Series 4 of 11

Describing Who You Are: Your LinkedIn Summary

 Create a dynamic and accurate summary statement. The summary statement of

your LinkedIn account is similar to the "Profile" section of your resume. It should
succinctly and confidently highlight your qualifications as well as broad goals. Use
short paragraphs to make your summary statement easily readable.
 Share your expertise. Use relevant keywords in the "Specialties" field of your
profile to improve ways people find you on LinkedIn. Include your abilities, special
interests, and personal values you bring to your professional performance. If you're
passionate about certain social issues, you may even choose to note them here.
 Enrich your profile with applications. Through the various applications integrated
with LinkedIn, you can let others know about the professional books you're reading,
integrate your Word Press blog with your LinkedIn account, and even present
PowerPoint slideshows.
 Describe your experience. According to the LinkedIn Help pages, it's best not to
copy and paste your resume when filling out the "Experience" section of your profile.
Remember that LinkedIn is meant also for networking, not necessarily for job-
hunting site. Go beyond what's in your resume and introduce yourself and talk about
your experience and abilities as you would to someone you just met at a networking
event.
 Show off your education. In addition to including all institutions you've attended,
mention any majors and minors you have. It's perfectly appropriate to include study
abroad programs and summer institutes. If you have a strong GPA (more than 3.5),
include that information as well. Don't forget about any honors or awards you've won
and activities you've been involved with around campus.
 Set yourself apart from the crowd by filling out the "Additional Information"
section of your profile:
 Mention any key interests you have.
 Add up to three websites that showcase your abilities or passions. This is a good
section to include a link to your blog or portfolio. Also, edit the default 'My
Website' label to provide more information about where your guests are being
redirected.
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 Include your Twitter information if you're comfortable adding this information.

 List any trade associations or interest groups you currently belong to.
 Mention any awards recognized by peers, customers or employers.
 Join groups on LinkedIn - their logos will automatically be included in this section
of your profile.
 Including contact information. The "Personal Information" section of your profile
is the appropriate place to include your phone number, instant messaging accounts,
address, birthday, and marital status. Just a note about privacy: this section
will not appear on your public profile, according to the LinkedIn help page about the
"Personal Information" section; the information only appears for your connections.

Stay tuned for next week’s information on “Who to Follow?”

Reference:

 Creating an Effective LinkedIn Profile. kjc11, Apr. 08, 2012.

http://www.sfu.ca/olc/stories/topic/creating-effective-linkedin-profile