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 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:
is recent
has a clean background
follows the elbow rule
puts you in a professional light
is taken from the correct angle (face your audience)
is high quality (not fuzzy, etc.).
Step 2: Create a Clear Header
Create a heading that:
includes your name and critical designations (If you have a common name, use your initial or a professional designation as part of your name.)
does not have links or phone numbers
takes advantage of suggestions
uses vertical lines or symbols for dividers
shares if you are job seeking (“seeking opportunities to…”)
conveys the people you serve, how you serve them, and
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:
has between 5 & 30 characters (shorter is better)
is professional/associated with you
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
follow the Platinum Rule (Make sure you can be contacted in the way the people want to contact you.)
allows you be seen in as many places as your clients or your company’s clients find people
create separate email account just for it if you’re worried about spam
Step 5: Maximize Your Summary
Make your summary a conversation.
max 2,000 characters
practice in Word
use the first person
business casual tone
no links
avoid industry jargon
use formatting/headings
Do you have something you can give away?
include a favorite quote
Step 6: Connect
How to get connections:
have a complete profile
see who’s there that you already know and connect
view your connections’ connections
send personalized invitations, not the stock ones
join groups
share content through social media (use Hootsuite to schedule your posts)
put links to profile on business card/website/everywhere
Step 7: Perfect Your Profile
Make your profile as complete as possible:
include work samples like Slideshare and Goodreads and your blog
add a background image
1400 x 425 pixels (find free open source images at Pixabay.com)
Click Profile at the top of your homepage.
Click Edit background, which appears above the top section of your profile.
Click Change Image to select a new image, or Remove Image to remove the image.
Click Save
throw in your industry jargon in the Skills & Endorsements section
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.