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LinkedIn® Profile Optimization For Dummies®
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LinkedIn® Profile Optimization For Dummies®
by Donna Serdula
LinkedIn Profile Optimization For Dummies, 2nd Edition
Cover
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Part 1: The Strategy Before the Siege
Chapter 1: Determining Your LinkedIn Strategy
Determining Your LinkedIn Goal
Figuring Out Your Target Audience
Creating a Compelling Tone
Using the Different Versions of LinkedIn
Chapter 2: Getting Found on LinkedIn
Using LinkedIn as a Search Engine
Ensuring a Compelling and Attractive Search Result
Understanding the Importance of Keywords
Using Online Keyword Tools
Ranking Higher with Profile SEO
Building Off Profile SEO
Chapter 3: Understanding Endorsements and Recommendations
Showcasing Your Skills
Showing Recruiters What You Know
Obtaining Endorsements
The Importance of Recommendations
Part 2: Getting Your LinkedIn Profile Started
Chapter 4: Optimizing the “Behind the Scenes” Sections
Managing Profile Changes
Turning On Your Public Profile
Creating a Personalized URL
Scanning Your LinkedIn QR Code
Improving Your Profile’s Strength
Expanding Your Network
Chapter 5: Establishing Your Calling Card
Using the Name Field Correctly
Filling Out Location and Industry
Including Your Contact Information
Chapter 6: Impressing with the Right Profile Picture
Why You Need a Profile Picture
Determining If You Need a New Profile Picture
Using a Photo Already Taken
Working with a Photographer
Taking Your Own Profile Picture
Choosing and Uploading Your Profile Picture
Chapter 7: Developing a Compelling Headline
Grabbing Your Reader’s Attention
Adding Flair to Your Headline
Saturating Your Headline with Keywords
Creating a Benefit Statement Headline
Adding Your New and Improved Headline to LinkedIn
Chapter 8: Reinforcing Your Brand with a Background Photo
Finding the Right Image to Showcase Your Brand
Working with a Professional Graphic Designer
Using Online Graphic Tools to Create an Image
Adding a Background Image to Your Profile
Chapter 9: Showing You Are Open for Business or Job Opportunities
Showing You Are Open for Business
Showing You Are Open to Job Opportunities
Part 3: Detailing Your Career Trajectory and Creating the Ultimate First Impression
Chapter 10: Getting Your Experiences Ready
Referencing Your Resume
Determining Which Experiences to Keep and Which to Merge
Creating a Work History for Recent Graduates
Dealing with Employment Gaps
Chapter 11: Creating a Powerful Experience
Adding a New Experience
Creating a LinkedIn Page
Less Is More — Stop Disqualifying Yourself
Editing an Existing Experience
Reordering Concurrent Experiences
Removing an Experience
Examples of Great Experiences
Adding Multimedia to Make Your Profile POP!
Chapter 12: Writing a Compelling About Section
Editing Your LinkedIn About Section
Writing in First Person
Avoiding Resume Speak
Revisiting Your LinkedIn Goals and Target Audience
Catching Your Reader’s Attention
Creating Your Professional Manifesto
Formatting a Sleek LinkedIn About Section
Examples of Compelling and Engaging About Sections
Part 4: Rounding Out Your Profile and the Final Reveal
Chapter 13: There’s More to You than Your Jobs
Adding Your Education, or Lack Thereof
Listing Licenses and Certifications
Adding Volunteer Experiences
Citing Your Accomplishments
Creating a Profile in Another Language
Chapter 14: Following Groups, Companies, and Influencers
Understanding the Importance of Groups
Cultivating Your Following Section
Showcasing Influencers on Your Profile
Following Schools
Chapter 15: Publishing on LinkedIn
Showcasing Yourself as a Thought Leader
Keeping up with Articles and Activity
Understanding the LinkedIn Feed
Looking at the Difference between a Post and an Article
What Happens After You Publish?
