Career Coach Offers Expert “LinkedIn” Profile Advice -- Gloria L. Hess (C85, GC91)
Professional networking sites work two ways: they make it easier to connect with new contacts and colleagues, and they increase your visibility to everyone online—including recruiters and hiring managers.
With this in mind, you should polish your profile to ensure that your online image is the most professional and effective in promoting your “brand.”
Here are some suggestions I’ve given to clients over the past several months to address some of the unintended gaffes I found in their profiles:
Double-check your spelling and grammar.
Though I don’t hold any spelling bee trophies myself, I do think of profiles as virtual résumés. It would be a big mistake to physically hand a recruiter a document that is peppered with misspellings or grammatical errors, so keep this in mind for online documents as well.
Be sure you are accurately representing yourself.
Northwestern is one of the most prestigious universities in the world and all of its degrees hold significant value. If your master’s degree was conferred from the School of Communication or from Medill, be explicit in stating that, even if you’re concerned you won’t be considered for opportunities that are typically pegged for business school graduates. If you have the experience and skill sets that an employer is seeking, you’ll likely be given due consideration, whether or not your degree is specifically from Kellogg.
Make sure your branding is clear and targeted.
One job search strategy can be likened to a fishing expedition—you cast out a wide net to see what bites. This is an approach I don’t recommend. How can you market yourself effectively by trying to be everything to everybody? The “Summary” section of your LinkedIn profile is a great promotional tool. Use it. First determine which audience you want to target, then tailor your message and promote your professional identity accordingly.
Be selective in what you choose to showcase and how you showcase it.
While I certainly believe you can have some experience with a number of industries/disciplines/roles/specialties, don’t overstate your background by giving the impression that you’re an “expert” across the board. Credibility is critical to your reputation. Protect it.
Have another set of eyes review it.
Since it’s always difficult to evaluate your own work with a discerning eye, I recommend having someone else review your profile before you activate it—just to see if it reads the way you want it to. Bottom line, you’ll benefit in the long run if you take the time and make the effort up front to craft an effective, accurate online presence.
Good luck and happy networking!
Gloria L. Hess (C85, GC91) is an independent career/executive coach and expert in helping mid- to senior-management professionals, executives, and entrepreneurs better manage their careers. She is the founder and consultant/coach of MSC Career Development Services for Northwestern’s Master of Science in Communication Program. Prior to her position at Northwestern, she served as the associate director of Career and Corporate Alliances at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Gloria is also an active member of several career development associations. Contact Gloria by e-mail or check out her LinkedIn page.
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Posted November 12, 2008.
