LinkedIn How to: LiveGirl’s guide to a successful LinkedIn profile

by Kirstyn Boudreau, LiveGirl Intern '19, Manhattanville College '19

Whether or not you are on the lookout for jobs, internships, networking your business, or organization, having a professional, distinctive LinkedIn profile is an important way for you to market yourself and be found by the right professionals and right people. 

Creating a successful LinkedIn profile, here are some of the important profile essentials you should follow to make sure your LinkedIn profile is as professional and distinctive as possible. 

Begin with choosing a professional-looking photo: Tips for Picking the Right LinkedIn Profile Picture

• LinkedIn suggests users use a professional headshot with your face taking up 60% of the frame. 

• Size: 400 (Width) x 400 (Height) pixels 

• Dress professionally: LinkedIn is a professional career and business platform, make sure that your photo depicts you in a professional manner. 

• Professional dress shirt and tie for men 

• A professional dress, blazer or blouse for women

• Suit for any gender 

Avoid:

Strapless tops, dresses, or anything too revealing.

Too much makeup, jewelry, and unprofessional hairstyles. 

 Here is an example of a professional headshot image for a LinkedIn profile 

Cover Photo 

Your cover photo should be eye-catching and contribute to your professional story. A cover photo shows you pay attention to detail.

Size: 1584 x 396 pixels

• Image that represents what you do or an image that speaks to you.

• Branded image that matches your company’s marketing collateral. 

• Image that could be a nod to your location.

• Example: Phyton Talent Advisors, the skyline of New York City

Make your headline eye-catching: 

LinkedIn profile headlines include your job title and current company, but you can change it to make your profile fit the audience you are reaching for. Include keywords that will make your profile stand out while still keeping it simple. Having a headline that speaks about your brand, expertise, and your abilities tells about who are as a professional. 

If you are seeking a job or an internship use your headline to make the announcement. 

Example of a good headline: Job Seekers

Recruitment Consultant at Phyton Talent Advisors

 Example of a good headline: Students

 Seeking Positions in Athletic Communications, Communications, Social Media.

 Summary Field with your biggest achievements: 

Your LinkedIn summary is your unique way to introduce yourself on your profile. This is one of the first things people will get the chance to see when they visit your profile. You make want to include a catchy opening statement. The summary field should be used to include optimized keywords, job titles, and achievements that you want hiring managers to know about you.

Keep your Summary readable with bullet points or short paragraphs.

Experience and Education: 

• Detail your professional experience: 

• Link the company name to their LinkedIn Company Page 

• Add images, documents, or links. This is a great tool to use to create a visual portfolio of your experiences. 

 Keep it relevant: 

• You do not need to list every job experience, but instead keep it relevant to your current career goals. 

 Volunteer Work:

Give background to the type of person you want people to know you as.

Make sure to include these types of experiences as a part of your LinkedIn profile. 

Education:

Detail your educational background

Outline courses, activities, and clubs/societies you are a part of that will make you stand out. 

Remember: KEYWORDS 

Skills and Endorsements: 

This is the place to put all unique and interesting skills you have that will make you stand out as an individual. 

This is also where you can include Languages you speak. 

Creating Connections

Creating connections on LinkedIn is an important tool to build your network. Building your network is a great way for you to stay in touch with alumni, and colleagues, as well as connect you with new, professional opportunities and experiences. 

You can ask someone to join your professional network by sending them an invitation to connect. LinkedIn has a default message when you invite someone to connect that reads, “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.” Instead, personalize the message with a few key details on why you would like to connect with them. 

Connect by: 

A member's profile - Click the Connect button on their profile page.

 The search results page - Click Connect to the right of the member's information.

 The Grow Your Network page - Search your email address book to find contacts or invite them using their email address.

 The My Network page - If you have any pending invitations, they will be displayed near the top of the page.

 The "People You May Know" feature – connections from a member will appear as suggested people for you to connect with. 

 LinkedIn is a way for you to reach out to job recruiters, colleagues, internship opportunities as well as new, professional opportunities, and experiences. 

Endorsements: This is a way for someone to endorse the skills and expertise that others believe you have. When a connection endorses your skills, it contributes to the strength of your profile. This increases the likelihood that your profile will be discovered for opportunities related to your skills. 

Endorsing your connections’ skills is also a way to recognize any professional skills that you’ve seen them demonstrate. Endorsing others such as colleagues can help you to maintain strong connections with people in your network. 

Recommendations:

This is a great tool to have past colleagues, managers, etc. to write recommendations for you to make you stand out. 

 LinkedIn is an important networking platform that offers many benefits. It is a great way for connecting with professionals. It is also a platform for you to promote yourself as a professional. You can use this platform to advertise your skills and build credibility as a professional. This guide is going to be a useful way for you to create a successful LinkedIn profile that will help you market yourself in a professional way. Use this guide as a reference to help build your profile to be eye-catching while still being professional. REMEMBER be yourself, represent who you are.

