{"id":6726,"date":"2018-02-27T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-27T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/?p=6726"},"modified":"2018-02-22T09:46:48","modified_gmt":"2018-02-22T09:46:48","slug":"supercharge-linkedin-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2018\/02\/27\/supercharge-linkedin-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"Supercharge your LinkedIn profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

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During the first week of this term Technology Enhanced Learning teamed up with the <\/span>Careers and Employability Centre<\/span><\/a> to deliver the online bitesized course \u2018Take 5: LinkedIn & your digital identity\u2019 aimed at both staff and students. Here <\/span>Tim Bradshaw<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>@TJBSussex<\/span><\/a>), Careers and Employability Consultant, takes us through top tips for developing your LinkedIn profile.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo, headline and summary<\/span><\/h3>\n

When it comes to networking first impressions really do count – your initial appearance on <\/span>LinkedIn<\/span><\/a> will decide whether you get taken seriously or not. To find out more about making your photo, headline and summary work for you, click through this Slideshare presentation. While it is aimed at students and recent graduates, the main points can be usefully adopted by anyone who is new to LinkedIn:<\/span><\/p>\n

Create a Winning Student Profile<\/a> <\/strong> from LinkedIn Europe<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n
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The differences between a LinkedIn profile and a CV<\/span><\/h3>\n

Is there still a place for a CV? In a word, yes! While LinkedIn can be an integral part of job-seeking, the CV is still the primary document for applying to roles which don\u2019t require an application form to be filled out. We would recommend that, whatever stage you are at in your career, you keep your CV regularly reviewed and updated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few differences between your profile and a CV:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
CV<\/b><\/td>\nLinkedIn Profile<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Length defined by paper formatting \u2013 should usually fit on equivalent of two pages of A4.<\/span><\/td>\nLength defined by content & whatever is appropriate to showcase your talents and achievements without losing the reader’s interest. <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Usually text-based (with some exceptions for creative roles).<\/span><\/td>\nGreat multimedia potential – upload\/link to presentations, videos. <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Doesn\u2019t include a photo (for use in the UK).<\/span><\/td>\nShould always include a photo.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Primary purpose is job-seeking.<\/span><\/td>\nPrimary purpose is networking.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


\n<\/span>Personalising your URL<\/span><\/h3>\n

Once you have your profile looking good, you will want to make it easy for others to find it. You don\u2019t want people to have to copy or remember a long string of meaningless characters from a CV, business card or email signature. Compare these two urls:<\/span><\/p>\n

linkedin.com\/in\/<\/span>claire-ward-0b27a216\/<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

linkedin.com\/in\/<\/span>timjbradshaw\/<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Changing the default address you have been given is simple, but difficult to find on your own. Follow these steps (bear in mind that the LinkedIn interface changes rapidly, so this web page was current as of February 2018, but may become out of date after that):<\/span><\/p>\n

Customising your public URL<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Building and using your network<\/span><\/h3>\n

Writing an effective profile is only the first step in using LinkedIn effectively. The fundamental purpose of LinkedIn is professional networking \u2013 so you need a network.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you already have contacts you would like to keep in touch with, this could be a great platform (assuming your contact is already on LinkedIn). It is simple to search for people by name in the search box at the top of the page, and send a request to connect. Whether you are approaching an existing contact or someone you don\u2019t yet know, it is important not to use the default wording in the connection request, but to personalise it.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Alumni Tool<\/span><\/h3>\n

Are you looking for people to connect with? Are you unsure where to find them? The Alumni Tool could be perfect for you. With over 70,000 past and present Sussex staff, students and alumni on LinkedIn, there is bound to be someone from Sussex who you\u2019ll want to connect with. Just click on the Sussex logo on your profile, or look for University of Sussex in the search box at the top, to get started. As above, it is important to personalise the connection request.<\/span><\/p>\n

This video explains how to make best use of the Alumni Tool:<\/span><\/p>\n