Foundation: Exploring My Community - Social Media Guide

Setup 

Add a Photo

• Professional, high resolution photo.
• Smile and look towards the camera (audience).
• No sunglasses, partners, pets, or selfies.
• Dress professionally (in alignment with your industry).
• Neutral backdrop.
• A photo is one of the most important elements, it is commonly known that people are more likely to accept connection invitations with profile photos.

Upload a Banner

Choose a banner image/cover photo that complements your headshot and your profession or industry, e.g., for a policy analyst in the field of health care, the banner could have an image of stats, or choose an image of the location you live in.

Headline and Bio

Personalize your Headline. Headlines are a key branding opportunity, which can include your unique qualities, how you add value, how you solve problems in your field, and/or industry keywords (recruiters use keywords to search for potential candidates).

• Write your headline in first person point of view.
• Be authentic.

Summary and About Section

Summaries can include a professional overview, your philosophy about how you work (why you do what you do), your competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes), your motivations, and aim for results oriented statements.

Experience and Education Sections

• Add your professional experience (including, e.g., paid employment, co-op, internships).
• Strive to add accomplishment statements.
• Do not copy and paste your resume.

URL

Did you know that you can customize your URL - a unique web address so that people can find you easily? 

The format is typically www.linkedin.com/in/yourname. You can find out more information in the Linkedin help article, Customize Your Public Profile URL.