Career Launch 104: Setting up your Linkedin profile

12/31/23 • 16 min

In this Career Launch series episode I share a check list to set up your Linkedin profile more fully. This episode provides you with insight into where to focus when building your profile. If you simply create a basic Linkedin profile without building out the key pieces then you will leave a lot of opportunity on the table. Linkedin can be a powerful tool working for you in the background while you are off being amazing in real life. Your profile will attract opportunities to you based on the content you load there. In this episode I explain these items on my check list:

1. Profile picture
2. Background picture
3. Headline
4. About summary
5. Experiences detail

Once you have these five things covered, you should work to build out your network by both adding connections and doing some active posting. I provide some suggestions regarding posting that will drive traffic and attention to your profile using posts that highlight work you are doing and including others you work or study with.

I hope this checklist motivates you to use Linkedin as a resource and tool in your job search! Check out the other Career Launch episodes for other foundational tips on 5 actions to get started, resume coaching, frequently asked questions about job search, and coming soon....preparing to interview.

1. Profile picture
2. Background picture
3. Headline
4. About summary
5. Experiences detail

Previous Episode

Launching an HR career with guest Katie Whittaker

In this episode, Katie Whittaker, a 2020 college graduate and HR professional, shares insights into how she started her career in HR. Katie's career has moved along at a pretty fast pace despite graduating at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The obvious things that have helped her get established and build momentum were figuring out what she wanted to focus her career on by her sophomore year and completing two professional internships prior to graduating.

But there are some other not so obvious decisions that I think have significantly influenced the trajectory of her career. The first was transferring schools midway through her freshman year when she realized that she didn't want to major in what had drawn her there. It was a bold move that took a lot of courage. Another was deciding to continue interning during her senior year of college on a part time basis and making a decision to change her approach and timeline for getting a masters degree. Katie shares how she navigated these decisions and how she flexed her plan to make the most of the opportunities she had.

Katie has been focusing her professional career on supporting learning and development, so sharing her story to help others is totally on brand. We hope Katie's journey inspires you as you write your own career story!

Next Episode

Career Launch 105: Be ready for interviewing

This is another installment of what I have come to think of as my Career Launch series of episodes. The need to record and publish this content is usually driven by trending coaching needs. When I find myself offering a particular theme of advice a lot, then I record. This episode addresses preparing to interview.

Actually being ready to interview can sneak up on you and might feel like something that is out of your control. But with some strategic preparation you can be ready for interviews and feel confident about how you will perform.

I recommend practicing answers to these commonly asked general questions:
Why are you interested in this position at this company?
What is driving your interest in this career path or line of work?
What led you to pursue a degree in XX?

Then take an inventory of situations to use as examples to answer behavioral questions and craft the story that sets the context for each situation:
Tell me about a time you had to make a decision without having as much information as you would like?
Tell me about a time when you had to share difficult news with a stakeholder about a project or deliverable?
Tell me about a time when you had to switch directions midway through a project or assignment?

You'll be able to match the situation that best fits the interview question. But also, be prepared to answer follow up questions that are designed to assess your learning agility like:
What other approaches did you consider but not take?
What did you takeaway or learn from that situation?
Tell me about time when you had to apply this learning to another situation?

And finally, practice, practice, and practice until you feel like you can consistently nail the interviews you have so diligently pursued. Ask for help from others to practice your answers and listen to the feedback you get along the way. Tap into your career services center on campus for assistance, that is what they are there for!

I hope this gives you a solid plan for preparing to interview. Good luck!