Friday, September 14, 2012

5 Tips to Refresh Your LinkedIn Profile



So maybe you sent your youngster off with a new backpack and a thermos. Maybe you shipped your college student off with a few huge suitcases. For you, however, it’s time to get back to the matter at hand – succeeding at work (or finding work) and letting social media help you.

Now is the time to embrace new opportunities to learn, to network, and to make new connections. All with just a few changes and updates to your LinkedIn profile.

Here are five things you can do – all while you drink your morning coffee or sit on a conference call – to get your LinkedIn profile ready to make the grade.

1) Your profile should be a dynamic digital representation of who you are in your professional world. That means it needs to change, grow and develop with you. Why not take a few minutes to refresh your profile, add new positions, interests, even work and volunteer affiliations? Finally, add a short personal statement – two sentences – on your “vision for success” for your organization or your role as a co-worker.

2) Do a Keyword/Search Engine Optimization makeover. Industry “buzz words” change. New areas in your field of expertise demand more attention. Even some long-held terms and concepts fall out of favor. You don’t want your profile to be the tweed jacket with elbow patches in a business casual world. Today, update your profile to show you are staying current in your field. The question to ask: when people put in key search terms for your job or industry, will your profile pop up?

3) Brag, even just a little. LinkedIn has added many new categories for your personal profile. Don’t be shy. Add in your honors, awards, certifications, projects, publications, and more. Use links if your work is posted in industry journals or on your company’s website.


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