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Webinar Recap: 7 Steps to the LinkedIn Profile You Deserve


The North Texas Commission’s Topic: North Texas Webinar Series presented by Verizon continued on June 24, 2015 with Lisa Van Gemert as she presented seven steps you can take to develop the LinkedIn profile you need and deserve. Lisa’s presentation included a handy worksheet you can download HERE, and the YouTube recording of the webinar along with the slides can be found below the recap.

About LinkedIn


linkedIn-App-Logo

LinkedIn is the calling card of the professional world, and your profile speaks volumes about you and your company, whether you’re ready for it or not. Lisa will show you how to take your profile from simply good to all-star in a few easy steps. Even if you are a complete newcomer to LinkedIn, you’ll learn everything you need to make a profile that truly stands out.  Learn to represent your company better and control your digital footprint by leveraging the tools available through LinkedIn.

 Before You Begin

Make sure to turn off your activity feed before you begin updating your profile. If you leave it turned on, all of your connections will be notified every time you make a change. To turn off this feed, select to Edit Profile and toggle the Notify Your Network? button on the right side of the screen to No.

Step 1: Make a Strong Photo Choice

Choose a photo that:

  1. is recent

  2. has a clean background

  3. follows the elbow rule

  4. puts you in a professional light

  5. is taken from the correct angle (face your audience)

  6. is high quality (not fuzzy, etc.).

Step 2: Create a Clear Header

Create a heading that:

  1. includes your name and critical designations (If you have a common name, use your initial or a professional designation as part of your name.)

  2. does not have links or phone numbers

  3. takes advantage of suggestions

  4. uses vertical lines or symbols for dividers

  5. shares if you are job seeking (“seeking opportunities to…”)

  6. conveys the people you serve, how you serve them, and

  7. where you serve them (“Focused on ER nursing in the DFW Metroplex”; “Advocating for clients in the State of Texas”; “Navigating tax law for mid-sized companies in Fort Worth”)

Step 3: Customize Your Public Profile Link

Create a link that:

  1. has between 5 & 30 characters (shorter is better)

  2. is professional/associated with you

  3. uses your initial or role to separate you if you have a common name (e.g., linkedin.com/in/johnmsmithcpa)

*This is essential. If you do nothing else, do this.

Step 4: Include ALL of the ways to Reach You

Have a fleshed-out contact list

  1. follow the Platinum Rule (Make sure you can be contacted in the way the people want to contact you.)

  2. allows you be seen in as many places as your clients or your company’s clients find people

  3. create separate email account just for it if you’re worried about spam

Step 5: Maximize Your Summary

Make your summary a conversation.

  1. max 2,000 characters

  2. practice in Word

  3. use the first person

  4. business casual tone

  5. no links

  6. avoid industry jargon

  7. use formatting/headings

  8. Do you have something you can give away?

  9. include a favorite quote

Step 6: Connect

How to get connections:

  1. have a complete profile

  2. see who’s there that you already know and connect

  3. view your connections’ connections

  4. send personalized invitations, not the stock ones

  5. join groups

  6. share content through social media (use Hootsuite to schedule your posts)

  7. put links to profile on business card/website/everywhere

Step 7: Perfect Your Profile

Make your profile as complete as possible:

  1. include work samples like Slideshare and Goodreads and your blog

  2. add a background image

  3. 1400 x 425 pixels (find free open source images at Pixabay.com)

  4. Click Profile at the top of your homepage.

  5. Click Edit background, which appears above the top section of your profile.

  6. Click Change Image to select a new image, or Remove Image to remove the image.

  7. Click Save

  8. throw in your industry jargon in the Skills & Endorsements section

  9. keep Experience sounding personal, not like a resume

To download Lisa’s Checklist with all 7 steps, please click HERE.

About the Presenter

Tactical, practical, fun, and inspiring, Lisa Van Gemert has addressed audiences around the world in groups large and small. Lisa is a member of the National Speakers Association and serves as Chair of the Gifted Plus Division of the Texas Association for the Gifted. A teacher and school administrator prior to coming to Mensa and consulting, she uses the experiences she gleaned in schools and her journey through Giftedland to help all teams learn how to accomplish their goals effectively while still loving it.

Using a combination of neuropsychology, pedagogy, humor, technology and sheer fun, Lisa Van Gemert shares with businesses, schools and conferences worldwide how to do what they do better. Lisa is the Youth & Education Ambassador for Mensa, as well an international speaker on issues of neuropsychology & education. She is an expert consult to television shows, writer of award-winning lesson plans, and author of the children’s and teachers’ guides to the National Book Festival, as well numerous published articles on social psychology and pedagogy.

For the full details from the webinar, watch the presentation or view the slides below. For past webinar recordings and details on future webinars, visit our webinar page HERE.



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