This document provides tips and guidance for optimizing a LinkedIn profile. It recommends including a professional photo, detailing work history back 15 years to match a resume, adding education details, and using the executive summary and keywords to highlight skills. The document also discusses connecting with others on LinkedIn by personalizing invitation messages and joining groups relevant to one's industry.

1. The Power of the 2nd Degree It’s not who you know… … it’s who who you know knows! Presentation for the Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group April 28, 2011 By Susie Sharp

2. Why Join LinkedIn? Link to Why Join LinkedIn? video on YouTube If you are viewing this on the web or in SlideShare, the video will play automatically. You will need to use the controls at the bottom of the player to see the entire video.

3. isn’t going anywhere: Amodiovalerio Verde - LinkedIn Demographics, Jan 2011

4. Of those 101 Million World Subscribers, 48% (48.48M) live in the U.S. 20.9% are 18-24 72.1% are 25-54 6.9%are 54+ What’s wrong here? Amodiovalerio Verde - LinkedIn Demographics, Jan 2011

5. 80%of employers use LinkedIn to scout for new hires Will you be where they’re hunting?

6. Settings First, here’s a guide to the new Settings still being rolled out: Introducing Simpler Controls for LinkedIn Account Settings - Nick Posner

7. The Photo A recruiter’s comment: “When you make networking the focus of your LinkedIn activities, it becomes clear that you need to include a photo, because we (all humans) bond more with a face than with the typed text.” Photos On Resumes Or LinkedIn - Advice To The Job Seeker - by Peggy McKee

8. The Photo A recruiter’s comment, continued: LinkedIn users expect to see a photo, and it looks a little odd if you don't... like you're trying to hide something. A photo makes other users more comfortable connecting with you, which is one of your primary goals.” (emphasis added) Photos On Resumes Or LinkedIn - Advice To The Job Seeker - by Peggy McKee

9. The Photo “Not only is it expected, it's a valuable part of your online credibility and networking success.” Photos On Resumes Or LinkedIn - Advice To The Job Seeker - by Peggy McKee

10. The Photo Want another reason? LinkedIn claims that you’re 40 times more likely to turn up in a search if your profile is complete. Still debating about whether or not to use a picture on LinkedIn? Read that statistic again.

11. The Photo You can’t get to 100% unless you’ve complied with LinkedIn’s guidelines – which includes a profile shot.

12. The Photo A personal story: Betsy, who had always made organic soaps and lotions for friends and family, started making them for sale when the economy turned bad. Cleveland’s Mike Caldwell helped grow her business with his urban entrepreneur incubator, Business Greenhouse Ventures. When I talked to Mike’s incubator people on LinkedIn, the room grew silent when I mentioned the importance of a picture. “They’ll see I’m old! Or fat! Or (Heavens to mergatroid!) black! Betsy spoke up and said she’d put her picture on LinkedIn when she could have one taken where she’d be looked at as a businesswoman first, and a black woman second. I took the challenge. My first shot appears above. OK, but…

13. The Photo … off we were to Nordstrom’s for a free Dior makeup session and accompanying professional photo shoot! Mission accomplished! Betsy Gates Simply Betsy Company now sells online at http://simplybetsy.com/ as well as at the Cleveland Food Coop… with more good things in the works. Just look confident, like you know something that we don’t, smile, and you’ll be fine.

14. The Photo The Don’ts of Profile Shots No full bodies, no spouses! No old photos! No kids! No half bodies! And.. well.. UGH!

15. The Photo Can you count the ways? I count at least 7 things here that folks might find off-putting in a profile shot . How many can you count?

16. The Photo LinkedIn Profile Shot I’d like to see: It works because it’s his BRAND … and nobody rocks a mullet like the Dog! And finally, the profile we’ll never see:

18. The Photo

19. Experience Now that the profile shot issue has hopefully been put to bed, open up your resume on your computer. It’s a personal choice as to how much work history you choose to include. LinkedIn recommends 3 jobs. Some prefer limiting their work history to a (15) fifteen year period.

