Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile

A professional web presence is critical for job searching. This lesson will focus on LinkedIn because it is the largest professional networking site. I routinely look for people to hire or share opportunities with, and their LinkedIn profile is the first place I go.

Why Does LinkedIn Matter?

With over 740 million members in over 200 countries, LinkedIn is a powerful tool to build your professional network, and connect to potential employers and industry professionals. A LinkedIn profile helps you showcase your skills, experience, and accomplishments. According to LinkedIn:

  • Job seekers who are "open to new opportunities" on the platform are 40% more likely to receive messages from recruiters
  • 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find potential candidates

LinkedIn profile examples

Below are some examples of LinkedIn profiles from Kibo staff and mentors

  • Akin, a Kibo mentor and Software Engineer
  • Bidemi, Operations Data Analyst at Kibo
  • Cami, Kibo mentor and Engineering Manager at Meta
  • Robb, Kibo co-founder and Head of Curriculum
  • Ope, Kibo co-founder and CEO

Discuss

❓ Do you notice any common features of the LinkedIn profiles of the Kibo staff and mentors listed above? Share your thoughts in the padlet below.

How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile

This section walks you through updating your LinkedIn profile. If the content in a particular section does not apply to you, i.e., if that section of your profile does not need to be updated, then you can skip it.

To begin, if you don't already have a LinkedIn account, sign up for one here: https://www.linkedin.com/signup

1. Update your name

Your display name should be listed as First Name, Last Name. In many African countries, it is customary to write your surname first. But, since the most common global pattern is first then last, please update your profile to match this pattern and prevent confusion with potential employers.

2. Update your profile photo

Add a profile photo. The photo should be professional, clearly show your face and be high resolution.

Professional doesn't mean formal. You don't need to wear a suit (unless you want to!) and it's perfectly fine to show your personality! But you should make sure that

  • Your face is visible (it helps for interviewers to recognize you!)
  • The photo is of high quality
  • There are no inappropriate or distracting images or logos

3. Update your URL

Your LinkedIn profile URL appears in the navigation bar when someone is looking at your profile.

Linked

The url for Ope's profile is linkedin.com/in/opebukola

You should customize this URL so that it's easier to deduce your first and last name. To do so, follow the steps on this page to find and customize your profile URL.

4. Write a professional headline

Your LinkedIn headline is a brief description that is shown at the top of your profile page. It also appears next to your name in the search results. Your professional headline can be:

  • Your current position or title, e.g., "Computer science student at Kibo School" or "Aspiring software developer and computer science student", similar to Ebun or Victor
  • A description of your skills and interests, e.g., Funmi has: "IoT and TinyML Developer | Program Manager | C/C++ * Pythonista | Creating Opportunities with Artificial Intelligence"

5. Update your experience and education Update this section to include jobs, volunteer, and work experience you've had recently. Use similar language to your resume.

KiboLI

6. Make sure your profile is publicly visible

You can view and customize your public profile settings here. You should ensure that your photo and headline are visible to all LinkedIn members, even if they are not connected to you. You may want to control the rest of your profile's visibility based on your personal preferences.

Growing Your Network by Asking for Connections

Once you have created a solid profile, you should seek relevant connections. According the Hubspot, 85% of jobs are filled through networking and 75% of jobs are never publically listed on a site. So, building and cultivating a strong professional network is vital to finding opportunities. LinkedIn is one (but not the only) way to cultivate and sustain your professional network. The first step to using LinkedIn for this is to connect with those in your network.

Tips for asking for LinkedIn connections

  • Ask people you know: you should connect to your Kibo classmates, staff, mentors and others you know
  • Don't ask people you don't know: while you may want to connect with well-known people, you should only request connections from people you actually know. I get many connection requests and say no to the majority of them because I want my network to be meaningful. I consider connection requests from people I've never interacted with and who have no meaningful connection to me to be rude. Don't be that person!
  • Ask wisely: don't assume everyone you interact with remembers you. When making a connection request to a weak tie (someone you do not know well), include a brief reminder message on why you want to be connected. For example:
    • "Thank you for speaking at the fireside chat. I appreciated your insight on building soft skills. I'd like to be added to your network."
    • "It was a pleasure to meet you at XYZ conference and chat briefly about education in Africa. I'd like to stay in touch."

There are situations where you may want to make a "cold outreach" via LinkedIn. We will cover how to do that well in a future lesson on informational interviews.

LinkedIn Questions 🤔

(Optional) Making Your Profile Stand Out

If you follow the steps above, your profile will be in solid shape. That said, LinkedIn has many additional features that you can use to optimize your profile and grow your brand. You should only do these once you finish the rest of the lessons in this section and submit your assignment.

📺 Watch this video on making your LinkedIn profile stand out (10:03)

(Optional) What Makes a Good LinkedIn Profile?

📖 Read the following article from LinkedIn on what makes a good LinkedIn profile.

Here is a summary of the relevant tips from the article, separated into profile format and LinkedIn behavior.

Profile format

  1. Choose the right profile picture
  2. Add a background photo
  3. Make your headline more than just a job title
  4. Turn your summary into your story
  5. Declare war on buzzwords
  6. List your relevant skills

LinkedIn behavior

  1. Grow your network
  2. Take a skills assessments
  3. Share relevant content from your LinkedIn feed
  4. Add comments
  5. Follow relevant influencers in your industry
  6. Publish long-form content - and use it to start conversations