Profiles
Overview
The first impression is often the most important.
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with 29 million+ members and growing rapidly. Your LinkedIn profile is discoverable through the millions of searches on search engines and on LinkedIn. You are in complete control over what others see on your profile, so leverage this to showcase your skills and talents so the right people and opportunities find you.
Your profile has two different views reachable through clickable tabs:
- View My Profile: see your profile as your network does
- Edit My Profile: edit the different elements of your profile
Clicking “Edit” next to these elements allows you to make the changes discussed below.
Snapshot
Your snapshot features an overview of your name, location, current title, past positions, education, recommendations, and links to your websites. Think of it as your next-generation business card.
When viewing other profiles, you will see a list of icons and options to the right of the snapshot.
- Send a message: Send a message to the user if you are connected, an inMail if you are not
- Add to your Nework: Adds the user to your network
- Recommend: Write a recommendation for your connection
- Forward profile: Have someone you know in common introduce you
- Get introduced: Write a recommendation for your connection
- Search for references: Search through the user’s companies for potential references
- One Click Reference: Conduct a quick reference check on the person that you are viewing
- Print: Prints out the profile you are currently viewing
- PDF: Saves a PDF Version of the profile that you are viewing
- Download vCard: Download your connections details into your address book
Status
Your status message allows you to share professional updates with your network. By displaying things like what you’re currently working on, and where you’re planning on traveling to, etc., you invite your network to help you with advice and recommendations. You can set your status message by clicking “What are you working on?” on the left column of every page, under your name and profile photo.
Photo
Your professional photo allows the people you’ve met and previously worked with to quickly identify you. Many people find it far easier to remember a face than a name— photos help bring that comfort to LinkedIn.
Click here to get started.
Public Profile
Your snapshot also includes a link to your “Public Profile” – the profile that will be shown to users not signed-in to LinkedIn that are searching for you via search engines like Google.
Click “Edit Public Profile settings” to control which parts your profile will be visible to search engine users. You can make your profile completely private (it will not come up with web searches), turn it on to full-view, or customize the display of individual elements.
You can also select a personalized “Vanity URL” for your public profile – giving you a custom web address for linking to and promoting your profile. Once you’ve chosen your URL, you can your profile by featuring it on business cards, email signatures, your blog etc.
Summary
Summarizing your professional experience and goals allows other users to quickly learn about your background and interests. This is your chance to provide an engaging 30-second description that highlights who you are and what you do— think of it as your personal elevator pitch.
The specialties field allows you to list your areas of expertise that will help potential employers and partners find you when they are looking for a specific skill-set or knowledge-base. Click here to start writing your summary.
Experience
Sorted in chronological order, your professional experience is displayed along with any recommendations you have received. Your position descriptions should briefly explain what the company does, and what your main responsibilities and accomplishments were. Use clear, succinct phrases here—and break them into digestible chunks so even on a quick-scan your accomplishments shine through.
While typically similar to what’s on your resume, you should be sensitive to financial numbers, launch plans, etc that your (previous) employer would consider confidential.
Education
Sorted in chronological order, your educational background is displayed along with associated activities and honors. Where and what you studied can provide a great insight into who you are and open up valuable connections to alumni, professors, and others with similar backgrounds.
Additional Information
The additional information profile element allows you to give users more insight into your professional qualifications by providing the following:
- Websites: link to a personal blog, company website, etc
- Interests: list the things that you enjoy doing, learning about, etc
- Groups and Associations: either list professional organizations or display badges of LinkedIn groups that you are a part of
- Honors and Awards
Recommendations
Recommendations help illustrate your achievements, project credibility, and show why people enjoy working with you.
Q&A
LinkedIn Answers allows you to showcase your knowledge and interests. Any questions and answers you post on LinkedIn will be displayed in your profile should you choose. Get started on LinkedIn Answers today.
Contact Settings
LinkedIn is committed to your privacy by making sure you only receive communications and opportunities that you desire.
What type of messages will you accept?
Choose Introductions and InMail if you’re open to receiving most kinds of relevant opportunities. Descriptions of InMails and Introductions are available by clicking here .
Only accepting Introductions means that when you are contacted about an opportunity, it will have to be approved and forwarded to you by a trusted connection.
Opportunity Preferences
Choose the kinds of opportunities you would like to be contacted by other members of LinkedIn about. For example, if you are not open to leaving your job or doing free-lance, you might uncheck Career opportunities, Consulting ventures, and Expertise requests, but leave the rest so you can get back in touch, find out about business deals, and be contacted by people who want to work with/for you.
Advice to users considering contacting you
Include comments on your availability, types of projects or opportunities that interest you, and what information you’d like see included in a request. To avoid unwanted contacts, do not include contact information, since your response will be visible to your entire network. Details of what fellow LinkedIn users and non-LinkedIn users can see along with how you can control this is found in the Privacy Settings