The Second Chapter of this great “how to” book is called Create your Best Profile. Some good advice indeed, especially when you consider the fact that our economy everyday is becoming more virtual. So, what this means is that the way people initially experience you and your professional presence is via the Internet.

The first major suggestion of Brad and Deb is that you not complete your LinkedIn profile down to including personal details. Keep it professional as possible. OK, if you want to share a few personal things, that seems alright. However, keep your readers’ eyes on your professional image and what you have to offer.

Regarding the photo you include with your profile, it should be “friendly and professional”, and the authors cite a good friend of theirs as an example (David Becker, p.32). This positive image will stick in your mind and when you really need someone with specific professional skills, then you will be able to remember the person at LinkedIn because the profile included both solid professional information and a quality photo.

You Need 100 Percent. As you complete a LinkedIn profile, there is a status and percentage of completion bar that appears that lets you know if your profile is really complete (according to LinkedIn standards). So, be patient, and follow the suggestions that LinkedIn sends your way. Eventually you will get to 100% profile completion status. Endeavor to get a few recommendations; try to connect with other friends and colleagues who have a profile at LinkedIn.

At the end of this chapter, the authors give an example of someone who actually got a job on LinkedIn. Office Manager Cher Lon Malik “wasn’t even looking for a job when her current job found her on LinkedIn (p. 53).” Now that is what I call great luck and great fortune! So, make sure you spend some time considering the details of this chapter because it really focuses on helping you complete your profile at LinkedIn so that you achieve not only 100% completion status, but you also truly have a profile that will encourage others to read and learn more about you.

All The Best,

Keith Johnson, M.S. Education
Technical Writer & Documentation Specialist
My Profile on LinkedIn

Brad and Deb Online
Pinny Cohen Online