikes’. Take a look at the people you may admire and use them as a reference for your own profile!
Say cheese!
Now, you want to add a face to your name! Preferably, add a high-quality headshot photo of yourself in business attire. An alternative option would be for you to dress professionally and take a picture of yourself in front of a blank background. Oftentimes, universities or clubs may host events for students to attend to specifically take LinkedIn profile pictures - keep an eye out for those!
Your one-liner
Next, it’s time to start filling in your profile with who you are and what you’ve done! Your headline should be short and simple. Typically, it highlights your current university, major, and/or career interests. Examples include but are not limited to ‘Student at The University of Texas interested in software engineering’ or ‘Nursing student at The University of Michigan’.
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Tell me about yourself!
The ‘About’ section is an opportunity to add in your personality. Again, you can look to others’ profiles to gain inspiration on how they choose to express themselves. This could look like a short and sweet paragraph version of your headline, or you may decide to go into further detail, including your achievements, interests, or career goals. The choice is yours! Above all, remember to tailor the contents and your voice to your intended audience.
Experience and education
If you have some work experiences to highlight, utilize this space to reflect not only what you did in this role but also how you went above and beyond what was required. Be strategic with the words you choose. For example, instead of writing that you ‘worked as a cashier at a grocery store’, you can switch it to say that you ‘communicated daily with team members and customers to handle complaints and ensure company satisfaction’. The second option adds more color to your role! Looking to the education section, insert your high school and current university along with any of your extracurricular involvements under ‘activities and societies’.
Now what?
You are now at the point where your LinkedIn is complete and ready to professionally highlight you! One last important note to keep in mind… building this profile is just the first step! You’ve spent valuable time, so make sure to keep your profile up to date and continue to set yourself up for success. It’s now time to utilize all LinkedIn has to offer - grow your network, connect with people, and start forming meaningful relationships! You got this!