20. Experience Whatever you do… Make sure the history on your LinkedIn profile matches that on your resume. Discrepancies will raise eyebrows – and questions.

21. Education Besides your college, be sure to include in your high school if you live in one of those cities where that matters. In Cleveland, Ohio, when someone asks where you went to school, they often mean HIGH SCHOOL, not college. In these types of towns, local alumni often have a powerful LinkedIn networking mechanism. Use it.

22. New – LinkedIn Skills Link to LinkedIn Skills video on YouTube If you are viewing this on the web or in SlideShare, the video will play automatically. You will need to use the controls at the bottom of the player to see the entire video.

23. Executive Summary You have 2,000 characters here to use. You don’t need to use all of them. Write in FIRST PERSON ALWAYS. This is where you write your ‘sales brochure’. Do not – I repeat – do NOT regurgitate the stale summary paragraph off from your resume. Read what you’ve written aloud. If you trip over a word or it doesn’t seem natural, change it. Hint: Write as you would if you weren’t trying to impress anyone.

24. Executive Summary Special Circumstances – Job Seekers I recommend that job seekers insert a line with their email address at the top of the Executive Summary, skip a line, and then insert their summary text. This makes it easier for recruiters and hiring authorities to reach out.

25. Specialties Put your important keywords here. You can comma separate or put in a list; it doesn’t matter. These are the words that Google uses to rank you in its search. If you want, you can use the Google Keyword Toolto see which keywords work best. This, and many other tools, can be found at http://www.googlekeywordtool.com/

26. Your professional headline These are the two lines people will see when they see a brief description of you. LinkedIn provides one for you based on your most current job entry. Most of them tell people nothing about you. Use your Professional Headline as a chance to stand out above the others and educate viewers. Title / company doesn’t do it unless you’re Steve Jobs. Try working with this: You help [who?] with [what?]

27. Your professional headline Here’s how to change it. Go to the Edit Page of your Profile:

28. Recommendations Remember: In order to fulfill LinkedIn’s 100% complete rating, you’ll need to secure aminimum of (3) three professional recommendations. Most recruiters recommend a minimum of (4) four. If a recommendation needs tweaking, it can be sent back to the writer for clarification before it’s published. And if you feel inspired, it’s considered good form to write recommendations for others – but they must be genuine.

29. Websites Next to Websites you’ll find places to put your website, your blog, other social profiles or your company website. Remember to customize the textso it’s not LinkedIn’s generic text showing ( e.g. “My Website”).

30. Twitter If you use Twitter, you’ll want to customize that as well. Click below for Instructions on Linking Twitter and LinkedIn: YouTube: Connecting Linkedin to Twitter - Julie Alpaugh

31. Your Public Profile URL Your default ‘Public Profile’ URL will be a combination of letters and numbers like http://www.linkedin.com/pub/brenda-abrams/9/b72/238 You’ll want to customize it right away. Then copy the customized URL and incorporate it into your email signature, resume and business card, along with a little LinkedIn logo.

32. Your Public Profile URL You can also have some fun with your custom URL: Always test your QR code before distributing. Great primer on QR Codes! How QR Codes Can Grow Your Business - Jeff Korhan

33. Your Public Profile URL From my smartphone with free Barcode Scanner app

34. Status Updates A relatively new addition to LinkedIn, Status Updates broadcast your words – and your links – putting your name and picture in front of all your connections each time they are posted. Idea: Periodically post a link and a comment to an article addressing cutting edge technology in your industry. You can also integrate with your Twitter, but beware of being too ‘noisy’ in this space.

35. Status Updates Example:

37. classmates,

38. friends and

39. business partners without entering their email addresses.

41. Others may ask you about them and vice versa

43. Connections

44. Connections You’ll want to be careful here. If you’re not paying attention, it’s easy to send off generic LinkedIn invites to your entire email address list…. and a good portion of them will be deleted. LinkedIn will ‘know’ which one of your email addresses has a LinkedIn account, and there’s really no sense to sending off invitations to people who aren’t on LinkedIn. Watch the check boxes if you use this option.

