Are you really on LinkedIn?

The potential is there but only if you use it. You put yourself up on LinkedIn because you heard it was the thing to do. But you really didn’t even complete your profile and you are not connecting in any big way. I understand. I did that too. In 2006. I had to grab resources, ask advice, and study how to maximize the power of LinkedIn.

You can see how connections work on LinkedIn through the illustration above. If you click on the map, you can make your own map with your LinkedIn profile connections. The connections become interactive in the real version and show exactly who is in your network.

Optimizing your LinkedIn Profile

I build my online (and real life) connections on many platforms and through many tools. But if you are starting with LinkedIn as a way to create a professional image for yourself, let’s do it right!

• Just listing that you worked somewhere and your title doesn’t impress anyone. Assuming you have an accomplishment driven resume, rework the wording so that it doesn’t sound like a clone and use some of that content to enhance your profile.
• Stop skipping the summary. Experts have said it is the most important part of your LinkedIn profile. Like the beginning of your resume which used to just start out with your current job years ago and now is optimized with value-added information to showcase why the reader should read on for more information, your LinkedIn summary has to showcase your professional value.
• Avoiding a photo because you think you can’t take a good one is not an excuse. Find a good photographer and that could easily be a family member with a digital camera.
• Add your resume if you are in a current job campaign. Box.net is the application that you can use to upload your resume in either Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF formats. You find Box.net in the applications section of LinkedIn. You permit the application for your profile and create a sign-in and password. Then you upload your resume. You can add other things of value via Box.net too such as a Critical Leadership Addendum or Project Profile or any other document that demonstrates your value. The uploads open just like any other document. It is just any easy way to share your resume.
• Use the new section feature to list specific skills or certifications. Again you might have to look for this when you edit your profile:

NEW Add sections to reflect achievements and experiences on your profile.

But you have options to add more information, such as skills and list your proficiency level: beginner, intermediate, advanced, or expert as well as the number of years you have in the skills:

Skills

• Professional Resume Writer (Expert, 20+ years experience)
• LinkedIn (Expert, 4 years experience)
• LinkedIn Profile Creation(Expert, 3 years experience)

How LinkedIn Optimization worked for me

I gained multiple clients through LinkedIn as well as great connections to resources and colleagues I value. How you choose to use LinkedIn is up to you but if you want it to work, you have to do some work to get your profile optimized. The networking begins when you use the tool correctly. You can view my LinkedIn profile from my sidebar.

Take the time to rethink your profile today. If you hate playing with applications and would rather have some help, there are many experts out there. I’m one of them. To learn more, go here.