LINKEDIN 101 A Guide on How to Set Up Your Profile and Begin

Networking

LINKEDIN 101

Quick Facts about LinkedIn• LinkedIn is the most popular professional networking site online• LinkedIn has more than 160 million members in 200 countries• Two new members join LinkedIn approximately every second• Everyone from top CEOs to President Barack Obama has a LinkedIn

account

GETTING STARTED1. Create a LinkedIn account (username and password)2. Set your privacy settings3. Have electronic copy of your resume ready to add

information or build the framework and add details laterDon’t worry!

Setting up your profile is not rocket

science.

UNDERSTANDING PROFILE PRIVACY SETTINGS

You can:• Turn on/off your activity

broadcasts• Select who can see your

activity feed• Select what others see

when you've viewed their profile

• Select who can see your connections

• Choose who can follow your updates

• Change your profile photo & visibility

• Show/hide "Viewers of this profile also viewed" box

• Manage who you're blocking

SETTING UP YOUR PROFILE1. Name/Photo2. Headline3. Location4. Industry5. Contact Information6. Summary 7. Experience8. Education9. Recommendations10.Certifications11.Courses12.Honors and Awards13.Languages 14.Organizations15.Publications16.Projects17.Skills and Endorsements18.Volunteer Experiences

and Causes

UPLOADING AN APPROPRIATE PICTURE

Get a professional headshot taken.• Solid background

or • Blurred

background• Great lighting• Dress professional

or business casual

Schedule your LinkedIn photo with Career and

Professional Development!

CUSTOMIZING YOUR LINKEDIN URLYou can and should personalize your web address (URL) on LinkedIn. It’s quick & easy to do. This helps you:• Be found more easily by others• Improve your Google ranking• Makes your URL more memorable• Helps in branding yourself – add it to your marketing

materials (resume)

WRITING A PROFILE HEADLINE

• 120 Characters (look at other’s profile headlines for ideas)• Job title or student status• A “Recruitable” Headline (using key words) can be created• (Writer, editor, illustrator)

PUT YOUR BRAND FRONT AND CENTER…

Make yourself more easily found on LinkedIn search with a crisp, punchy headline describing what you do and where you work.

LET YOUR NETWORK SPEAK FOR YOUBuild your reputation with Endorsements and Recommendations from peers,

colleagues, and employers.

WHAT’S YOUR LINKEDIN NETWORKING STRATEGY?

More the Merrier

BFFs Only

Selective & Strategic

THE “MORE THE MERRIER” APPROACH

You connect with anyone and everyone: who knows what might bring results?

However…• LinkedIn discourages “name

collecting” networkers • Will penalize you if too many

people you try to connect with say that they don’t know you.

Besides, what’s the value of connecting with thousands of people who have no interest in what you have to offer?

THE “BFFS ONLY” APPROACHYou could connect only with people you know well and

would recommend.

However…

LinkedIn shouldn’t just be your online rolodex … it offers so much more than that!

You’re missing the point of online networking if you limit yourself to known contacts.

THE “SELECTIVE, STRATEGIC” APPROACH

People you already know

Your professional peers

Experts in your industry

People in your local area

Potential clients, partners, and employers

THE “SELECTIVE, STRATEGIC” APPROACH

Connect with people you already know and would recommend (yes, go ahead and connect with those BFFs)

Connect with your professional peers (hint: find them on LinkedIn Groups and start your networking there)

Connect with experts in your industry (again, start the conversation first, then connect).

Connect with people in your local area; they’re often a great source of referrals and you can network in person as well

HOW TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE YOU DON’T KNOW

Find common ground (LinkedIn Groups, Answers, etc.)

Ask for an introduction from someone you both know

See if the person you want to connect with is an open networker

Explain in your connection request who you are and why you want to connect

JOIN A GROUPFind a group to join that mirrors yours professional interests• Choose “Groups” from the dropdown menu and search by

keyword or name of the group• Look for “St. Edward’s Career and Professional Development” • Click Join Group, then await for a Group Manager to approve your

request, if needed• Search for groups that you might be interested in by typing in a

key word

JOIN GROUPS!

ADD CONNECTIONS

On LinkedIn, people in your network are called connections. Your network is made up of your 1st-degree, 2nd-degree, 3rd-degree connections, and fellow members of your LinkedIn groups.• 1st-degree - People you're directly connected to because you've

accepted their invitation to connect, or they've accepted your invitation.

• 2nd-degree - People who are connected to your 1st-degree connections.

• 3rd-degree - People who are connected to your 2nd-degree connections.

INVITE YOUR PEEPS TO CONNECT!

INVESTIGATE: WHO KNOWS WHO?

CONNECT WITH ALUMNI – PART 1

CONNECT WITH ALUMNI – PART 2

CONNECT WITH ALUMNI – PART 3

INVITING OTHERS TO CONNECT - ETIQUETTE

FINAL THOUGHTS •Connect with people you know and trust

• Friends & family• Former colleagues & classmates• Fellow group members• New contacts with similar interests

• It’s okay to “Archive” (ignore) requests• Quality is better than quantity• Need help? Visit Career and Professional

Development!