As you finish out the semester, the winter break is a good time to give your LinkedIn profile and strategy a reset and a refresh. Use the checklist below to refresh your profile and the hacks to continue using LinkedIn as a connection and research tool!
LinkedIn Profile Checklist:
🔲 Add a Photo & Background Image
A profile picture builds your credibility with those that visit your LinkedIn profile and LinkedIn data shows that having a picture generates nine times more connection requests. Add a picture of just you as the photo and a background image that shows your personality, something you like, a hobby, a project you worked on, or a favorite location.
🔲 Customize Your LinkedIn URL
Edit your URL to remove extra numbers, letters, and make it shorter to add to your resume. A shorter URL will ensure a reader that has a printed document is able to find your LinkedIn page as easily as possible. Here are the steps to edit from LinkedIn Help.
🔲 Edit Your Headline
Add in key words that describes the role and or skills you like and are good at and are looking to do in the future. This is the first thing people will see on your profile and this field is searchable by recruiters. Check out Rock Your LinkedIn Profile on LinkedIn Learning (free using your Duke login) to get started!
🔲 Write A Summary Of You For the About Section
Make it interesting at the start to hook the reader and showcase your career story. Unsure of how to get started, read the about section of people doing in the roles and industries that are of interest to you. What patterns do you notice? There is a hack below on using Google to search LinkedIn that will be helpful for this one! Check out Rock Your LinkedIn Profile on LinkedIn Learning (free using your Duke login) to get started!
🔲 Keep Your Current Location & Industries Current
Recruiters search for folks of interest using these two fields. LinkedIn data says that having a location makes you appear in 23 more searches. Here are the steps from updating these sections from LinkedIn Help.
🔲 Update Your Contact Details
Make sure you are contactable by your first level connections, by including your contact details for your network and recruiters. Here are the steps from LinkedIn Help. If you would like to make your contact information available to everyone, add it into you about section.
🔲 Link to Your GitHub or Online Portfolio in the Featured Section
Add in links to places you showcase your work and projects! Here is a step-by-step guide for adding in a GitHub link to LinkedIn.
🔲 Write A Summary Of You For the About Section
The about section is the #1 most looked at section on a LinkedIn profile according the the Rock Your LinkedIn Profile workshop. Make it interesting at the start to hook the reader and showcase your career story. Unsure of how to get started, read the about section of people doing in the roles and industries that are of interest to you. What patterns do you notice? There is a hack below on using Google to search LinkedIn that will be helpful for this one! Check out Rock Your LinkedIn Profile on LinkedIn Learning (free using your Duke login) to get started!
🔲 Add In Your Experience
Add a description for each of your experiences. Consider your target audience, what would be most interesting and relevant to them about this experience? Be conversational while focusing on your impact and add in media elements to further highlight your experience. Check out Rock Your LinkedIn Profile on LinkedIn Learning (free using your Duke login) to get started!
4 LinkedIn Hacks:
Join Groups Of Interest To You
- Connect with folks doing the job or in the industry of interest you using groups. When you join a group you are able to see the list of other members in the group and send messages without connection requests. Here is a full guide on using LinkedIn groups.
Search Google to Find LinkedIn Profiles
- To find public profiles, use the search string site:linkedin.com/in in Google. As you connect, write customized connection request.
Use the LinkedIn H-1B Checker Extension
- Does this organization have a history of sponsoring? This H1B LinkedIn extension, gives you information on an organization’s history of H-1B sponsorship.
Use Hashtags to Find People & Openings
- Use LinkedIn search and #hiring #”role of interest” to find hiring managers or technical recruiters. Search by #dukeemp to see roles alumni have posted and your career coaches have tagged!
