LinkedIn Cheat Sheet

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LinkedIn Cheat Sheet

LinkedIn has hit a milestone with 303 million active monthly  users. Nevertheless, many people have only a vague idea as to how to use this unique tool for their career development or job search. “Do I need a LinkedIn profile?” and “Why can’t I just copy my resume into my LinkedIn profile?” are among the most popular questions that our clients ask. As a professional linkedin profile writer I will answer these and many other LinkedIn-related inquiries and help you make your profile work for you.

Resume vs. LinkedIn – are they different?

In a word – yes. Although they both represent your professional persona, mentioning your experience, education, and skills, they do it in fundamentally different ways. Think of a resume as an outbound marketing message advertising yourself. As such, it should be targeted to your desired position, concise, to the point, and emphasize your “features and benefits” as an employee.

LinkedIn, on the other hand, is akin to inbound marketing. It’s less formal, more flexible, and offers you the freedom to let your personality shine. And while you might want to leave information about your college jobs, volunteer experiences, and interests out of your resume (unless, of course, it’s relevant to the position you’re applying for), you can, and should, list it on your LinkedIn profile.

In short, your resume and LinkedIn profile complement each other. A powerful resume gets you noticed, while an effective LinkedIn profile offers recruiters an opportunity to know you better and ensure you’d be a good fit for their client/company.

So you’ve become a LinkedIn member – now what?

With all the functions and options that the network offers, how do you decide which ones to use? My advice is – take advantage of any and all that apply to your professional profile but do it wisely. “Content is King, readability is Queen” should become your mantra.

1. The header is your slogan.

The default option is much too generic and will not make you stand out in the search results; make your header eye-catching and persuasive. Try to avoid clichés like “team-player” or “goal-oriented”. “Currently unemployed” or “devoted father” are also a bad idea. These sorts of phrases take up valuable space (the header is only 120 characters long) and are hardly the search terms a recruiter will use to find you. Instead, include field-related keywords and concentrate on articulating what you’re good at. That will make HR Managers want to know more about you.

2. Leaving the about section blank is NOT an option.

Don’t waste a precious chance to tell recruiters who you are, what you have achieved, and where you’re headed. Use the about section to demonstrate how you are different from the other professionals in your field. Emphasize what you can do for your employer, show your value-added. Use the SAR method (situation,  action, and results) to tell engaging stories of your accomplishments. Make sure you mention numbers – quantifiable achievements are far more impressive than those not backed by data. Finally, remember to follow the mantra; keep the paragraphs short and use headers and bullets to make your summary easily readable.

  3. Complete your profile.

The more sections you fill out, the higher you’ll rank in the search results. So take the time to write about your job experiences, educational background, certifications, awards, interests, activities, and anything else that applies. Do try to slip in as many keywords as possible, but steer clear of turning your profile into gobbledygook by overdoing it. Keep job descriptions concise and focus on your achievements. And again, figures and numbers help tremendously.

4. Make it easy to contact you.

Even if a potential employer is interested in you, you won’t get anywhere unless they have some way of contacting you. If you’re keeping your job search under the radar, simply invite new LinkedIn connections in the summary section. If you’re openly seeking a new position consider including your e-mail address and phone number. Also, don’t forgo the opportunity to claim your vanity URL to strengthen your professional brand.

It’s all about making connections!

LinkedIn is a social network, so if you’re aiming to make the most of your experience on the site simply filling out a profile won’t cut it. Communicate, grow your network, mingle to get noticed, and strengthen your reputation. Luckily LinkedIn provides numerous options that help to make connections easy even for those who usually despise or shy away from networking. What you can do is:

  • Follow target companies to stay on top of your game and make connections with insiders.
  • Join and be active on professional and alumni groups – ask for advice and share your own expertise by answering questions.
  • Get recommendations and endorsements. Don’t forget to reciprocate though!
  • Publish updates to show you’re keeping abreast of the industry news.

Feel free to connect with me here to see what a LinkedIn profile should look like! For a complimentary review of your LinkedIn Profile please use the following link. https://calendly.com/arno-ics/complimentary-linkedin-review.

Here are some of our Top Resume Testimonials

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“Hi Arno, My sincere thanks to you as I start my new job at Anthem. The resume that iCareerSolutions redid for me landed me this job with 25% increase in base pay. It really helped get my resume to the top of the stack of 200 applicants, out of which 40 video interviews were picked, and 5 were picked for second interviews. I just got the offer and I start July 6th. Thank you for your intervie…
Libby MathaiPrincipal Data Consultant
Matt Fleming
I had the pleasure of working with Arno to solidify my LinkedIn profile so it appeared more professional. I found Arno’s tactics to be focused, candid, and extremely explanatory so that it was easily understood why he was suggesting the changes he was suggesting. I strongly recommend Arno.
Matt FlemingDirector of Operations
Nivi Nityanand
Arno did a really nice job with my resume & cover letter. He also helped me craft the content to refresh my linked in profile. Outside of a clear and honest articulation of my past experiences, he brings out the critical few value proposition statements that would stand out and differentiate my skills to a recruiter / hiring manager, in my case for corporate boards. Thank you for your help, Ar…
Nivi NityanandBoard Director
George Gatzoflias
Arno was extremely helpful with assisting me to write my CV. He was very timely with responses and kept me updated as we worked on the documents. It was easy to reach out with any questions or concerns that I had. I highly recommend Arno and his team with any career documents.
George Gatzoflias
Raphael Bouchereau
“I am extremely impressed with Arno’s professionalism and craftsmanship. He created an amazing resume that helps me to shine above the competition! His formatting is visually appealing and easy to read while presenting my accomplishments. I am confident that my new resume and cover letter will get me noticed! If you are an executive looking for an expert resume writer, I would highly recommend Arn…
Raphael BouchereauSales Leader
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Arno’s expertise in writing resumes, cover letters, and building LinkedIn profiles is very impressive. He has a background and skill-set that I expect allow him to dominate this field. It’s difficult to illustrate just how good his services are, so I’ll emphasize the end results significantly exceeded all of my expectations. And on top of it all he was great to work with through the entire p…
Kyle WassExecutive Project Leader
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Arno is genius in what he does.After reviewing my skills, experience and achievements, he prepared the best resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile. Highly recommend
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Steve Harriman
Strategic insights in how to position yourself in the marketplace Arno’s approach and methodology is second to none. Attention detail. Asked all the right questions which resulted in a truly awesome resume and cover letter. I have used Arno for several years and will continue to work with him whenever I am in the market for a change in careers.
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Kathryn Breaker
I was so fortunate to find Arno! I had been struggling with editing my resume, just couldn’t cut that third page out on my own. And also knew my success statements needed more impact and focus. Arno was able to pull it together and make it a statement piece. Arno also provided needed insights into how to brand with focus. I also appreciate his background with recruiting as you have to know your ma…
Kathryn BreakerController
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Heather Adams

About iCareerSolutions

iCareerSolutions, America’s #1 Reverse Recruitment, Executive and Professional Resume Writing Services, and LinkedIn Profile Development Company. 20X award-winning resume writers deliver professional resumes that get interviews. We have successfully landed our executive clients senior-level leadership positions at companies like Apple, Amazon, EA, Oracle, GM, Google, Facebook, DoJ, Gap, and 2U just to name a few. iCareerSolutions has 200+ 5-star reviews and offers a 60-day interview guarantee. Every resume template created is Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) compatible and highly customized to meet your unique needs.

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“Arno was extremely helpful in working with me on a new resume and Linked In profile. He brings a very thoughtful approach to working with you and will ask the right questions to get you a great finished product. Thanks Arno!.”

Dumas Garrett