Intero\'s LinkedIn Profile Builder Guide helps you build a stronger and more compelling LinkedIn profile.

1. Profile Builder Guide
How to distinguish yourself and
build your professional brand
Colleen McKenna | Intero Advisory
colleen@interoadvisory.com
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenmckenna
Mobile 410.458.6960

2. LinkedIn –Best Practices for Building A Profile That
Builds Your Professional Brand.
This LinkedIn Profile Builder is a tool to get you going whether that means creating an account or
becoming a more advanced member and user. Jot notes or write it all in this template rather than just
filling it spontaneously in LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is changing almost daily. New functionality, views and apps are expanding LinkedIn’s footprint
so getting comfortable with the LinkedIn landscape will allow you to sail right over the changes and
benefit from them rather than being frustrated by the fact they are one more thing to learn.
LinkedIn now has 135+ million+ members, and so, before creating your profile, I suggest you think
about how you will you use it.
What do you hope to take away from the training session?
What are your top objectives for using LinkedIn? Or what will they be?
Will you commit to checking it daily? Over 77% of members do.
Weekly?
Strategy, yes, it can be become a key component of your personal and professional brand and
marketing.
Do you want to be openly accessible or more selective? Remember, the foundation of all social media
and networking platforms is to be transparent and open.
Do you want your network open for other connections to see or do you prefer to keep it closed? [This is
a key strategic consideration, can be changed in the settings area].
Do you want to create a static or dynamic profile and voice on LinkedIn? This comes down to how often
you engage within LinkedIn and the extent to which you participate.
Is your company active with a company profile, are you connected to it?

3. Will you search for prospects and customers?
Will you join and participate in groups?
Will you add apps to customize and round out your profile? Look under the More tab for the current list
of apps.
Will you recommend colleagues, clients, vendors etc?
Will you ask for referrals, recommendations and introductions?
Ok, so let’s get started.
Create an account: www.linkedin.com
Join, skip steps 2 and 5 where it asks who you know, you will go back to that later.
Jot down your username and password:
Username ___________________
Password ___________________
Confirm the account
If you have a current profile, how many connections do you have: _______
Settings
Create the settings you are comfortable with before building your profile. Go to the upper right hand
corner of the page, it is the arrow next to your name.

4. Before you begin to build your profile in LinkedIn, use this document to lay it out and consider what
you want to say.
How do you get to a profile that is 100%? LinkedIn ranks the components differently below.
Use this to guide and encourage you as you build your profile.
Before you begin to build your profile in LinkedIn, use this document to lay it out and consider what
you want to say
Suggestions Your Keywords for Individual Profile
Upload your resume right into What keywords best represent who you are and what you do. List
the profile and then tweak from them below:

5. there.
Use keywords to optimize your
page. Write these words down,
see list below.
You also want to think about
longtail key words, three to five
word phrases that reflect how
people search online. These
keywords and phrases need to
be strategically placed within
your profile to help optimize
your rankings.
Summary Area Personal Summary
Your summary is your personal
experience synopsis.
I suggest a mention, the value
proposition or corporate
statement about your company
and then go into your personal
summary. Why? I want to create
a corporate marketing touch as
well; if someone is reviewing
several members of an
organization it looks more
polished when they are speaking
the same language about their
organization.
Specialties
Add your specialties, once again;
they should mirror versions of

6. your keywords.
Skills [go to MORE at the top Skills
and click on Skills]
Key in your skills and notice what
appears, check out the left
navigation bar and see other
skills related to the one you just
keyed in.
Add between 6-12 key skills that
mirror your keywords
Experience Experience
Add all your relevant experience;
the more you add the more
LinkedIn suggests people you
might know.
Experience Cont’d

7. Volunteer and Cause Experience
Include your volunteer
experience, the causes you
support and become an
advocate for those
organizations.
Education
Recommendations
Ask managers, clients,

8. colleagues for a specific,
business recommendation.
Don’t forget…recommend others
as well.
Other Sections
Certifications
Courses
Honors and Awards
Languages
Organizations
Projects
Patents
Test Scores
Volunteer Experience & Causes
These are especially helpful for
students and emerging young
professionals create a stronger
profile.
You will find these under “Edit
Profile” below Summary.
Groups
Go to the directory and look for
groups that you may be

9. interested in joining.
You can join up to 50
Applications
Go To MORE at the top and at
the bottom you will see
“Get More Applications”
Now that you’ve started, don’t forget to engage and post Status Updates, invite
people you know, introduce people and connect the dots.