Online Resources:

by LiveGirl intern, Amanda de Lauzon

Tips and Articles:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jmaureenhenderson/2017/06/30/when-it-comes-to-internships-connections-matter-most/#40d463322eed

https://studentaffairs.duke.edu/blog/building-skills-and-exploring-careers-online

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/internships-4161879

https://www.youtern.com/thesavvyintern/index.php/tag/intern-advice/

https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/internship-guide/

https://indianexpress.com/article/jobs/hacks-to-pick-right-internship-and-translate-it-to-a-job-6355037/

Resume Advice: 

https://www.themuse.com/advice/10-resume-resources-thatll-make-it-almost-impossible-for-a-hiring-manager-to-pass

https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/resume-writing-help

https://www.livecareer.com/resources/resumes/basics/resume-resources

Current Events:

https://inews.co.uk/culture/books/alexa-shoen-career-coach-entry-level-boss-book-coronavirus-lockdown-2643443

https://theconversation.com/how-to-score-an-internship-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-136697

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/it-comes-down-to-will-and-creativity-coronavirus-is-upending-summer-internships-how-to-land-an-online-job-2020-04-23

https://www.mic.com/p/how-to-find-internship-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-22844698

https://thriveglobal.com/stories/7-tips-to-transform-a-cancelled-summer-internship-due-to-coronavirus-into-a-career-building-opportunity/

Quick Tips For Cleaning Up Social Media

by LiveGirl intern, Amanda de Lauzon

When looking for an internship or job social media can play a bigger part than you think. You want to show the best parts of yourself on social media since that is what the company will see first. Think about if you were the employer, what would you like and not like to see on a prospective hire’s social media accounts? Think about who you are as of today and make sure all posts and accounts match with that.

So, let’s start with a first impression: Google yourself!

See what an employer’s first impression of you would be if they were to type your name into google. Does it show your interests, your talents, the parts you are most proud of yourself for?

 So now let’s break it down to what you should and shouldn’t do on social media: 

·      Make accounts private and also delete any pictures you feel don’t represent you in the best possible way. 

·      Show your talents as well as your interests but not anything you wouldn’t feel excited and proud to talk about with an employer. 

·      No pictures holding drinks that could be perceived as alcohol. 

·      Make sure to always be dressed appropriately, if you are questioning the outfit you probably shouldn’t be posting it.

·      Don’t use profanity and avoid arguing with others on social media.

·      Always be respectful of other people’s views and opinions online.

·      Keep in mind that anything you post on TikTok (and other platforms) will be seen by a future employer before meeting you. 

·      Only post things on TikTok (and other platforms) that you feel are lighthearted and can’t be taken negatively.

·      Political and religious views and morals are better left off of social media. 

You want the company to see you as the most talented and professional version of you. So be sure that anything you post matches up with that. Show the world the parts of your life that you would like to talk about in an interview or with an employer because while you have a professional resume of your skills and experience you also have an online resume of all your accounts and posts. Be mindful always of how you represent yourself.

Dressing Professionally

by LiveGirl intern, Amanda de Lauzon

Making sure to dress professionally in the workplace can be difficult. So, we compiled a list of some tips and examples for you to look at when beginning your internship.

We want you to look and feel your best!

Some Advice:

• It’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed. Especially on your first day. So for this, that means lean toward business professional rather than business casual if you aren't sure.

• Be sure to read the employee handbook when starting for any specific instructions.

• The night before your first day, lay out your outfit. Select clean, wrinkle-free clothing in neutral colors. 

• Avoid anything that’s too baggy, tight, or revealing. A good rule of thumb is to avoid extremes in terms of clothing and accessories.

• Ask your location what the dress code is.  It can vary widely from office to office.  

• Still having trouble?  This about what you might wear to a religious occasion or for a holiday celebration with your family.

Business casual

• Blouses

• button-down shirts

• Trousers

• Khakis

• blazers 

• sweaters.

Business professional

• Dresses

• Skirts

• Slacks

• button-down shirts

• blouses with a blazer

• loafers or tidy flats

When shopping here are some basics to get you started:

• A good pair of dress pants 

• Flats 

• A black blazer

• A sweater in a neutral tone

• A blouse

Think of this as a first impression. We want to be taken seriously while looking and feeling professional.

Tips for Emailing Professionally

by LiveGirl intern, Amanda de Lauzon

Making An Email Account:

• Pick a platform that sounds professional. Gmail or Outlook are some options commonly used. 

• Use a simple email name such as your first + last name or Last name + first initial.

• Make sure that if you have a picture attached to your email it is professional.  You can always be safe and pick a default image or have no image.

Writing A Professional Email:

• In most email writing situations, you’ll want to include a quick greeting to acknowledge the reader before diving into your main message or request.

•  It is best to address your recipient by his or her title, such as Dear Mr., Ms. or Professor. You can do some internet research on them if you aren't sure.

•  A concise and specific subject line will help your reader know exactly what to expect.

• The body of an email is the meat of your message, and it must have a clear and specific purpose. For emails that require more length and detail, keep it as focused as you can. 

• Be sure to thank someone for his or her time and help. End your email with a “thank you” or “best” and your full name.

 Email Signature:

• Include essential information such as your name, major, school, and expected graduation year.

• Limit your signature to 3 or 5 lines. 

• Include any positions or organizations you are part of. What are you proud to be a part of? 

• Contact information.

This is my signature as an example:

Best,

Amanda de Lauzon

Sacred Heart University ‘20

Communications and Media Arts major

Journalism and film minor

Spectrum Features Editor

Alpha Delta Pi

Online Resources:

• How to make a signature: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/8395?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en

• Signature builder: https://mysignature.io

• https://thescholarshipsystem.com/blog-for-students-families/how-to-write-a-professional-email-a-guide-for-students/

• https://blog.collegevine.com/a-comprehensive-guide-to-email-etiquette-for-high-schoolers/

 So let’s get started so when you are emailing potential employers for internships or information you come across professional and precise.