The LinkedIn profile checklist provides guidance on optimizing a LinkedIn profile in key areas such as the headline, photo, contact info, summary, work experience, skills, and making the profile public. It recommends using a memorable headline that conveys your role and keywords, adding a professional headshot and background image, including all relevant contact info and social profiles, and customizing the profile URL. The checklist also provides tips for writing an engaging summary that highlights experience and skills, including strong descriptions and accomplishments for each work experience, and optimizing other sections like education, skills, and recommendations.

1. LinkedIn Profile Checklist
To maximize your success in using LinkedIn, DO THIS:
Headline: Your profile headline is the first thing someone sees after your name. Make it
memorable. It should help someone understand the role you want to do next and/or
contain key words important to your profession. You have 120 characters.
Photo & Background Image: Choose a professional, high quality headshot for your
photograph. Also use the blue space at the top of your profile to further brand yourself by
inserting an image.
Email: List all your active email addresses so they are associated with your LinkedIn profile.
You can set the default email which will be viewable by your connections and the account
that receives InMail and updates from LinkedIn.
Vanity URL: Your LinkedIn profile has a URL (an Internet address). You can and should edit
this by adding your name (www.linkedin.com/in/yourname). This also looks more
professional when you include it on your resume, business card, or email signature.
o www.linkedin.com/in/yourname
o Avoid using the default LinkedIn URL that is provided once you create your
account. Visit LinkedIn’s help section for instructions on how to create a custom
profile URL.
Other Web References: If you have a personal website, professional Twitter account, or
links elsewhere on the web, you can add them to your profile within the “contact info”
section at the top. You should change the label from “other” to a short, descriptive title.
Personal Details: Your birth date and marital status are the least important details. You
may choose not to include this information on your profile.
Summary: Consider this section as the answer to “tell me about yourself.” Highlight the

2. best of your background, experience and skills. You could also provide insight into your
leadership style, personality, values, longer term goals, or outside interests. Keep the
reader’s attention by using short paragraphs. And make it more personal. Add a specialties
section within your summary to list important hard and technical skills. Make the most of
the 2,000 characters available.
Work Experience: Include all the significant work history and include strong, keyword rich
descriptions and accomplishments under each position.
Embed Media: Add media (documents, video, images, audio) to your profile to make it an
online portfolio. You can embed these links in your summary, work experience and
education sections.
Skills and Expertise: List all the skills and areas of expertise which are most important to
your profession and you want to highlight.
Education: Include all the institutions you’ve attended. List your concentration, major,
and/or minor.
Certifications: List the most relevant and important information.
Projects: You can reference class projects, special work assignments and side gigs as a
project. This is another way to showcase skills and experience.
Recommendations: Ask & Give recommendations from colleagues, managers or even
clients who know your work.
Honors & Awards, Publications, Patents: Complete these sections with as much detail as
necessary to highlight why it is important.
Organizations, Volunteering & Causes: Provide details about your involvement in
professional associations and the organizations you belong to or committees you serve on.
Join college alumni groups, professional associations, and any industry related groups.
Make it An All-Star Profile: Don’t leave information blank or overlook the criteria LinkedIn
uses to boost your profile to all-star. Your industry and location, an up-to-date current
position (with description), two past positions, education, a minimum of 3 skills, profile
photo and at least 50 connections.
Make It Public: By default, LinkedIn sets your profile to be viewable to the public. For active
job seekers this is the best option.

3. LinkedIn Post Checklist
What do I post?
Share your perspective
o What's happening in your world?
o What's a popular talking point in your industry?
Leave a comment
o One of the easiest ways to increase profile views is to leave a thoughtful comment
on someone's post.
o Use hashtags to find more.
Share a photo
o Photos of local business, homes, work environments, networking events, etc.
Share an article
o An easy way to look even smarter than you already do.
Tell a story
o Help others visualize the point you're trying to make.
o Life is interesting!
o What's your favorite thing about what you do?
Teach lessons
o You know 100X more about Real Estate (or other industry) than me.
 What can you help me understand or do better?

4. LinkedIn Marketing in 15 Minutes a Day
Network like a pro on LinkedIn, even if you only have 15 minutes a day to dedicate it. Follow this
checklist to maximize LinkedIn marketing when you have limited time available.
Accept Connection Requests and Send a Welcome Message
o Review and accept (if appropriate) any new connections requests.
o After you have accepted a connection request, send your new connection a quick
Welcome Message to thank them for connecting and get the conversation going.
Reply to Messages
o Review and reply to any new messages you have received to build relationships
and get to know your network.
o Be interested. Ask questions. Add value.
Post a Status Update
o Post a daily status update to stay top of mind and build your authority and
credibility on your topic with your network.
o If you have a blog, share a link and relevant comment every time you post.
o Pre-schedule status updates once a week to decrease the amount of daily time
you need to be on LinkedIn.
Respond to Engagement
o Respond to any engagement on your status updates or comments on LinkedIn
o Review your Notifications and Activity pages and respond accordingly to all of the
people who have engaged with your content, followed you, liked your updates, or
taken any other action that involves you on LinkedIn.
o Send a connection request to people you are not already connected to (but want to
be), when they engage positively to your content.
Engage Your Network
o Engage with content or status updates of your connections as networking requires
two-way conversations and effort.
o Scroll through your newsfeed each day and find a few posts you can like, comment
on share.