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Editor and Community Manager, Faith Driven Business

8 Secrets to Building a Stunning

LinkedIn Profile
Posted: 02/03/2014 3:48 pm EST Updated: 04/05/2014 5:59 am EDT

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 SUGGESTED FOR YOU
1. Teens Suspended Over
Controversial Homecoming Photo
(http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-02-02-LinkedIn_Pen.jpg)

Sometimes, defeat turns into opportunity.

Years ago, I attended a writers' conference and pitched an article to a magazine editor.
He didn't take it, but he was friendly, gracious and polite.

I saw him on LinkedIn a couple years later, and at first hesitated to reach out. After 4 days ago huffingtonpost.com The
all, he probably didn't even remember me. But I still wanted to work with him, so I Huffington Post HuffingtonPost.com
connected anyway. (AOL) Andres Jauregui Andres
Jauregui tito velez photo
Not only did this editor remember me, but he was looking for writers. He was 2. Comedian Tommy Davidson
Looks Back On Being Adopted Into
impressed with my LinkedIn profile experience and hired me to blog for UrbanFaith
A White Family In The '60s
(http://www.urbanfaith.com/author/cat-newhouse/).

My LinkedIn profile got me a job -- and that's just one of many stories from successful
job seekers. Forbes reported that LinkedIn is the number one social tool for both job
hunters and hiring managers
(http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/08/12/linkedin-still-rules-as-the-
top-job-search-technology-tool-survey-says/?
utm_campaign=forbestwittersf&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social). 6 days ago huffingtonpost.com The
Huffington Post AOL.com Rahel
Here's how to stand out from the competition: Gebreyes Rahel Gebreyes
Washington DC
1. Build a multimedia profile. 3. Archeologists Make Incredible
Discoveries In Tunnel Sealed 2,000
Most profiles on LinkedIn are just plain text -- how boring is that? Build a visual Years Ago
profile and you'll instantly stand out. This LinkedIn feature (called "Professional
Portfolio") allows you to share presentations, photos, videos, links, PDFs and more.
So use it to your advantage and show off your creative work!

Look what a big difference it makes. I added just a few visuals to my Faith Driven
Business job on my LinkedIn profile (http://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineknarr) --
a photo of one of our team meetings, a link to FaithDrivenBusiness.com, and links to 3 days ago huffingtonpost.com The
three of our free reports. It already looks much better. Huffington Post HuffingtonPost.com
(AOL) Eline Gordts Eline Gordts
mexico
4. South Korean Spies Say Solved
Mystery Of Kim Jong Un's
Disappearance

5 days ago huffingtonpost.com The

Huffington Post HuffingtonPost.com
(AOL) KIM TONG-HYUNG KIM
TONG-HYUNG
5. Woman Hanged In Iran Sent
Family Chilling Message

6 days ago huffingtonpost.com The

 6 days ago huffingtonpost.com The
Huffington Post HuffingtonPost.com
(AOL) Eline Gordts Eline Gordts
Reyhaneh Jabbari iran
6. Students Ask Not To Be Called
African-American; Teacher
Allegedly Calls Them N-Word

2 days ago huffingtonpost.com The

Huffington Post HuffingtonPost.com
(AOL) Leigh Weingus Leigh
Weingus african american n word
7. 10 Annoying Food Trends That
Need To End Now, Immediately,
Pronto

3 days ago huffingtonpost.com The

Huffington Post AOL Forex Lindsey
Keen Lindsey Keen paleo diet
8. Homeless Single Mom Who Left
(http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-02-02-cat_on_linkedin.png) Kids For Job Interview May Face
Charges Again
Want to see how it's done? Check out this Professional Portfolio breakdown
(http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/linkedin-professional-portfolio/) here at
Social Media Examiner.

