Linkedin: The Power of Three

BLOGGER'S NOTE:  It took great restraint not to write about the time two friends and I met LL Cool J, and he smiled with those trademark dimples and called us a "triple threat."


We've heard time and time again that good or bad, religious or superstitious, things come in threes - little pigs, traffic lights, celebrity deaths, past/present/future, amigos, Powerpuff Girls, stop/drop/roll, BLT, Jack/Krissy/Janet, the Hanson Brothers...  Need I go on?  Well, the Linkedin profile is no different - summary/professional experience/recommendations. If one of these components is missing or not adequately completed, an employer will likely pass up even the most qualified candidate.  In this post, I will review each component and outline the essential information needed for job seekers to stand out.  First up, the summary.

SUMMARY
Like the resume's professional statement, The Linkedin summary is an important top of profile opportunity to immediately capture an employer's attention.  Written in first person, it also is a creative and conversational platform for a job seeker to tell their professional story by highlighting what differentiates them from others in their industry.  As an example, I've included my summary below: 

"Marketing knowledge, relationship skills, and passion are what make me a well respected and successful Twin Cities recruiter.  With an extensive background in marketing and advertising, I consider myself a multi dimensional professional matchmaker who represents category leading clients and top marketing professionals.  

My recruiting experience not only spans industry verticals (energy, retail, CPG, banking, and manufacturing), but geographical boundaries (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Charlotte, New York, Denver and Minneapolis).  

Through my Resume RANTS blog, http://gstanford.blogspot.com, I provide job seekers the tools and advice needed to get better search results, successfully network, and feel more confident about interviews.  I also rescue resumes."

The mistake so many professionals, even those not job searching, make is leaving the summary blank.  DO NOT DO THIS! Bypassing the summary section is the equivalent of a business owner turning down free and highly visible online advertising.  For a job seeker, it's a missed opportunity to further substantiate their professional credentials and why a hiring manager should consider them.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, keywords are critical in both a resume and Linkedin profile, specifically the summary.  These keywords, however, need to be used correctly. Linkedin Marketing Consultant Yoon Cannon
advises to "avoid sounding like you are keyword stuffing."  This means a summary should maintain a conversational flow, not accommodate a succession of keywords.  According to Linkedin, the top ten overused keywords/terms in the U.S., and those I most often see, are: strategic, creative, effective, patient, expert (my least favorite), organizational, problem solver, driven, innovative and analytical.  To demonstrate "stuffing," I've freestyled the summary below:

I am a strategic and creative problem solver, with strong communication and organizational project management skills.  As a patient expert, I effectively and analytically bring innovative ideas and solutions to the workplace and drive results.

The more effective and correct way to use keywords is to create a "specialties" paragraph within the profile summary. Though I'm sure there are some words/terms I've missing, below is my specialties paragraph.  In my profile summary, I've included it directly after the conversational paragraphs above.  

"Specialties:  marketing, recruiter, marketing recruiter, online marketing, online marketing recruiter, content marketing, content marketing recruiter, digital media recruiter, interactive marketing recruiter, marketing consultant, brand marketing, marketing communications recruiter, marketing communications, web content, content marketing, content marketing recruiting, social media, social media marketing, web analytics, project management, advertising, account management, retail promotions, data analytics, digital marketing, blogger, resume rants"

On the whole, the Linkedin profile is less specific than the resume and includes result pertaining to professional industry.  In my summary, I don't focus on number or percentage results.  I, however, do showcase the breadth and depth (Don't know what this means?  Read my post on B&D.) of my experience when I say:

"My recruiting experience not only spans industry verticals (energy, retail, CPG, banking, and manufacturing), but geographical boundaries (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Charlotte, New York, Denver and Minneapolis)."

A great way to conclude a profile summary is with an actionable next step.  In my summary, the actionable next step is implied. Directly stated, it might look like this:

"If you're looking for resume advice or a rescue, contact me at gretchenstanford12@gmail.com or gstanford.blogspot.com."
  
As above, job seekers or professionals offering a specific service should provide a way to reach out, as those not in their network, will not have access to contact information.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 
To some extent, it's true that the Linkedin profile's professional experience section serves as an online resume. Though it shouldn't mirror its paper counterpart, it's a great place to start. Where a resume highlights results-oriented accomplishments in a concise way, the professional experience section provides an unabridged outline of career history - experience, qualifications, and skills.  It also provides a broader picture of a job seeker's industry background while injecting personality that the resume does not.  With 2,000 characters available for each job, descriptive titles, industry specific promotions, personal strengths, job duties, and of course those ever important keywords should be included in the professional experience section. 

RECOMMENDATIONS
In my opinion, the recommendations section is thee most influential in the Linkedin profile, as I've found that professional endorsements often are the final determinant of a job seeker getting a job.  A story I shared in my last post remains germane and bares repeating.  A few months ago, I submitted two candidates for the same role.  Though the hiring manager thought the candidate without profile recommendations was the better fit, she chose the candidate whose profile included several.

The recommendations a job seeker shares in their profile should come from those they've worked closest to.  This could include a coworker, vendor, external or internal client, or most importantly, a manager.  A manager's recommendation generally carries significant weight, as they most often are responsible for ensuring that an employee meets company expectations and goals.

Though there isn't a magical number of recommendations a job seeker should include in their summary, I suggest at least three (how fitting) that decisively demonstrate abilities, skills, and successes.

Keep in mind, not every recommendation is a good one.  Job seekers should chose a reference who is capable of articulately attesting to their experience and successes.  The more convincing, the better a job seeker's chances.

One of the easiest ways to get a recommendation is to give one.  Offering to write a recommendation in exchange for one usually is the motivation needed to get timely results.  And since a blank page, or mind, can be intimidating, a job seeker should suggest areas of focus (projects, abilities, skills, professional demeanor) and even provide examples.

Below is a great Resume RANTS recommendation I recently received:

"Resume RANTS provides relevant, easy-to-implement resume and marketing career advice in a fun dialogue with a refreshing insider approach to the market.  Resume RANTS is now my go-to blog for revamping my resume and staying afresh on the latest career advice.  Thanks for rescuing my resume (and helping me realize it needed to be rescued in the first place)!"

While editing a Linkedin profile summary to accommodate these great suggestions, a job seeker should not forget to turn off their broadcast activity.  By doing this, they won't be announcing to the world, including their boss and coworkers, that they're updating their profile (and possibly looking for a new job).  To turn off the broadcast activity, follow these steps:  Go to "Setting", turn off activity broadcast, uncheck box, "Save"

OTHER PROFILE TIPS

• Complete a profile - I can't emphasis how important this is
• Add a head shot - No pets, kids or significant others
• Make profile public - after all changes are made, publish the profile so it can be seen by employers
• Additional information section - include links to a professional blog, portfolio, business or other stand out information that will pique the interest of those looking to hire
• PROOF READ, PROOF READ, PROOF READ!