Who cares? Right? Well, I would say, “Wrong”.
So, you already have a job and you don’t have a website or side business so why bother with LinkedIn? First, remember that LinkedIn is your personal account and not an account about your workplace. Sure, you have your current employer listed but you have several options on how you can build your professional image without linking it to a company. Have you heard of the saying, Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”?
Let’s get started:
Go to LinkedIn and click on Edit Profile:
Headline: If your headline says, Director of IT at ABC Company consider changing it to “Information Technology Professional and Web Architect”. Change your “Headline” to showcase your talents and don’t connect it to a company.
Summary: Take time to really talk about you. There are no rules so highlight who you are and your specialties without mentioning your current employer. Don’t talk about what you do at your current company. Talk about your skills, resources, training and passion. This is about you!
Applications: LinkedIn currently has 20 applications that you can add to your profile. I highly recommend selecting at least 1 application. One option is to showcase books that you have read or want to read with the Amazon Application entitled, “Reading List by Amazon”. It’s a very easy point and click application. Review all of LinkedIn’s applications here.
Drag and Rearrange Profile Settings: You can move several sections on your LinkedIn profile and personalized your page. You can currently move the following sections: summary, applications, experience, education, contact, recommendations, additional information and personal information. Just look for the cross at the top left of each application and “drag and drop” the section.
Post an Update: You have the option to post regular professional updates. These updates go into the LinkedIn newsfeed and your “Activity” stream and also appear on your Profile page. You have the option to post a link with the update and share the update with Twitter. To share an update just type the information in the “share an update” box on the top of the Home Tab or the “post an update” on the Profile/Edit Profile tab.
Hope this sparks a new interest in LinkedIn. Reach out if you have any questions.
Sabrina Espinal
Sabrina&Company
