TL;DR on your LinkedIn Profile

It's just like a resume — the goal is to convince recruiters and managers that you will be super successful at the job and be a great addition to the team culture
It is a marketing tool - you are the product, and you have full control over how you position yourself, so don't be afraid to reposition your work to help you get to where you want to go next.
Make sure it's a story! Connect the dots across your previous experience + desired job.

Headline

Should be concise and fit on one line.
Feel free to customize as you see fit. We suggest using keywords associated with the roles you are interested in - it helps with search optimization.

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Examples

This is a super concise version of your career summary.

Do not leave this section blank! It is your opportunity to build your personal brand and express your core values and professional interest.
Just like your career summary, use this section to connect the dots across your previous experience, and what you want to do right now
It doesn’t need to be an essay - you want people to start AND finish reading it!
Try and avoid using too many buzz words. Instead, try to describe what kind of professional you are in order to differentiate yourself by what you're passionate about and what's your superpower. Using too many buzz words can be distracting, unapproachable or appear inauthentic.
It's used in search results, so toss in some keywords as well.

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Examples

Your experience should tell a story about the why you'll crush the role that you want.

Titles & Companies

Similar to your resume, your profile should only include the experience relevant to the roles that you want now!

↳ Make sure that you reframe/rewrite your past experience to position yourself for the job that you want

If the company or organization you worked for is not well known, add a brief description for it. If it's a start-up, consider referencing the amount of funding or series of funding.
You can modify your job titles if you feel that your title doesn't reflect what you did or doesn't translate as well to a different industry!

Describing your Experience

Stick to your biggest accomplishments and the things about you that are your key differentiators.

Make those accomplishments concrete by noting the problem you solved, how, and the specific results you generated. Do not just list your responsibilities!
If you've had more than ~5-7 years of work experience, ditch the internship!
Another way to think about this: what are the experiences/achievements that you "dine out on?" These are the stories that you tell people again and again when you talk about your work experience or your past. The experiences that make you YOU.
For example, Jamie studied Middle Eastern Studies and spent her summers interning for non-profits in the Middle East. This is one of Jamie's key differentiators — it doesn't really apply to her current work experience any longer, but it's what makes Jamie...Jamie! And people like to talk about it with her even to this day!

The more you list, the better your search optimization will be, BUT...this isn't your resume!
Keep it tight! People don't have an attention span. You can either do short bullets OR a 1-2 sentence description for each of your roles.

If you are trying to display quantitative skills, try to use metrics and numbers to demonstrate your role, not just adjectives.

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Examples

Use well-known key/buzz words, and list all of your skills (even if they are cross-functional).
Don’t pad this section with tons of skills just to add volume. It’s better to be intentional and thoughtful about what skills sit meaningfully at the intersection of your personal strengths and desired role.
Also, this section helps with search optimization :)
If you're career switching, and you have non-role related experience, definitely be sure to add that as well as any other important information (community leadership, board seats, mentoring, etc).

Keep this section tight, too, even if you've done a lot of volunteering — stick to work that you either currently do, is directly related to the job that you want, or was super high-impact.

List all degrees and certifications.
Keep descriptions short - include the type of degree, major, and awards. If you don't have a lot of experience, you can outline your key accomplishments and

Profile Image: We desperately wish wasn't the case, but people WILL judge you by your profile picture. So, keep it super professional :).
Posting Best Practices: It can be a good way to stay on people's radars, and start to build a professional presence!
Recommendations: This is totally optional — but if you have a serious champion who can say WONDERFUL things about you...getting a recommendation or two definitely doesn't hurt

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