Marketing Your Blog Post
Chapter 16: Unveiling and Marketing Your Powerful Profile
Viewing Your Profile from the Mobile App
Viewing Your Profile as an Outsider
Getting Google to Index Your Profile
Your LinkedIn Profile Checklist
Benchmarking Your Profile’s Success
Marketing Your Profile
To Pay or Not Pay for LinkedIn
Part 5: The Part of Tens
Chapter 17: Ten Profile Do’s and Don’ts
Do Use a Professional Profile Picture
Don’t Use LinkedIn’s Default Headline
Do Use Eye-Catching Symbols Sparingly
Do Include Your Contact Information
Do Add Media Samples
Don’t Stuff Keywords
Don’t Go Back 30 Years
Do Get Recommendations
Do Tell a Story
Do Download Your Data
Chapter 18: Ten Tips for a Perfect Profile Picture
Hire a Professional Photographer
Use Lots of Light
Use a Nondescript Background
Dress to Impress
Adjust Yourself
Keep the Camera Close to Eye Level
Say No to the Mug Shot
Crinkle, Smile, and Jut
Use Photoshop Lightly
Crop Your Image
Chapter 19: Ten Tips to Expand Your Network
Import Your Address Book
Import a Contact List
Let LinkedIn Help You Connect
Join One Hundred Groups
Start a LinkedIn Group
Make Connecting a Process
Link to Your Profile
Brand Yourself a LION or Just Connect to Them
Don’t Join Open Networking Lists and Groups
Use an App
Chapter 20: Ten Tips to Leverage LinkedIn
A-B-C … Always Be Connecting
Connect and Stay in Touch
Gather Business Intelligence
Get the News
Get Social Proof and Credibility
Get Past the Gatekeeper
Rub Elbows in Groups
Find Assistance
Showcase Thought Leadership
Network in Your Pajamas
Chapter 21: Ten LinkedIn Profile Resources
Get Inspired and Excited
LinkedIn Headline Generator
Virtual Phone Numbers
Say No to AOL and Hotmail Addresses
Symbol Variations
Stop the Typos
SlideShare
Photographer Directory
Background Image Libraries
Online Image Apps
Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Get Noticed by Recruiters on LinkedIn
Make It Easy to Connect the Dots Quickly
Exhibit Personality and Show a Cultural Fit
Turn On Open to Job Opportunities
Say Cheese
Provide Your Contact Information
Connect to Them
Comment on Their Posts
Post, Comment, and Hashtag
Keep Your Profile Up to Date and Fresh
Invest in Your Future
Index
About the Author
Advertisement Page
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
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Prev
Previous Chapter
Title Page
Next
Next Chapter
Introduction
LinkedIn® Profile Optimization For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to
www.dummies.com
and search for “LinkedIn Profile Optimization For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Part 1: The Strategy Before the Siege
Chapter 1: Determining Your LinkedIn Strategy
Determining Your LinkedIn Goal
Figuring Out Your Target Audience
Creating a Compelling Tone
Using the Different Versions of LinkedIn
Chapter 2: Getting Found on LinkedIn
Using LinkedIn as a Search Engine
Ensuring a Compelling and Attractive Search Result
Understanding the Importance of Keywords
Using Online Keyword Tools
Ranking Higher with Profile SEO
Building Off Profile SEO
Chapter 3: Understanding Endorsements and Recommendations
Showcasing Your Skills
Showing Recruiters What You Know
Obtaining Endorsements
The Importance of Recommendations
Part 2: Getting Your LinkedIn Profile Started
Chapter 4: Optimizing the “Behind the Scenes” Sections
Managing Profile Changes
Turning On Your Public Profile
Creating a Personalized URL
Scanning Your LinkedIn QR Code
Improving Your Profile’s Strength
Expanding Your Network
Chapter 5: Establishing Your Calling Card
Using the Name Field Correctly
Filling Out Location and Industry
Including Your Contact Information
Chapter 6: Impressing with the Right Profile Picture
Why You Need a Profile Picture
Determining If You Need a New Profile Picture
Using a Photo Already Taken
Working with a Photographer
Taking Your Own Profile Picture
Choosing and Uploading Your Profile Picture
Chapter 7: Developing a Compelling Headline
Grabbing Your Reader’s Attention
Adding Flair to Your Headline
Saturating Your Headline with Keywords
Creating a Benefit Statement Headline
Adding Your New and Improved Headline to LinkedIn
Chapter 8: Reinforcing Your Brand with a Background Photo
Finding the Right Image to Showcase Your Brand
Working with a Professional Graphic Designer
Using Online Graphic Tools to Create an Image
Adding a Background Image to Your Profile
Chapter 9: Showing You Are Open for Business or Job Opportunities
Showing You Are Open for Business
Showing You Are Open to Job Opportunities
Part 3: Detailing Your Career Trajectory and Creating the Ultimate First Impression
Chapter 10: Getting Your Experiences Ready
Referencing Your Resume
Determining Which Experiences to Keep and Which to Merge
Creating a Work History for Recent Graduates
Dealing with Employment Gaps
Chapter 11: Creating a Powerful Experience
Adding a New Experience
Creating a LinkedIn Page
Less Is More — Stop Disqualifying Yourself
Editing an Existing Experience
Reordering Concurrent Experiences
Removing an Experience
Examples of Great Experiences
Adding Multimedia to Make Your Profile POP!
