IMG Article; Rock Your Profile IMG Event Insights
Written by Julia Siiatski
Insider Media Group recently hosted a Rock Your Profile workshop where the Head of Marketing of LinkedIn, Jonathan Li, provided significant insight into crafting an effective LinkedIn Profile, networking on LinkedIn, and the benefits of LinkedIn Learning.
Through the Rock Your Profile workshop, I was able to gain a better sense of what employers are looking for in a LinkedIn profile and subsequently felt more equipped to craft my profile keeping their expectations in mind. This is something I greatly struggled with in first year and I’m sure many can relate, especially those preparing for recruitment season in their respective industries. Thus, gaining perspective from Jonathan Li was an eye-opening experience for myself and everyone else who attended the event. For those of you who were unable to attend, I hope the key learnings from this event that I highlight below will provide some direction in building your LinkedIn profile if you aren’t sure where to start with LinkedIn or are looking to upgrade an existing profile.
Jonathan started the workshop by describing both his experience at Schulich as an undergrad and his creative approach in his own hiring process. Specifically, he showed how he used his cover letter to differentiate himself from other candidates during the application process. The cover letter was in the style of a comic strip and described his experiences thus far in a humorous, innovative way. This cover letter showcased how his previous experiences led him to his current career position while exemplifying his creative and graphic-design skills. Presenting a cover letter in the aforementioned manner was advantageous to him since he attributed landing the job that subsequently launched the rest of his career to differentiating himself in this way.
He then briefly described the benefits of using LinkedIn, such as becoming connected with prospective employers, staying informed about industry news and using it as a platform to build your career. Following this description, he transitioned into speaking about steps that should be taken when building an effective LinkedIn profile.
#1) Start with adding a photo.
This piece of advice could seem quite intuitive; however, I was surprised to find the extent to which adding a profile picture increases engagement. Namely, profiles with pictures get 21 times more profile views than those without.
What picture should be used?
Jonathan stressed that LinkedIn is a professional setting, and one should be cognizant of the audience they expect (potential employers, mentors, peers). In addition, one should be aware of the field you work in or are applying for and respectively use this information to choose an image.
Generally, one should strive to emulate professionalism in their profile, as LinkedIn is a platform intended to connect professionals. To do so, you could consider wearing business attire, and having a professional-looking background which is blurred so that you are the focal point of the picture. In addition, he mentioned that having a background that is too plain might resemble a passport photo, so an image with some blurred scenery in the background could be the most effective composition.
Step #2) Add your education.
When adding education, Jonathan asserted that it is always useful to add points that make you stand out or exemplify a skill unique to you. An example would be to add the position that you placed in a case competition, an executive position in a club, and any academic awards or honours. These aspects are what make you stand out to prospective employers and highlight key traits, such as well-roundedness, your interests, or your ability to manage time effectively.
Step #3) Add your work experience.
Similar to adding a profile picture, writing down your work experience significantly boosts profile engagement. This could be observed through the likelihood of receiving a message, increasing tenfold with work experience, and which may encompass potential jobs or internships. For the description of your work experiences, it is beneficial to outline what you were responsible for and what you were able to achieve in the position. Quantifying the results is also effective in conveying your contribution in the position. However, the description should be kept brief, saving the details for when you interview with recruiters.
An insight I was not previously aware of that Jonathan offered was that it is effective to use a visual element to make your profile more memorable. Adding photos also introduces a factor of credibility. Relevant examples could include a picture of when you won an award and links to projects you’ve worked on.
Step #4) Add your volunteer experience.
Volunteer experiences are valued by managers. However, if you do not possess any volunteer experience, you could showcase personal passions through your interests (following relevant parties on LinkedIn) or other accomplishments (awards, courses, honours).
Additionally, if you lack volunteer experience but want to signal your interest in a certain field to a prospective employer, it is never too late to start. For example, if you wanted to demonstrate your marketing skills, you could approach a charity and volunteer to run their social media accounts. Not only would this most likely be appreciated, it can result in growing the skills that are transferable to your future career.
Step #5) Add your skills.
Adding skills could also be a profile differentiator, as profiles featuring skills receive up to 17 times more profile views than those without. In deciding which skills to add, consider those gained through your prior work or volunteering experiences. Although technical skills are valuable, soft-skills are also sought after with the most in-demand soft skills being creativity, persuasion, collaboration, and time management. Having your skills endorsed by people you have worked with previously could also provide further credibility to your profile.
Step #6) Draft a summary.
This is one of the most important parts of your profile because it contributes to the first impression your profile creates on your audience. The summary should act as an elevator pitch, or namely, what makes you special and differentiates you from other candidates on LinkedIn. It should highlight your motivations, personality, aspirations, and accomplishments. More specifically, you should reflect on what you could offer to the company and strive to keep the word limit below 100 words for this section.
Networking
Arguably, networking is one of the most important activities LinkedIn is able to facilitate; being able to create connections with prospective employers and people in your target industry could prove to be invaluable in finding a job. Jonathan also offered significant insight into effective networking - specifically to start early, nurture your current network and build a board of advisors.
Step #1) Start early.
Jonathan outlined how people often start networking too late, such as just prior to a job interview or application. In this case the networking efforts could be perceived as transactional (i.e. an exchange of services that serves no further purpose after it is complete, such as, asking for a job) by those whom you are networking with, which may not create a great impression.
Instead, he suggested to shift your approach and view of networking beyond finding a job. An approach he recommended was to network based on the curiosity to learn about others. Potential job opportunities could then result through the meaningful connections built by employing this approach.
Step #2) Nurture your current network.
Connections with existing professors, mentors or co-workers should be maintained, as these relationships are valuable both from a mentorship perspective and an employment perspective.
Step #3) Build a board of advisors.
The board of advisors should encompass people you could rely on for advice. Ideally, there should be people in three roles: the advocate, the strategic “in” and the subject matter expert.
The advocate should be a friend or a family member whom you trust and could bounce ideas off of. The strategic “in” is someone who is well-connected and would be willing to make connections on your behalf or refer you to someone else in a field you have expressed interest in. Finally, the subject matter expert should be someone who is able to offer both insight into an industry and an unbiased opinion on questions you may have about a certain industry.
Questions
Subsequently, attendees were given the opportunity to ask relevant questions about the content learned in the workshop. One that stood out to me on the topic of networking was: How do you go out of your comfort zone to reach out to professionals? And who should you reach out to?
Jonathan described a few steps that should be taken, starting with making sure your profile is set-up and professional-looking, which could be achieved through the steps outlined above. He then suggested starting to reach out to recent graduates from Schulich or York, due to the shared university connection. Recent graduates would be the most effective, since they are likely to have experienced and relate to any inquiries, problems or career concerns you may have. Through recent experience with the hiring process, they are also able to provide information relevant to the current job market. He further suggested attending club events and potentially reaching out to the speaker about something that resonated with you.
Overall, with competition in the market growing and the existence of many eager candidates with similar educational backgrounds, making sure to craft a LinkedIn profile that stands out to potential employers is an ever-present skill. The events hosted by Insider are always eye-opening for me, so I would suggest to everyone interested in experiencing insightful learnings to keep updated with future Insider events by following us on our socials (Facebook: The Insider Media Group, Instagram: @theinsidermediagroup)!