People have written entire books on LinkedIn so there’s clearly a huge amount of advice to bear in mind. However, for the purposes of this course, we’ll keep it short and to the point. The most important thing to bear in mind is that your LinkedIn profile is public and accessible 24/7 from all over the world. In that sense, having a LinkedIn profile is a little like sending out your CV to everyone in your network – and everyone outside of your network - every second of every day. It is also becoming increasingly common for interviewers to have a quick skim of candidates’ LinkedIn profiles before an interview and for supervisors to have a cheeky skim before you start an internship or graduate role.

With this in mind, ask yourself the following: would you send your CV to everyone you know – and future interviewers and supervisors - without first ensuring it’s up-to-date, it’s accurate and it positively reflects your abilities and experiences? The right answer, of course, is “no”, but many people don’t think about LinkedIn in the same way. However they (and you) really should. In short, LinkedIn should reflect what you’ve done, what you’re currently doing, what you’re good at and what you’re looking for. It should highlight all your relevant experiences and draw out your key skills and achievements. Just like a CV. 

The first impression

For starters, make sure that your LinkedIn profile is free from spelling and grammatical errors and ensure that your photograph is recent and professional (no photos from Ayia Napa 2019, this isn’t Facebook!). Remember, for people you haven’t met before, your profile will provide their first impression of you. Your LinkedIn headline and job title should succinctly capture what you’re currently doing and, if you’re a student, what you’re currently looking for (e.g. “I’m a second year Chemistry student looking for investment banking opportunities”). However, as you progress in your career, you might shift the focus slightly to outline your particular specialism (e.g. “I’m a management consultant with a focus on the technology sector”).

Skills and experiences

You should get in the habit of adding every new experience that you complete, as soon as you complete it. If you have attended a virtual internship or an office visit, stick it on there, including the firm name(s), what you did and what you got out of it. Include your positions of responsibility (including roles on university society executive committees) and feel free to throw in a few interests and extracurricular activities to show that you’re a well-rounded individual.

Properly articulate your relevant skills and experiences. People may judge you based solely on your LinkedIn page, so only having these on a CV might not be that helpful, plus  you may be judged on your writing style as much as the quality of your prior endeavours. Adding photos or hyperlinks can help to support the statements you make. For example, if you talk about your public speaking experience, why not evidence it with a photo of you speaking in front of a crowd. If you talk about your creative skills, perhaps share a link to (or upload) a portfolio of your work. If you write blogs or commercial awareness updates, link to some of your writing examples. This can all help to add some credibility and authenticity to your profile, whilst also enabling you to stand out. 

Media and hyperlinks

Consider publishing content to show off your knowledge, expertise and interests. The initiative and drive that this requires might impress recruiters and interviews, plus the content itself could help you to attract contributors, mentors and a range of other exciting opportunities.