45. Connections LinkedIn will search for people you may currently work with, or have worked with in the past.

46. Connections Select an employer, past or present YES! YES!

47. Connections Connecting with Classmates

48. Connections Connecting with Classmates

49. Connections Connecting with Classmates Always include a personal note. You can use up to 200 characters. No links allowed here.

50. Connections People You May Know

51. Connections People You May Know Always add a personal note. It sets you apart. Each LinkedIn account comes with 3,000 invitations. Don’t waste them. Always replace the default text in an invitation with something personal. You’ve got 200 characters. PERSONALIZE

52. Connections LION (LinkedIn Open Networker) LION members accept invitations from anyone. They are know as Open Networkers. They will ask for you to send an invitation to them, as LinkedIn accounts only come with 3,000 invitations. It’s a personal choice.

53. Connections Invitation Etiquette Don’t misuse the first four categories when sending an invitation. Always write something brief and personal – in 200 characters or less. Always personalize.

54. Connections Invitation Etiquette Recipients can indicate that they don’t know you. If they do, you’ll be asked to enter an email address with each future invitation. FYI, LinkedIn deals sternly with users who accumulate more than a handful of “I don’t know” or “Spam” responses.

55. Connections Invitation Etiquette Invitation Pet Peeves Clicking “colleague,” “business partner,” “classmate” or “friend” when you aren’t or have never been. Lack of a personalized invitation. Typos.

56. Connections Invitation Etiquette Invitation text samples LinkedIn Invitations - Making them Great - By Scott Allen, The Virtual Handshake

57. Connections The Power of the Second Degree Click the hyperlink below to access the article and links to free eBook downloads and webinars. The Real Power of LinkedIn is in the Second Degree - Jan Vermeiren

58. Connections The Power of the Second Degree “Thinking that the power of the network is in the first degree is one of the largest barriers for people to really achieve their goals. The real power of the network is not in who you know, but in who they know. The real power of the network is in the second degree. There are many more opportunities there.” - Jan Vermeiren The Real Power of LinkedIn is in the Second Degree - Jan Vermeiren

59. Connections People You May Know The Power of the Second Degree You, and the people to whom you are connected are considered FIRST DEGREE CONTACTS. LinkedIn will suggest people who are connected to your 1st Degree contacts. These are called SECOND DEGREE CONTACTS.

60. Connections Reclaiming unaccepted invitations You can delete accepted invitations. But for unaccepted…

61. Connections Reclaiming unaccepted invitations After a reasonable period of time has passed, you may want to hit ‘withdraw’ to reclaim for re-use. S/he won’t be notified.

62. Start a conversation with LinkedIn Groups Link to LinkedIn Group Conversations video on YouTube If you are viewing this on the web or in SlideShare, the video will play automatically. You will need to use the controls at the bottom of the player to see the entire video.

63. Groups Huge key to networking!

64. Go to LinkedIn Groups and look to see if any of your schools have LinkedIn alumni groups. Join. Allow members to contact you. Groups provide a very powerful way to network.

65. Groups You can send an invitation to anyone in a Group without having to know their email address. You may join a max of 50Groups Drupalcon DC 2009

66. Groups To connect with smart people, just use your noggin: Find out what Groups the smart people in your industry belong to, join, and click the ‘group’ radio button on your invitation form.

67. About me I reside in (sometimes) sunny Cleveland, Ohio where I manage a small commercial architectural firm. In my spare time I help executives, job seekers and graduating students understand the power of LinkedIn. Click to connect: Susie Sharp Proud member of: To learn more, please visit the LinkedIn Learning Center You’ll also find a wealth of instructional videos on their YouTube channels’ The Official LinkedIn Channel & The Official LinkedIn Marketing Channel .

69. Free weekly LinkedIn webinars:

70. For beginners – Wednesdays at 1 PM CST

71. For pros – Tuesdays at 1 PM CST

72. Job Seekers – 10 Tips for Integrating LinkedIn to Your Job Search in 2011 - Neil Schaffer

73. Using LinkedIn Questions and Answers – Leverage your brand via LinkedIn Answers - Heidi Cool