By Angela Sun
So you've got an imported resume and are on a steady route to building your 500+ connections. Now what? You look over the shoulders of Joe Schmo next to you and it's all oatmeal. Profile after profile, everyone looks the same.
Since our LinkedIn 101 blog post from last year, the platform has evolved dramatically. Beyond a new layout, there are many nifty features that I would dare to say not many people know about. So if you're ready for a little flavor, log in to your LinkedIn to take advantage of these tips!
Custom URL
It's your page, so claim your custom URL before someone else does. Under your name at the top right-hand corner of the screen, click 'Settings'. Find 'Edit your public profile'. And at the bottom right hand corner you will see a 'Your public profile URL' box. There you can 'Customize your public profile URL'.
For example, instead of random numbers following '/in/', my URL is www.linkedin.com/in/asun2013. I've streamlined it with my Twitter and other online presence so it's neat and easy to remember. Now I can link people to my LinkedIn page on my resume, in emails, etc.
Applications
This really is one of the best ways to set your profile apart. Just like how applications allow you to customize your mobile devices, LinkedIn is supporting a growing number of applications that allow you to customize your profiles!
The selection is still limited right now, but quite powerful. Here are just a couple recommendations:
Box.net
This application allows you to upload documents like PowerPoints, Word, and Excel documents. Upload your resume, writing samples (news clips, academic papers), presentations, and more.
Creative Portfolio Display
If you have an visual work, whether you're an artist or a graphic designer, this application allows you to showcase your work right on your profile.
Blog Link/ WordPress
Keep an interesting, professional blog? Embed your blog with these tools.
Refer to this page for more applications.
On the note of social media integration, as of a few months ago Twitter has ended its syndication agreement with LinkedIn. There is a fascinating read on fortune CNN about the business and social media marketing strategy beyond this break-up. For any of you interested in these fields, check it out!
Signatures and Embeds
Link people to your linkedIn profile from by creating a custom email signature here. Mine looks like this:
You can also create LinkedIn buttons to embed on your personal website, blog and more. These are available under the same box you accessed above to create a custom URL.
Groups
Tufts Career Center recommends that all Tufts students join the Tufts University Professional Network and Tufts University Alumni groups. This will instantly grow your network and connect you with thousands of Tufts alums. Of course not all groups on LinkedIn are as useful as these. However, if you are able to find one that is active, you can connect with other professionals, often times many levels higher than you, get interesting articles on what's trending in the industry, and job/internship postings!
Once in a while, LinkedIn will offer a free trial of LinkedIn Premium. Here is a list of how the different options stack up. Feel free to take this opportunity to check out some of the different perks of LinkedIn Premium, but remember to cancel your subscription if you don't plan on continuing at the end of your trial.
The two features I found most useful is the ability to send InMail (direct messages) to anyone, and the ability to save profiles. However, I didn't find either compelling enough for me to get Premium at this point. I could still send brief messages to cold contacts in inviting them to be part of my network (hint: select 'friends' under 'how you know this person' if it is a cold contact). And of course, I could save profiles just by saving the URL myself.
Sample Profiles
I am still working on mine, but feel free to check out these examples of people who have put a lot of TLC into their profiles. Depending on your network, you may or may not be able to see some of these profiles. Either way, what you will notice is that these users worked hard on the content of their profiles, from recommendations, to detailed descriptions of their various positions. But so long as you can get some quality content on your profile, you probably won't need to have that many recs/ descriptions.
And if you stopped by my LinkedIn, feel free to send me an invitation to connect. I would love to add you to my network.
You can also drop a line for post ideas/ comments via career.services@ase.tufts.edu.