Chapter 12: Writing a Compelling About Section
Editing Your LinkedIn About Section
Writing in First Person
Avoiding Resume Speak
Revisiting Your LinkedIn Goals and Target Audience
Catching Your Reader’s Attention
Creating Your Professional Manifesto
Formatting a Sleek LinkedIn About Section
Examples of Compelling and Engaging About Sections
Part 4: Rounding Out Your Profile and the Final Reveal
Chapter 13: There’s More to You than Your Jobs
Adding Your Education, or Lack Thereof
Listing Licenses and Certifications
Adding Volunteer Experiences
Citing Your Accomplishments
Creating a Profile in Another Language
Chapter 14: Following Groups, Companies, and Influencers
Understanding the Importance of Groups
Cultivating Your Following Section
Showcasing Influencers on Your Profile
Following Schools
Chapter 15: Publishing on LinkedIn
Showcasing Yourself as a Thought Leader
Keeping up with Articles and Activity
Understanding the LinkedIn Feed
Looking at the Difference between a Post and an Article
What Happens After You Publish?
Marketing Your Blog Post
Chapter 16: Unveiling and Marketing Your Powerful Profile
Viewing Your Profile from the Mobile App
Viewing Your Profile as an Outsider
Getting Google to Index Your Profile
Your LinkedIn Profile Checklist
Benchmarking Your Profile’s Success
Marketing Your Profile
To Pay or Not Pay for LinkedIn
Part 5: The Part of Tens
Chapter 17: Ten Profile Do’s and Don’ts
Do Use a Professional Profile Picture
Don’t Use LinkedIn’s Default Headline
Do Use Eye-Catching Symbols Sparingly
Do Include Your Contact Information
Do Add Media Samples
Don’t Stuff Keywords
Don’t Go Back 30 Years
Do Get Recommendations
Do Tell a Story
Do Download Your Data
Chapter 18: Ten Tips for a Perfect Profile Picture
Hire a Professional Photographer
Use Lots of Light
Use a Nondescript Background
Dress to Impress
Adjust Yourself
Keep the Camera Close to Eye Level
Say No to the Mug Shot
Crinkle, Smile, and Jut
Use Photoshop Lightly
Crop Your Image
Chapter 19: Ten Tips to Expand Your Network
Import Your Address Book
Import a Contact List
Let LinkedIn Help You Connect
Join One Hundred Groups
Start a LinkedIn Group
Make Connecting a Process
Link to Your Profile
Brand Yourself a LION or Just Connect to Them
Don’t Join Open Networking Lists and Groups
Use an App
Chapter 20: Ten Tips to Leverage LinkedIn
A-B-C … Always Be Connecting
Connect and Stay in Touch
Gather Business Intelligence
Get the News
Get Social Proof and Credibility
Get Past the Gatekeeper
Rub Elbows in Groups
Find Assistance
Showcase Thought Leadership
Network in Your Pajamas
Chapter 21: Ten LinkedIn Profile Resources
Get Inspired and Excited
LinkedIn Headline Generator
Virtual Phone Numbers
Say No to AOL and Hotmail Addresses
Symbol Variations
Stop the Typos
SlideShare
Photographer Directory
Background Image Libraries
Online Image Apps
Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Get Noticed by Recruiters on LinkedIn
Make It Easy to Connect the Dots Quickly
Exhibit Personality and Show a Cultural Fit
Turn On Open to Job Opportunities
Say Cheese
Provide Your Contact Information
Connect to Them
Comment on Their Posts
Post, Comment, and Hashtag
Keep Your Profile Up to Date and Fresh
Invest in Your Future
Index
About the Author
Advertisement Page
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 10
TABLE 10-1 Career Template
Chapter 14
TABLE 14-1 List of Interesting Influencers
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1
FIGURE 1-1: A job search profile.
