How to shine through the LinkedIn noise

If you’re a MoneyGirl, we don’t need to explain why this matters. But just in case — whether you’re looking to land an internship, your first full-time job, or ready to jump company-ship, your LinkedIn will work as hard for you as you work on it. Your future employer is going to look through dozens of profiles before they make a hire, so let’s make you stand out.

Q: Best methods to help me differentiate? 

PHOTO

In the social media age, you don’t need convincing that profile pictures are a must (fun fact: they help LinkedIn profiles receive 21x more views).

oneyGirls Pro Tips:

• Look sharp but no need to go all-out professional with studio lighting. A decent phone camera with a patient friend does wonders. Let your energy shine through.
• Consider the industry you’re targeting - how do those leaders look on their LinkedIn? Casual or buttoned down?
• Don’t forget the background photo! Use it as another place to make your profile shine rather than the default LinkedIn slab of blue.

HEADLINE

Welcome to the most overlooked LinkedIn profile section — that headline right below your photo and the first thing anyone reads about you. Think of this as your own personal billboard. By default, LinkedIn defaults to your current job title and employer. If you took out a billboard, is that what you’d say about yourself? If not, edit time.

oneyGirls Pro Tips:

• For the recruiter who has only 3 seconds per profile, they want the “so what” about you here. Tell them in your headline why she should stop and look more at your profile.
• Unless your title is a mic-drop “CEO, Apple”, use that 120 character limit to get creative. If marketing is your speciality, back that up with a pithy headline.
• Think of yourself as a search result. Keywords matter. What are likely terms someone looking for a “YOU” would search on LinkedIn? Embed those into your headline.

ABOUT

When someone asks, “Why should I hire you?” That 30 second elevator pitch is what should go in your “About” summary. Tell a story of your current role (whether a recent grad from College X, or senior with an internship), your work passions, top awards, unique or quantifiable skills, and a list of various industries you’ve had exposure to.

oneyGirls Pro Tips:

• Aim for 2-4 short paragraphs. Freely use bullets to make sections stand out. Don’t repeat a thing from your resume. Show the side of yourself that can’t be read from your resume experience.
• What are you crazy good at? Claim it in the first sentence of a paragraph.
• Make it a ridiculously fun read. Update it as your roles expand, experiences collect, and inspiration strikes!

✨ Speaking of inspiration… Tooting your own horn doesn’t come naturally to all. If that's your case, ask a friend to text you your top 3 strengths from their perspective. It always helps to hear it from someone else.

EXPERIENCE

Anyone can copy & paste their resume into this section (and that’s a good start). To really make yourself stand out and come alive, flesh it out with crisp bullets that describe: 1) what you did, 2) how well you did it, and 3) what was the impactful result.

oneyGirls Pro Tips:

• Wow with facts. “I organized an event for 350 people for XYZ Organization” not “I am part of XYZ Organization and organized many events.” Use quantifiable numbers where you can.
• Get some action. Use “managed, organized, led, actively sought out” not “responsibilities included, job entailed, part of my job was...”
• Write like a pro. Discuss your current job in the present tense and other experiences in the past tense.

Show your personality and energy. Remember, this might be your first impression on someone, and those count big time.

Write your LinkedIn profile as if you’re having a conversation with someone (feel free to picture Team MoneyGirls in your mind as you tout your impact on the world)! It may take a few iterations but good things happen to those who go the extra mile.