Building your LinkedIn presence and personal brand
When I work with clients, they first come to me for a resume and cover letter. When I ask about their LinkedIn profile, the most common response I get:
“I have a profile, I haven’t done much with it though. If I’m suddenly a lot more active, won’t my manager (or coworkers, company) know I’m looking for a job?”
The short answer: yes. The longer answer: yes, but there are ways to work around it.
LinkedIn isn’t just to find a new job
The problem is that you’re treating LinkedIn as if it’s only for immediate results. Need a job, find a job. When in fact, LinkedIn is about building relationships and developing your voice. It is about your personal brand.
What is a personal brand?
According to personalbrand.com, a personal brand is “a widely-recognized and largely-uniform perception or impression of an individual based on their experience, expertise, competencies, actions and/or achievements within a community, industry, or the marketplace at large.”
Your personal brand is how people view you and your abilities. And here’s the thing—every single one of us has a personal brand, whether we’re paying attention to it or not. We don’t get to decide IF we have a personal brand. We only get to shape WHAT our personal brand is perceived to be.
Why does it matter?
Yesterday, I connected with someone on LinkedIn who I had met briefly at an online conference. When I reviewed his “About” section, I realized that he was looking for a job. I reached out and told him to look at open jobs at my company. If he found one he was interested in, I would research the job to see if I knew the hiring manager.
Why was I willing to attach my name and reputation for someone who I met only briefly (and virtually)? Because of his personal brand. Here is how I judged his brand:
At the conference, he was professional and eager to learn from others.
On LinkedIn, his headline, “About” summary, and work summary show that he has worked hard. He is a recent college graduate but recognizes what he has to offer a company.
He has spent time on his profile and spends time engaging in content that is relevant to his career goals. He shares interesting articles and comments on other postings.
Since graduation and while pursuing a full-time position, he has pursued further, online learning opportunities. He might be looking for a job, but he has not been sitting around waiting for those jobs to come to him. He is taking action.
How are you building your personal brand?
Now, look at your profile. If the perfect job opportunity came open, would someone think of you? More than ever, as many of us are working remotely, your online presence will have a significant impact on your personal brand.
Building your LinkedIn profile, before you need a job
Remember the problem we started with—how do leverage LinkedIn for a job search without raising attention from your current company? Start before you need a job. Build your brand as an employee of your company. Get started with:
Add a profile photo—one that is professional.
Select a background image that emphasizes your personal brand.
Write a powerful, personal headline. LinkedIn defaults to your current job. You can do better.
Write an engaging “About” summary. While it might have some similarities to your resume summary, it should be much more personal and in first person.
Include your work experience and update your current work experience every 60 to 90 days. That might include a single line of a project you are working on or a new skill gained.
Connect with people who you have recently connected with in person. Include a short note.
If someone recently left your company, consider writing a recommendation for them. You’ll be surprised how many times they write one for you, in return.
Building your LinkedIn profile, when you’re looking for a job
If you haven’t been doing that, all is not lost. Create a plan to slowly build your profile and engage on the site. Then, after you’ve acquired a new job, don’t stop. Keep building and growing your profile so you are ready for the next great opportunity.