FIGURE 1-2: A sales and prospecting profile.
Chapter 2
FIGURE 2-1: The search drop-down list suggests results for you.
FIGURE 2-2: Search results for the keywords “Customer Success Manager.”
FIGURE 2-3: People search filters.
FIGURE 2-4: An optimized search result versus an unoptimized result.
FIGURE 2-5: Add text to WordArt.com to create a word cloud.
FIGURE 2-6: Here's what a word cloud looks like.
FIGURE 2-7: LinkedIn’s job postings provide skill suggestions.
FIGURE 2-8: Underline keywords in job descriptions.
FIGURE 2-9: Remember to write down your keywords!
FIGURE 2-10: Don’t overstuff your profile with keywords; use them strategically...
FIGURE 2-11: There is a clear structure to your LinkedIn network.
Chapter 3
FIGURE 3-1: The Skills & Endorsements section.
FIGURE 3-2: Where to add your skills.
FIGURE 3-3: Click the pencil icon to go into edit mode.
FIGURE 3-4: Drag and drop skills to arrange them in your desired order.
FIGURE 3-5: Click the Take Skill Quiz button to prove your knowledge.
FIGURE 3-6: Hiding an endorsement is as easy as switching it off.
FIGURE 3-7: Opt out of endorsements completely.
FIGURE 3-8: Endorsing a connection during a visit to her LinkedIn profile.
FIGURE 3-9: Order of recommenders by importance.
FIGURE 3-10: LinkedIn’s recommendation request form.
FIGURE 3-11: Removing a recommendation from your profile.
FIGURE 3-12: Providing a recommendation.
FIGURE 3-13: Filling out the recommendation form.
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4-1: A newsfeed notification of a job change.
FIGURE 4-2: Turning off update alerts.
FIGURE 4-3: Edit this section to stop competitors from showing up on your Linke...
FIGURE 4-4: Customize your public profile URL.
FIGURE 4-5: You can control how your profile appears outside of LinkedIn.
FIGURE 4-6: Click the pencil icon to edit your URL.
FIGURE 4-7: Using LinkedIn’s QR code to connect.
FIGURE 4-8: Scan my QR code and follow me on LinkedIn.
FIGURE 4-9: Your profile strength meter rates the effectiveness/robustness of y...
FIGURE 4-10: The “People you may know” section suggests profile connections.
FIGURE 4-11: To send a personal connection invitation, you need to go to that p...
FIGURE 4-12: Customizing your connection request.
Chapter 5
FIGURE 5-1: Editing your name.
FIGURE 5-2: Choosing your location.
FIGURE 5-3: Getting location and industry into edit mode.
FIGURE 5-4: Turning on Open to New Opportunities.
FIGURE 5-5: The Job Preferences dialog box.
FIGURE 5-6: Choosing your industry by scrolling through the drop-down list.
FIGURE 5-7: Sending feedback to LinkedIn.
FIGURE 5-8: The Contact Information section expanded on your desktop.
FIGURE 5-9: List of email addresses associated with your LinkedIn account.
FIGURE 5-10: An empty website section.
FIGURE 5-11: This is how an optimized website section appears in edit mode.
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6-1: A good headshot photographer knows how to market and promote you in...
FIGURE 6-2: A catch light makes the eyes in the right image pop more than those...
FIGURE 6-3: The good, the bad, and the ugly of photography studio backdrops. Le...
FIGURE 6-4: Resizing a profile picture in Microsoft Paint.
FIGURE 6-5: Uploading your new profile picture.
FIGURE 6-6: Changing the visibility options of your LinkedIn profile picture.
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7-1: The default headline versus an optimized headline.
FIGURE 7-2: The middle profile pops because of the symbols in the headline.
FIGURE 7-3: Here are the symbols you can copy and paste from my profile.
FIGURE 7-4: What happens when a symbol doesn’t display.
Chapter 8
FIGURE 8-1: Looking at just the background photo you immediately get an idea of...
FIGURE 8-2: An example of a gorgeous background image as inspiration.
Chapter 9
FIGURE 9-1: Enabling the Open Profile feature.
