Optimise your career using LinkedIn.com provides tips on using LinkedIn to build your professional brand and career. It outlines 5 reasons to use LinkedIn including networking, finding jobs, and sharing knowledge. It emphasizes the importance of a strong profile that makes a great first impression and reflects who you are professionally. The document provides guidance on key profile elements like the headline, photo, summary, experience, skills, and recommendations. It also reviews how to maximize your LinkedIn presence through activities like building your network, sharing updates, following companies, using groups, and researching for interviews. The key actions recommended within 24 hours are to complete your profile, add a photo, grow your network, join a group, and actively engage by sharing

1. Optimise your career using LinkedIn.com
How to look great, get noticed and get hired through LinkedIn.com
February 2013
Charles Hardy
Strategic Recruitment Product
Consultant

2. Five reasons why the world’s best professionals
join and visit LinkedIn…
1
2 3
5
.NET
Developers
Biotech &
Pharma
Creative
Design Pros
4 1,250,000+ groups
Personal
Branding
Sharing
knowledge Finding a
new job
Networking
with peers
Innovation
2

3. Why you need a great profile…

4. …viewing profiles is the No.1 activity on
LinkedIn.com

5. Your digital profile is a reflection of who you
are, what you’ve done and what you’d like to do…
 First impressions do count – and that’s now via your profile
 Prospective employers, potential business connections, new
clients – all are checking you out in advance of your first meeting
 Digital profiles are making the CV / resume a formality
 Your on-line profile is an opportunity to tell your story the way you
want it told
 Your digital profile is an asset to building your personal and
professional brand. It shows not just who you are, but how you
interact.
5
Forbes, Dec 2012

6. So you need to get the basics right…

7. Firstly, you may want to deactivate your activity
broadcasts before you got to work on your profile…
7

8. OK, let’s make a Great First Impression
 Just your real name
 No email address here, or qualifications
 Creative Headline Works Best
 Don’t mistake this for your title – you can
customize this for your target audience
 Add a Photo
 Professional (and friendly) headshot is ideal
Click the pencil
icon to edit

9. Optimise your personal brand…
And consider your target audience
 Link Your Professional Twitter Account
 Customize your Website Options
 Work or projects you have delivered
 Role / Skill specific site
 Customize Your Public Profile settings and URL
 To optimize your appearance in search engine results
9

10. Your Summary – your elevator pitch
What are the most important messages?
 3 Paragraphs is Ideal
– Aspiration at the top – where do you want to go?
– Couple of key facts that support you going there
– Top level on most relevant Career Experience
10

11. Your Experience
Focus on your top selling points
 Highlights from current / most recent role
 What are your objectives?
 How fit into overall organization
 What have you achieved / delivered?
11

12. Your Skills
Add your skills and expertise – and get endorsed
Add skills
Get
endorsed
12

13. Collect valued recommendations
Managers, clients, partners…
13

14. Additional information
Add relevant documentation…
14

15. Steps to a Successful Brand – The Top 10
Let’s Build a Great Profile on LinkedIn
1) Real name – no email
2) Write a headline and craft your summary for your audience
3) Include a photo – put a face with your name
4) Be aspirational – what do you want to achieve?
5) Include links to your relevant web content
6) Create a vanity URL
7) Add your work history
8) Add skills and gain endorsements
9) Get valued recommendations
10) Personalize your profile – brand not resume
15

16. So now you have an awesome profile…

17. …how do you maximize your LinkedIn
presence?

18. Build Your Network
– expand your reach and influence
Import from your email address books
18

19. Give! Give! Give! - Update Your Status
Regularly share knowledge to your network
Latest jobs
Relevant news
and insights
Being a
person
“Charles is so on the ball! He really knows his stuff
and is great at collaborating.” 19

20. Use LinkedIn Today
Identify relevant, valuable news and share to your network
Sign up to news relevant news sites such as BBC and Forbes.
Think of your specialisms, your aspirations – niche sites.
20

21. Follow Companies you are interested in working for
Followers receive relevant updates, news, links – and jobs
Receive latest
news, articles and
jobs = share to your
network

22. Jobs on LinkedIn
Recommended job matches on your Home page
22

23. Jobs on LinkedIn
Search for jobs, refine your search
23

24. Jobs on LinkedIn
Set alerts, save jobs, apply, similar jobs
24

25. Share relevant jobs to your network
25

26. Utilize Groups
Join relevant groups to position yourself as a centre of excellence in your
sector / specialism
Join Many
(up to 50)
Participate in a 2 or 3
Be highly active in 1
Groups
.NET
Developers
Biotech &
Pharma
Design
Pros
1,250,000 +
26

27. Finding the Right Group
On your
homepage
27

28. Finding the Right Group – use Skills & Expertise
28
• Size can be important – but is not
always the best indicator of
quality.
• A healthy group has frequent
discussion topics, but remains
focused on topic.
• A lot of spam or agency vacancy
posts suggest the group is badly
maintained.
Group
recommendations in
Skills & Expertise
28

29. Research companies
Prepare for interviews
 Company mission, products and services
 Industry and competitors
 Company culture and employees’ skills
 News about the company and industry
 Information about the role – search for members already
holding the role / similar roles
 Information about the person interviewing you
29

30. The 5 things your should do in the next 24 hours:
1. Complete and enhance your personal profile and brand
2. Add your photo – it’s harder to forget a face
3. Connect and grow your network
4. Join a relevant networking Group
5. Be an active collaborator – share, update your status,
discuss…GIVE to your network.