Build a professional profile - step by step advice

1. www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto
LinkedIn
- building a professional
profile
Leena Itkonen
University of Helsinki, Career Services
15.3.2016 1

2. 1.It is your professional profiling tool
2.Networking platform
3.Your collection of business cards
4.Telephone book
5.Source of information…
BASIC IDEA– WHYLINKEDIN

3. THE BASIC IDEA– CONCRETEADVICE
 Target: a complete profile (write both to people and search engine)
 Using the same keywords throughout your profile - check
what others in your business use: Keywords are also search
words → how easily you are found (also size of your network + activity)
 Combining two possible future career paths in your profile
takes a bit thinking
→ a possibility to rearrange the
order of different sections
→ most important ones first!

4. www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto
First things first! Settings 1
No updates when working on your profile

5. Note: If your profile
is anonymous, you
also see less
about others.
FIRST THINGS FIRST! SETTINGS 1

6. LINKEDINADDRESS (URL) – CUSTOMIZE!
15.3.2016 6Osasto / Henkilön nimi / Esityksen nimi
1
Add you LinkedIn ur to your email signature, CV…

7. FIRST IMPRESSION:
PICTUREAND HEADLINE
2

8. PICTURES
• Profile picture: Properly dressed, smiling…
• Background picture – one picture or a photo collage
2

9. HEADLINE: 120 CHARACTERS, YOUR ONE
SENTENCE STORY
• Your job title and something about you
• Or different things: role x I role y I role z
• For ex. Postdoctoral x-area researcher at organization y
specializing in z REMEMBER KEYWORDS!
2
Need ideas?

10. • Years of experience
• Accomplishments and results
• Diplomas/prestigious institutions
• Expertise
• Other credentials
• Awards and recognition
• Also contact information, Websites etc.
• KEYWORDS (also a list of keywords and skills in the end of your
summary)
• Portfolio?: links (for ex. List of publications, presentations, videos, blogs,
company pages etc.)
CORE SECTIONS: SUMMARY
– ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTIONS
3

11. CORE SECTIONS: EXPERIENCE
3
• Current position and at least two past positions
• Different roles, tasks, lists, technologies, machines used,
co-operation etc. Remember your KEYWORDS.
• Link videos, presentations etc. to your profile. Also for ex.
your researchgate profile
•Recommendations!

12. LINKEDIN PROFILEASASHOWCASE,
PORTFOLIO?
3

13. • Describe also your education
•Keywords? Themes?
• Link certificates, news, articles etc.
CORE SECTIONS: EDUCATION
3

14. OTHER SECTIONS:
PUBLICATIONS
• Publications – a
possibility also to show
group work
• When team members
have accepted the
publication to their
profiles, their profile
picture, headline and link
to their profile will be
activated
4

15. • Projects – a group
performance
• When team members
have accepeted the
project to their profiles,
their profile picture,
headline and link to their
profile will be activated
OTHER SECTIONS:
PROJECTS
4

16. OTHER SECTIONS:
SKILLS & ENDORSEMENTS
• Your list of skills
• Hard skills, transferable skills, soft skills…
• Decide the order of your skills
• Endorsements = what you are known for
• In public profile mode: ”learn more about
this skill” (cursor over the specific skill →
learn more about this skill), for ex. How
many have this skill, where they work,
other skills theys have, blog posts and
presentations, jobs, and GROUPS
4

17. FOR EX. ”CELLCULTURE” 4

18. • Interests: professional
interests, personal interests
• Languages
• Courses
• Organizations
• Recommendations! – it’s a
give and take.
OTHER SECTIONS
4

19. • enough connections → 1st degree connections = your bridge
people that lead you to 2nd and 3rd degree connections
= information you get (for ex. University search)
• when contacting people write personalized messages
[stalking and learning from others, also google
site:linkedin.com firstname lastname]
• Check: what is the link between you and your possible connection. Same
interests? (watch out for fake profiles.)
GET MOST OUT OFYOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE:
NETWORK / CONNECTIONSAND GROUPS
5

20. COMPANY PAGES – FOLLOW INTERESTING
ONES
6

21. JOBS
6
Remember!
Hidden jobs
in groups!

22. LINKEDINAPPLICATION
Cover letter / CV attached
6