Lately I’ve written about Resume Pet Peeves and Lying On Resumes … It’s time for a more positive outlook!
It is such a pleasure to read a good LinkedIn profile. The best ones are informative, personal, and engaging. While I don’t recommend copying anyone’s profile or even anyone’s style, it’s easy to get inspired by great examples. Here are a few that I like and the lessons that can be learned from each.
Examples
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaromisher
What I Like About It: It’s conversational and tells a story. Yes, it conveys his specific expertise, but it doesn’t read like a resume and it ties his personal beliefs to the work he is doing.
Lesson Learned: Don’t be afraid to let your profile show your personality and your emotions. While resumes are typically more formal and cut-and-dried, your LinkedIn profile can be written in a more narrative style.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/galajackson
What I Like About It: It ties her personal belief in branding to 2 things: 1) benefits that have accrued to her and 2) ways that she can help others. And the photo is excellent – it’s clear and happy and very professional.
Lesson Learned: It may be all about you, but you should also use your profile to describe what you can do for others. Let’s face it … people are interested in you primarily because of what you might do for them!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsarason
What I Like About It: It makes a great case for how he chose his career, how he’s used his natural talents, and why his personal interests are relevant to his professional work. It includes specific examples! The photo reveals personality and a little bit of quirkiness, but it’s still professional.
Lesson Learned: Use your profile to connect the dots for readers, especially if your career path isn’t very long or seems inconsistent. And please DO share specifics of what you’ve done, not just generalities of what you can do.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/skarritt
What I Like About It: It combines the personal with the professional – information about the individual but primarily about his business and how he helps clients.
Lesson Learned: Know your purpose and your audience when creating your profile. Are you trying to attract recruiters and employers? Structure your profile for that audience, include the right keywords, and make sure to write about your experience in a way that aligns with what they’re looking for. If you’re an entrepreneur promoting your business, your profile will be quite different.
Bottom Line
There are all kinds of ways to write great LinkedIn profiles. Use the flexibility that’s available to you to tell your story in the way that’s most meaningful to your target audience.