Top 5 Pillars to Build a Stronger LinkedIn Profile

We’ve all heard that LinkedIn is a valuable networking tool, especially for those in job transition, but what sections will give you the biggest return on your time investment? Below you will find the top 5 pillars to building a strong LinkedIn profile.

1. Add a headshot photo. 

According to LinkedIn, “Members with a profile photo on LinkedIn can get up to 21 times more profile views than members without a photo”. So get in front of a camera and take a nice-looking headshot for your profile. 

Adding the banner image across the top is also a great first step, but not as valuable as seeing your smiling face. 

2. Powerful Headline

Your headline is the section right after your name. This tells people what you do and potentially something unique about you.  This is one of the top searched sections by the LinkedIn algorithm, so you want to be sure to use words that others will use to find you.  

• Note: You do not need to add your exact job title or company where you work to this section. That information is already in your profile, so share more about the problem you solve with keywords that will help you get found. 

• Don’t include “seeking new opportunities” in your headline. No one is searching for those terms and is a waste of good real estate. 

Here are a few samples. What stands out to you? 

As I look at these, they get increasingly more interesting. They not only show up when I search LinkedIn for the words “Executive Assistant”, but they start to tell me a little more about each of the professionals that show up in those results.

Not sure where to start in identifying keywords? Here is a little homework for you:

Step 1. Go out to a job board of your choice. 

Step 2. Search 8-10 job descriptions that really speak to you. These aren’t the descriptions that say “Oh sure, I could do that job”, but instead are “Wow. That job sounds like a great fit for what I want to do”. 

Step 3. Copy those 8-10 job descriptions into a Word document. 

Step 4. Paste that Word document into a word cloud. I like tagcrowd.com. Free and easy to use. 

Step 5. Hit analyze and see what words pop out.

Those words that are used most often will be larger than the others. Are these words in your profile? Can you find good ways to add them to your headline?  This is how the employers think and talk about the roles you are most interested in and so you want to ensure you are showing up for them. 

A quick example of a word cloud: 

The larger the words, the more used they are in your sample text. We would want to make sure we are using words like executive, managing, meeting, support, administrative, and communication throughout our profile and in the headline where appropriate. 

1. Experience 

The experience section highlights the work that you have done. Please avoid copying and pasting your past job descriptions to this section of your profile. Many times, where we added the most value isn’t in the lines of the job description, so tell people what you did and why or how you might have done it differently than others. Using keywords where appropriate. 

Keep your paragraphs short and to the point with a few bullet points to highlight accomplishments.  What were those legacy items (think process or procedures) that you left behind? What awards did you win or efficiencies did you perfect? 

If you have it, add multimedia to your experience section. Telling people what you did is great, but if you can show them in different ways, even better. Was there an event that you organized that you can show pictures of or a slide deck that highlights your ability to craft amazing slides? Whatever it is, this can add additional value to your profile. 

Make sure that you are not sharing anything confidential or proprietary. 

2. About

We often don’t like to talk about ourselves, or at least not write about ourselves, but this section can hold a ton of insight and allow you to add the keywords that folks are searching for.  This is the place where you can tell the story of you. It is an extension of your resume and an opportunity for you to let your personality shine. What is your experience, what value do you bring to an organization, and what sets you apart from others looking to fill the same roles? 

Make sure that you use language in the first sentence or two that is interesting and gains the reader's attention.  LinkedIn will only show you a few sentences at first and you want your viewer to hit “see more”.

Keep the paragraphs short and easy to digest. Long paragraphs will lose the interest of the reader. 

When appropriate, share a few statistics, facts, or accomplishments here. Again, highlighting what you have accomplished and can bring to the table. Bullet points are fine, as long as the entire section is not made up of bullet points. After all, if everything is marked as important, is anything really that important? 

Don’t forget to add a call to action to this section. What is it that you want them to do when they are done looking at your profile? Connect? Email? Collaborate? 

The example below shows what this looks like when you add multimedia to an experience post.

3. Recommendations

It is great to share why you are awesome, but it is even better to have others shout about your awesomeness to others. The recommendation section is a wonderful place to start. 

Ask former employers, colleagues, and professional contacts to write you a quick recommendation. When you do this, be sure to be specific and let them know what you are looking for them to add. For example: If you helped organize travel for a large corporate event you might ask a few of the folks that you arranged travel for to write a recommendation on your ability to handle large logistical elements, the ease or value it brought to them as a traveler, and maybe even the cost-effectiveness of your efforts. For the same event, you might also ask the vendors you worked with to highlight your communication and organizational skills or to speak to your teamwork abilities. 

Once you have completed these 5 pillars within your LinkedIn profile you can go back and start to add additional details or information to highlight your experience and expertise.  However, your time will likely be best spent finding new connections, posting content of your own, and engaging in conversations with those who can help you take that next step. 

 by Jennifer Radke, SMS

Jennifer Radke, CEO of the National Institute for Social Media and OMCP, is a dedicated, passionate, and strategic business leader with 15+ years in sales and recruitment management, leadership, coaching, development, and training. Most recently, she was the owner and chief strategist at Socially Inspired, a social media training and consulting company. In addition, she is an NISM-certified Social Media Strategist (SMS), serves on the board for Women Entrepreneurs of Minnesota, and can be found speaking and presenting to job seekers and businesses alike, on how to better utilize social media in the workplace. Jennifer believes that lifelong learning is the key to continued growth and that your networks are the best way to expose yourself to new opportunities.