07. Profile Essentials

Spend some time getting these essentials right.

Name

Here you will need to use your real name, not a pseudonym. No Codergirl42, no HireMe McJoberson, just your real first and last name.

Pro Tip: You can add former names to your Profile. See instructions from LinkedIn.

Profile Picture

Do

  • Upload a picture cropped to your head and shoulders.
  • Aim for a high resolution photo.

Don't

  • No inappropriate or unprofessional items or environments.
  • Don't include other people - this is your profile after all!
  • No selfies. Someone is willing to take a photo for you, we promise!

Quiz: Professional Profile Picture

Professional Profile Picture

Of the four options above, which is the best LinkedIn profile picture?
SOLUTION: 4

Headline

Your headline should be one of the following options:

  • Your Current Job Title. This is the simplest but most effective way to optimize SEO; LinkedIn even defaults to suggesting you do this.
  • Your Education. If you do not yet have a job in your new industry, add your education such as "Data Analyst Nanodegree Graduate." You still include the key term "data analyst".
  • Your Target Job. Remember when Chris said his job search improved when he finally called himself a software engineer? If you're a Nanodegree graduate with a portfolio of real-world projects to share, feel confident and list your target job title.

Summary

You should already have your summary, crafted from your elevator pitch, from the exercise with Chris. If you need a refresher, just go back to "Use Your Elevator Pitch on LinkedIn."
Your summary should:

  • Be written in first person, with a professional but conversational tone.
  • Include your key abilities and contributions.
  • Include 5 key skills (programming languages, software, etc.) for SEO purposes.

For reference, here's Chris's summary:

Exercise: What are your keywords?

QUESTION:

Write down 3-5 keywords that you would like to feature prominently and repeatedly in your LinkedIn profile. Now, go read 2-3 job descriptions for your target positions. See if you can find two keywords that you hadn't thought to include before.

ANSWER:

Nice! SEO's not so hard.

Next up, we'll go through optimizing keywords in your work experiences and other accomplishments.

Next Concept