Maximizing LinkedIn How to Present Yourself & Promote

Your Professional Brand

Career Development Centre 2015 - 2016

Purpose of Today’s Session • Recognize the key components of a strong LinkedIn profile

• Understand how to effectively present and distinguish your skills online

• Know how to use LinkedIn as a networking and job search tool

• Understand how to effectively use LinkedIn for career research

• Be aware of additional social networking resources available through the Career Centre

Why Bother?

2015 research by CareerBuilder • 49% of hiring managers use social media to research job

applicants (an additional 12% plan to start)

• 57% of hiring managers reported not hiring or hesitating to hire a candidate because of something negative

• 32% of hiring managers reported finding something positive that led to a job offer

Introducing LinkedIn

Where to Start? Evaluate your Online Presence

Google yourself! • Is what you found helpful to your professional image? • Will the information support or contradict your resumé and

interview claims? • If you found nothing, is that really helpful to your professional

reputation?

What’s Next?

Take Charge of your Social Media Strategy – Create a LinkedIn profile! • Support and Expand on your Resume Claims • Define your Professional Brand • Tell your Story • Use Industry Keywords

Perception and Differentiation

• What are your skills and values? • What are your strengths? • What makes you unique? • What descriptors are you using? • What are your goals? • How can you add value for an organization?

What is your Brand?

Your student status/job/employer is NOT your brand!

What makes

you stand out?

Your Profile

Creating a LinkedIn Profile

Goals • Familiarize yourself with industry language • Evaluate how to make good use of this

language (keywords) in your profile • Differentiate yourself – what makes you

different from classmates? • Think about what someone would input

when searching on LinkedIn

• Include an appropriate Photo

• Write a creative and engaging Headline

• Create a compelling Summary

• Include industry Keywords

• Add your Skills, Experience, Education & Certifications • Establish and maintain your Network

Keys to a Strong Profile

Use an Appropriate Photo

Who do you want to connect with? • Only you (no other body parts, people, or pets) • Match industry tone – how do you want to be seen? • No selfies, please • Don’t forget to SMILE!

Providing Powerful Career & Social Media Strategies to Individuals and Organizations | BA in Communications

Financial Analyst | Accounting Professional | Working towards CPA | Internet Entrepreneur

MBA Candidate Seeking Management Consulting Role – strategy, operations, growth. Greater Toronto Area.

BBA Student | Emerging public relations practitioner with interests in social media and brand management

Psychology Graduate, Specializing in Survey Design. Interested in Market Research and Analysis

Write a Creative & Engaging Headline

Create a Compelling Summary

Tell your story • Who you are, what you’ve done, where you want to go next • Use first person • Contextualize education, training, experience to show the

reader what’s next in your career • Consider including a specialties/skills list • Don’t forget: Think about who you’re writing for and tell them

what they should do after reading your profile

Sample Summary I am a recent graduate of Communication Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, where I was also a member of the Women’s Varsity Basketball Team. This fall I will be starting a Post-Graduate Certificate in Sport and Event Marketing at George Brown College.

As a student athlete, I developed strong time management, organization and multi-tasking skills, which allowed me to be a high-performing athlete while achieving the dean’s honour roll every year. I’m a dedicated team player with strength in motivating others. I’ve got the drive to win, and have the ability to set goals and continually achieve them.

During my undergraduate degree, I successfully developed and executed marketing strategies to fundraise for team travel – we not only met our goal, but exceeded it, resulting in a new travel scholarship! My current goal is to further establish myself in the sports industry as a marketing professional.

Fundraising • Event Planning • Social Media Strategy • Marketing • Promotion

Sample Summary I’ve always been intrigued by clever marketing campaigns and consumer behaviour. Currently I am completing a semester abroad in England, where I’m studying global business and marketing. Back home, I am pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration at Wilfrid Laurier University.

My interests in human behaviour and social culture have led me to complete a Psychology minor to complement my business and marketing studies. After graduation, I plan on connecting my new knowledge in marketing and psychology to better understand and predict consumer behaviour and marketing trends in the fields of advertising and marketing for a multinational corporation. I hope to connect with colleagues and other professionals who share a strong interest in Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Consumer Insights, and Market Strategy.

Specialties: Marketing | Advertising | Social Media Strategy | Sales | Market Research | Public Speaking | Project Management | Communication

Add your Experiences, Skills, Education & Training

• Support and expand on your resumé, but don’t repeat – Create connection or relevance; speak to transferable skills – Use accomplishment-based statements with keywords – Consider adding files, links, media, etc.

• Headline awareness – Default to current title

• Add industry-relevant Skills – Searchable terms (use keywords)

• Add Education & Certifications – Consider LinkedIn’s suggestions when describing Education

Consider LinkedIn’s Advice

• Sections are suggested • Consider how you

organize sections (what will intrigue readers, what about your background do you want readers to engage with first?)

Connect

Your Network:

• Start with whom you know – but NOT by inviting your address book to connect

• Always customize Invitations − Phone awareness

• Connecting standards vary - be strategic • Not a one time project

Establish your Network

Further Your Connections: The Alumni Tool

• Where they work • What they do • What they studied • What they’re skilled at • Where they live • Connection level

Join and participate in Professional/Interest Groups • Join up to 50

– Strategic visibility – Look for active members/discussions

• Learn, connect and raise your profile – Ask questions, make comments, share experiences, talk about

issues, recommend connections • Customize your digest

– Receive emails daily, weekly or not at all

Building your Network: Explore Groups

How to Connect Step 1: Review Their Profile

• Information in the Summary • Advice for Contacting

Options: Get Introduced, Connect • Click connect only when on

their profile (otherwise, the generic LinkedIn connect message will be sent)

• InMail available with paid subscription (not recommended)

• Get introduced (depends on connection level & quality)

Customize all Invitations

• Approach professionally

• Remind them of how you met or provide them with information about why you’re reaching out

Connecting on Mobile Devices

Further Your Network • Follow companies and professionals • Maintain your account

− Adjust for optimal results − Try different approaches

• Actively post and participate − Links, articles, comment and like − Consider publishing

• Monitor your online presence

Settings

Review your Settings Strategically

Broadcasting your Updates

• Strategically turn on or off

• Second option in profile section

Viewing Other Profiles

• Select what others can see

• Great for career research

Your Public Profile & URL

• Select what level of information the public can see

• Personalize your

URL

Additional Resources

LinkedIn Resources

• LinkedIn for Students http://students.linkedin.com • LinkedIn Blog http://blog.linkedin.com • Follow LinkedIn on LinkedIn • YouTube channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/LinkedIn

Career Resources • Book an individual appointment at x 4495 • Drop-in hours, Monday through Thursday, 1 – 3 p.m. for

quick questions • Visit wlu.ca/career to access - Career Workshops - Employment Guidebooks - Schedule of Career and Employer Events

Connect with us!

519.884.0710 x 4495 careercentre@wlu.ca wlu.ca/career facebook.com/lauriercareercentre linkedin.com (Laurier Career Centre Group)

@WLUCareerCentre