by Carjamin Scott on December 23, 2018 at 7:11 a.m. CST

LinkedIn is a social media website that individuals use to showcase their work experience and network with industry professionals. Recruiters use LinkedIn to find top talent and fill job openings. 

If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile and are interested in furthering your career, chances are you could be missing out on opportunities to get noticed by employers. Use these tips to get started.

Introduction

Like the name implies, the intro section is the first thing individuals see on LinkedIn. Here is how to use this section to give a great first impression.

1. Profile Photo – Your profile photo should be a professional business headshot. Since this is a business professional site, you should not use group photos, photos of objects, or any sort of distorted selfie images.
2. Headline – Picture your headline as, “I am great at this, this, and that”. Or these are the best three adjectives to describe my career title. Or this is my title currently. Basically, your headline is a short statement or phrase with a few adjectives to describe your work interests and abilities. While you are considering ideas, it is fine to simply use your current work title as your headline.
3. Location – You should include your current or targeted location in your profile so that recruiters are able to determine where you are. 
4. About – Your about summary can be written in a number of ways. The main objective is to tell a story about your career profession and goals. 

Articles, Posts, Activities, and Interests 

Most people don’t realize the value of the articles, posts, activities, and interests sections; however, when utilized strategically, each can help you get noticed on LinkedIn.

1. Articles – Consider writing an article and publish your knowledge on LinkedIn. This is a great way to engage with your network and showcase your subject matter expertise. 
2. Posts – You can repost articles on LinkedIn. When reposting, you should provide a short summary of the article to entice your followers to read what you’ve reposted. 
3. Activities – Every article or post you comment, like, or repost lands in the activities section of your LinkedIn profile. Be strategic about the content you engage with on your page. Recruiters and your current company can see what content you are engaging with. Try to avoid engaging in any activity (ie. far reaching politics, controversial topics,) that could jeopardize your ability for promotion or a new opportunity. 
4. Interests – The companies, groups, and schools that you follow or belong to land on the interest page of your LinkedIn profile. You should join and follow organizations that reflect your interests and affiliations.

Background

The background section should detail your work experience, education level, and volunteering accomplishments. Recruiters will use this section to determine if your skills align with their job openings.

1. Experience – The experience section on your LinkedIn page is probably the most important section to complete if you want to sell yourself to employers. In this section you want to include the name of your company, your employee title, length of experience, and a job description. The job description section can be completed in many ways. Some examples I’ve seen have included bullet points of accomplishments or a short summary. It’s important to use keywords that employers are searching for no matter which method you choose when completing the job description section. 
2. Education – The education section on your LinkedIn page should include schools attended, length of each program, activities while enrolled, and a description. For recent graduates with no work experience this section is essential to showcase what you’ve done during your education career. Uploading media such as presentations and grades are helpful to employers interested in learning more about your accomplishments while enrolled in school. 
3. Volunteering – The volunteering section on your LinkedIn page is useful for employers to learn about the organizations that you are invested in. List your role, mission, length involved, and a description of the organization you are involved in. 

Use these tips to get started on your LinkedIn profile. Contact me to present these tips and more. 

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Carjamin Scott can be reached at carjamin.scott@gmail.com and you can follow her on twitter @scottcarjie.