I need help with my Week 7 | LinkedIn Presence for my Business Comm Class

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JWI 505

Business Communications

and Executive Presence

LinkedIn | Week Seven

ALL ABOUT THE SUMMARY SECTION

Your summary - under the About heading - is one of the most

important parts of your LinkedIn profile. You need to learn to use it

strategically. This begs the question: What do you want your summary

to communicate, and to whom?

PREPARING TO WRITE YOUR SUMMARY

To begin laying the groundwork for your summary, answer the following

questions:

§ Who is your audience? Consider both the people you want to see

your profile as well as people who might see it.

§ Who do you want to impress? Who do you want to take notice of

you? Write your summary to those audiences. Consider the

following points:

o What do you want your audience to know about you?

o How do you want your profile to make that audience feel?

o What is it you want your audience to do? (Contact you about

a job? Come to you for a job? Interview you? Contract with

you? Something else?)

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Remember to include accomplishments that make you unique.

LinkedIn represents a truly global professional network. There is a lot

of competition. You can’t afford to get lost in the background; you

must offer something that helps you stand out.

List your victories. What are they? Where appropriate, include also

your values and your passions. What do you do better than anyone

else?

Include a few items about yourself that aren’t necessarily all about

work. What quirky, fun elements make you unique?

Finally, consider validation and credibility. These are any awards,

honors, recommendations, quotations about you, and so on. You

may have direct recommendations posted to your LinkedIn profile,

but consider including key quotations from them in the summary

section.

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