Linking up on LinkedIn

The first place most potential employers go to learn more about a candidate for a job is LinkedIn – and they look at not only your profile, but also your posts, connections and interactions with other people. It is well worth investing the time to ensure you make a good first impression. Maintaining your LinkedIn profile and network is just as important as keeping your resume or CV up to date – and possibly more so.

Getting started

If you don’t have an account, start by deciding what version of your name you are going to use professionally (full middle name? Initial?), then use it consistently on your future publications, resumes, and other professional outputs. Investigate all the sections of a LinkedIn profile (which include education, positions, services, skills, and honors and awards), and fill in as much as possible. You want to be comprehensive, but succinct. Don’t forget to include relevant volunteer experiences, and links to more information (such as Orcid and Google Scholar). The more complete your profile, the higher you will show up in search results.

Use professional pictures

Both your profile picture and your cover photo should enhance your story. The profile picture should be a recent headshot (head and shoulders only), in professional dress, ideally smiling. The cover photo, which appears across the top of your page, is a great place to showcase a neat lab bench or hood (for lab chemists) or a nice landscape to indicate environmental interests.

Write a compelling headline

Your headline is not your current job title, but rather a big picture, short summary of you as a professional. When you meet someone new and they ask ‘What do you do?’, what is your answer? Include your current strengths and passions, as well as where you are looking to grow.

Does it tell a coherent story? 

Tell me ‘about’ yourself

This narrative section is usually a few paragraphs, and where your personality shines through. Tell your professional story – include things like skills, specific accomplishments, professional growth and future aspirations. Use specific, quantified accomplishments that show how you have successfully applied your skills. For example, ‘presented experimental results at three international conferences’ is better than ‘good communicator’.

Review

Once you have filled in the profile, take a holistic look. Is it consistent throughout, and does it tell a coherent story? For example, maybe you started as an analytical chemist, but over time took on more documentation responsibilities, and now want to leave the bench and transition into a full-time writing/editing role. You should emphasise the documentation aspects of each position, and omit older or irrelevant work (unless it leaves a noticeable gap).

Don’t forget to include keywords. What search terms will your intended audience use, and what terms are used in your field? Include them in your profile to make sure you are easily findable.

Go and grow!

Once your profile is polished, request connections from co-workers, former fellow students, etc. Personalise the invitation with a short reminder of how you met or a recent incident that reminded you of them. Endorse skills and talents for your colleagues (affirming that they have a specific skill), and write longer recommendations for those you truly admire.

Edit your public URL to something memorable, and put it on your resume, email signature file and other places where fellow professionals will see it.

Set a regular time each week to engage with your online professional community. Share content (current articles or your own opinions), and comment on other people’s content. Follow prominent people in your field and organisations you admire.

Moving forward

Just like a CV or resume, your LinkedIn profile needs regular attention and updating. Review your endorsements and recommendations every six months or so (put a reminder in your calendar) to make sure the skills being highlighted by others are the ones you prefer – if not, hide some to make the balance more representative. Review the description of your current position and volunteer activities, and make sure they are accurate and current.

Add new skills and accomplishments as you obtain them – for example, take an online course or earn a microcredential, then add the course certificate or other documentation to the Learning History section of your profile.

A new tool is the Social Selling Index, which will give you an idea of how well you are using LinkedIn. It provides numerical scores for how well you establish a professional brand, find the right people, engage in discussions, and build relationships. Noting which areas have lower scores can help you determine where to spend your limited time, to make sure you sell your personal brand most effectively.

Truly engaging with LinkedIn will take an investment of time, both initially and on an on-going basis. But in the long run, actively managing your professional network and online persona/brand will bring many unexpected opportunities.