FIGURE 9-2: Enabling the Open for Business feature.
FIGURE 9-3: How Open for Business appears in a search results listing.
FIGURE 9-4: How Open for Business appears on the LinkedIn profile page.
FIGURE 9-5: Select the location you are interested in working.
FIGURE 9-6: How it looks when you show everyone your interest in new job opport...
Chapter 10
FIGURE 10-1: Experiences nested under one company name.
FIGURE 10-2: An example of how a recent graduate might combine summer positions...
Chapter 11
FIGURE 11-1: A completed experience.
FIGURE 11-2: Getting a company logo to show on your LinkedIn profile.
FIGURE 11-3: The company page shows how you are connected to a company’s employ...
FIGURE 11-4: Creating a company’s LinkedIn page.
FIGURE 11-5: Click the pencil icon to edit an experience.
FIGURE 11-6: Adding multimedia files.
FIGURE 11-7: Adding a description to a work sample media file.
Chapter 12
FIGURE 12-1: Getting into edit mode of your About section.
FIGURE 12-2: Use symbols to dress up your profile.
FIGURE 12-3: The hack that lets you format text in your LinkedIn profile.
FIGURE 12-4: Only format small sections of text.
Chapter 13
FIGURE 13-1: Adding educational background and experience information to the Ed...
FIGURE 13-2: Adding multimedia work samples to your education.
FIGURE 13-3: Reordering the schools in your Education section.
FIGURE 13-4: Changing how education is displayed on your profile’s intro card.
FIGURE 13-5: Adding a certificate to the Licenses & Certifications section.
FIGURE 13-6: A completed Volunteer section.
FIGURE 13-7: Add additional sections to your profile.
FIGURE 13-8: Adding an organization membership.
FIGURE 13-9: Adding a project to the Projects area.
FIGURE 13-10: Adding a book to the Publications section.
FIGURE 13-11: Adding a patent to the Patents section.
FIGURE 13-12: Adding a course to the Courses section.
FIGURE 13-13: Creating a profile in another language.
Chapter 14
FIGURE 14-1: The LinkedIn Groups you belong to appear near the bottom of your p...
FIGURE 14-2: A breakdown of the LinkedIn Groups you should join.
FIGURE 14-3: LinkedIn recommends groups you might be interested in.
FIGURE 14-4: Choosing from the filtered drop-down list.
FIGURE 14-5: Going through group search results.
FIGURE 14-6: Leaving a LinkedIn Group.
FIGURE 14-7: Stopping all those group emails from deluging your inbox.
FIGURE 14-8: Changing the visibility of group logos on your profile.
FIGURE 14-9: Connecting with an Influencer.
FIGURE 14-10: Following Influencers is as easy as clicking a plus ( + ) sign.
Chapter 15
FIGURE 15-1: The Articles & Activity section on your profile.
FIGURE 15-2: Improving your LinkedIn feed.
FIGURE 15-3: Listing of recommended hashtags.
FIGURE 15-4: The Start a Post text box.
FIGURE 15-5: Tagging a person in a post.
FIGURE 15-6: Comments and view information on the post.
FIGURE 15-7: LinkedIn Analytics page with View information.
FIGURE 15-8: Reacting to a post.
FIGURE 15-9: Publishing a long-form post.
Chapter 16
FIGURE 16-1: Viewing the public version of your profile.
FIGURE 16-2: How people not logged in to LinkedIn see your profile.
FIGURE 16-3: The Dashboard is where you see your profile’s stats.
FIGURE 16-4: Free and premium stats.
FIGURE 16-5: Benchmarking worksheet.
FIGURE 16-6: Toggle to Yes to share profile changes.
FIGURE 16-7: Creating a status update.
FIGURE 16-8: Messaging connections.
FIGURE 16-9: Add your LinkedIn profile URL to other social media channels.
FIGURE 16-10: Choose to be visible on LinkedIn!
FIGURE 16-11: How the premium badge displays.
FIGURE 16-12: Sales Navigator has a different look than LinkedIn.com.
Chapter 19
FIGURE 19-1: Import your address book to add additional contacts.
FIGURE 19-2: LinkedIn displays the profile matches based on email addresses in ...
FIGURE 19-3: LinkedIn displays the people who are not on LinkedIn that you can ...
FIGURE 19-4: Click Connect to send a personalized connection request.
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