Tell us. What does your LinkedIn profile look like?
Does your summary espouse a point, like the cleverest bios, or does it communicate in military-esque resume style, all corporatese and chunky bullets? Is it accessible to readers, and meaningful to you—separate and apart from what you do?
Ahem…do you even have a summary?
How your LinkedIn profile reads will translate directly into how you can wield it. Whether you’re a job seeker or CEO, here are a few rules for a golden LinkedIn thumb:
- Use first person. “Hi, my name is” works fine in a LinkedIn setting. Your LinkedIn profile isn’t a resume—even if you want it to act like one.
- Now express. Replacing a laundry list of anything with personality and approachability delineates you as a human, not a list. Don’t make your thoughts random though: zone in on a point.
- Get mission-, vision-, and approach-oriented. Make that point a distinct perspective on the work you do—and how you derive satisfaction from it. Tell the audience what you stand for; there’s little more empowering than that.
- Use second person. This isn’t AP English. Sling around the “you”—envisioning your ideal contacts and other readers.
- And then call them out by name. End your summary with a list of the types of people you’d like to connect with. This functions as a powerful call to action for LinkedIn lurkers and their ilk.
- Stay humble. Finally, your profile isn’t the place to wax poetic on your industry…or brag. People want to find you, quickly understand what you do, nod in agreement, and get connected.
Think of it as a global elevator pitch delivered in front of 225+ million networkers. It’s a chance to shine and conquer…good luck!
