How to properly build your LinkedIn profile

The Street

Andrew McCaskill, Linkedin's Career Expert, joins TheStreet to discuss some of the do's and don'ts when building your LinkedIn profile.

Transcript

00:00 - What are some of those do's and maybe some of those don'ts

00:02 to avoid for building a really solid,

00:04 representative LinkedIn profile?

00:06 - Keep in mind that LinkedIn is a professional network.

00:09 It's not your Instagram, it's not your Twitter, right?

00:11 So this is where people come to do the work of business

00:15 and to find incredible talent and opportunities.

00:18 So your LinkedIn profile, have a great picture,

00:21 but you don't have to go out

00:22 and get a professional headshot.

00:23 Just no beach selfie unless you plan

00:25 on being a surf instructor, right?

00:26 And we've got some surf instructors on our platform too.

00:29 But you know what I mean?

00:30 Like it's gotta be a great photo that says,

00:32 hello, I'm Drew and I'm ready to work.

00:34 But then also really optimize your skills.

00:36 Really make sure that you've got what's on your resume

00:41 actually matches up with what's on your LinkedIn profile.

00:44 And take a look at your connections.

00:47 Start to follow companies and people that are in industries

00:51 and are at companies and in roles that you would like to be.

00:54 And participation is half of the battle.

00:57 You don't just come in when you're looking for a gig, right?

01:00 There's something my dad used to say

01:02 that I say to job candidates all the time.

01:04 He would say is that, if you stay ready,

01:06 you don't have to get ready.

01:08 And that's how we've got to think about our careers.

01:10 It's not just when you're looking for a job

01:12 that you participate in your network

01:15 and that you participate

01:17 in where people are looking for talent.

01:19 Your visibility is really important,

01:21 particularly in a more competitive market.

01:23 - You talk about the importance

01:24 of keeping those relationships sharp,

01:25 keeping those profiles sharp,

01:26 even if you're not actively looking right now

01:28 'cause the time will come when you'll need to.

01:30 I love that.

01:31 - Yeah.

01:32 - If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready.

01:33 - If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready.

01:34 And the time will come too.

01:35 And it's also really good to let your network know,

01:39 people in your professional community

01:40 that you really trust to say,

01:42 "Hey, I may be looking pretty soon."

01:45 But that's not enough to just tell your network

01:48 that you may be looking.

01:50 Tell them what you're looking for

01:52 and tell them what they should say about you

01:54 when they have conversations about you.

01:56 Just say, "Listen, J.D., my superpowers

01:58 "are I'm a great storyteller.

02:00 "I'm a great problem solver.

02:01 "I can write my butt off."

02:04 And if you have an opportunity

02:05 where you hear of somebody who's looking for somebody

02:07 with that skill and those talents,

02:09 let them know that that's some of Drew's superpowers.

02:13 Make it easy for people to say good things about you.

02:17 And they gotta know what those things are

02:18 before they can say them.

02:20 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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