2. Go for detail.

Elaborate on the areas that simply wouldn't fit on a hard copy resume, like an odd job,
5 days ago huffingtonpost.com The
volunteer position, or success story. I included my coursework when I was job Huffington Post HuffingtonPost.com
searching just out of college. I never would have put that on a hard copy resume -- (AOL) Andres Jauregui Andres
information overload! -- but it had its place on LinkedIn, where potential employers Jauregui homeless woman kids car
could see I'd taken classes to gain desired multimedia skills. 9. Boy George's Eloquent

3. Write a killer summary.

FOLLOW HUFFPOST
Whatever you do, don't leave the summary blank or limit it to a few bland sentences.
This is your chance to be creative and describe who you are and what you're
passionate about. Make it personal, while also highlighting key accomplishments you
don't want anyone to miss. LinkedInsights has some great summary examples here Email Address Sign me up!
(http://www.linkedinsights.com/3-stunningly-good-linkedin-profile-summaries/).
The Morning Email Small Business
4. Don't be afraid to connect. Get top stories and blog posts emailed to me each day..

You could seriously get a job this way -- I would know! If you genuinely want to keep
up with a contact, then connect on LinkedIn. Write a personal note saying "hello."

(http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-02-02-linkedin_hello.png)

5. Network in LinkedIn groups.

Groups show up in your profile and demonstrate your interests. But beyond that,
LinkedIn groups are a great way to meet people in your industry and have a
meaningful conversation -- which is why we have a Faith Driven Business LinkedIn
group (http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Faith-Driven-Business-4985150?
gid=4985150). These groups are a valuable resource, so use them! When you run into
a challenge you don't know how to solve, find a group of similar professionals who've
likely run into the same problem. Ask for help. And help others in return -- they'll
remember the favor!

(http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-02-02-fdb_linkedin_group.png)

6. Give recommendations and endorsements.

Give and people are likely to give back to you. It's a chance to help your fellow
professionals, and it establishes you as an authority.

7. Ask for recommendations.

These make for a priceless first impression! You know people who would gladly
recommend your work, so ask them to do so on LinkedIn. But don't rely on LinkedIn
to do the asking for you with their recommendations request feature. The best
approach is to ask in person or to write a personal email sincerely expressing what
their recommendation would mean to you.

8. Keep it organized.

With all the options for LinkedIn fields to fill out (experience, education, coursework,
volunteering), your profile can get really big, really fast! Take control by making your
descriptions easily scannable. Bullet points can save your life. Look how Jeff
Hodgkinson (recognized (http://www.rocktheworldbook.com/extras/contest) for
having one of the best LinkedIn profiles) organized his summary with bullet points
(http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhodgkinson). Simple and straightforward!

Bonuses:

- Make a custom profile URL (http://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/87)

and use it -- on business cards, in your email signature, in blogging bios, on your
website. It's an easy and memorable way for people to connect with you.

-- Follow relevant news and companies. Like groups, these demonstrate your interests
and help you keep up with the latest news.

-- Post professional LinkedIn status updates and show that you know your stuff. Got a
professional blog? Share your blog posts and interesting industry news.

Image credit from top: Created by Sheila Scarborough, found on Flickr

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/22028494@N03/6290003115/in/photolist-
azPUMz-9tY5Tz-dPGVKt-dLAhuJ-7w564c-9fLRVv-27Msfr-2wHv8-oCZuk-9MKoLL-
n5ztS-aEVD3h-ebzqc1-2hG19-axKupX-brCjfb-8mf6pd-84YgbY-eUxXj3-eUmzDg-
82BrMt-82BqK2-82EzTY-82EAad-82EzQA-82EAeY-82EAi9-82BqY4-82EA7f-
82EAvh-82EAFQ-82BrxD-82EAqq-82EA43-82EAmu-82BrmF-9dadgM-82EA9o-
adWYuV-4k8P4H-GnR8w-arq76A-dUdMsr-5GqDkP-2HHg4-82EzHN-82BrC2-
cXgNKw-82BrTB-82EC25-82ECfC). Used with permission
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en) under Creative Commons.
No modifications made.

A version of this blog post originally appeared at Faith Driven Business

(http://faithdrivenbusiness.com/8-secrets-to-building-a-stunning-linkedin-
profile/).
 Follow Cat Knarr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CatKnarr
(http://www.twitter.com/CatKnarr)
MORE: Multimedia, Social Media, Linkedin, Faith Driven Business, Linkedin Tips, Entrepreneurship,
Careers, Linkedin Profile
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