How to Dramatically Improve Your LinkedIn Profile, e.g, Your Brand!

Steve Jobs’ mantra when I worked at Apple was “Make it insanely great.”

A strong vision is critical to success, and so is excellent branding. A constant in Apple’s growth has been its visual brand presence. Who doesn’t recognize Apple’s apple? A thousand words and impressions encapsulated in a graphic.

Good marketing communications and clear branding never go out of style.

Job seekers have two public main avenues in their personal branding campaign: Resume and LinkedIn. Most people know they should work on their resume. It is astonishing, however, how many people have a less-than-stellar LinkedIn Profile. Often, the profile appears as if it were an afterthought, or a DIY project in a half-finished state.

Your mission, and you should accept this one in today’s networked world, is to make your LinkedIn Profile an interesting and compelling snapshot of what you do and who you are as a professional.

Your Profile on LinkedIn is your statement about your brand. You are introducing yourself to the world – literally. LinkedIn is where recruiters, both internal and external, will find you; where future hiring managers and collaborators will seek you out; where colleagues and old friends will come to look you up.

 Here are some steps to guide you to a shiny, crisp, professional LinkedIn profile.

Start with a great picture. Business formal or semi-formal. Casual clothes, sexy attire, ball caps, an SO or date barely trimmed out of the picture, pets, kids, the hot sports car that you posed in front of in Vegas…none of this belongs in your LinkedIn picture.

• You don’t have to have a stiff picture where you are up against a white wall, but the background should be free of any unintended signals. A nice portrait taken in your office or outdoors will work fine.

• Your smile and the sparkle in your eye are key. A current picture is also essential. This is especially true for job-seekers. There should be no surprises when people meet you.

• What about no picture? The problem is that everyone who looks at your profile will be thinking “Why no picture?” Put that thought process to bed immediately. There are times to go incognito but this is not one of them. Get a flattering picture. No excuses!

Exploit the Summary section. Create an interesting and vivid snapshot of your career. You can talk about a current hot project or two. You can also add aspects of your volunteer work, professional outreach, or personal pursuits that are relevant to your professional life. Personal hobbies that are unrelated to your job, however, need consideration before you slap them onto your profile.

• Personal hobbies that are unrelated to your job, however, need consideration before you include them on your profile. Think about what employers might infer about you from your passions. Are they enhancing your professionalism? If not, leave them off.

• Important to note: If at one point you were looking for a job and identified that in your summary section, be sure to update your Summary and Employer when you land your next role.

 List your jobs and titles for each employer and interesting content. You are aiming to call out the coolest aspects of your work, important contributions, and any awards you may have won for your work.

• You are not putting up all your resume content. You are carefully curating important highlights that are relevant to where your career is now and where you are going. Two to three jobs back, you might just want the employer and title, particularly if you are steering your career in a different direction now. The focus should always be on presenting who you are now and driving towards where you would like to go.

Get recommendations from former bosses and colleagues. A lot of hiring managers and recruiters will gloss over your picture, but they will really pay attention to the recommendations. A pattern of strong recommendations signals your track record of excellent performance and rapport with your past employers.

Choose your skills. You don’t have to tick off every skill box. Be strategic. What are the hottest skills you have to offer? Edit the list as your career develops and your skills evolve. Critical: Like everything else you put on your LinkedIn Profile, truth rules. No fudging, not even a teeny bit.

Join groups relevant to your career discipline. Join groups that are relevant for your future career plans. These signal that you are active and interested in what you do and in your career and the broader community of IT audit and IT GRC professionals.

• Nifty tip: With group membership you can send InMail to a group member easily. You don’t have to have be personally connected.

List your speaking and writing accomplishments. If you have authored white papers or presentations that showcase your knowledge and expertise, LinkedIn now offers the option of linking those to your profile. Attach them to your profile to let them do the heavy-lifting in signaling your expertise to a broader audience. Offering up your materials also lets people know that you are someone who shares knowledge. A thought leader. An important attribute of high-performers and world-class teams!

Show you care. If you are involved in volunteering or community outreach or serve on a not-for-profit board, these are all great items that paint a more complete picture of the multifaceted and dynamic professional you are.

 As your career develops, make it part of your overall career housekeeping and strategic plan to keep your Linked Profile fresh. Someone once said “Gardens, like money in the bank, accumulate interest as they grow.” LinkedIn is a lot like that. An insanely great profile can lead to opportunities you never even dreamed of!