If you’re anything like me you've probably been told time and time again that your resume shouldn't be longer than one page. If you’re more like me, it means you struggle to write it and keep it under three pages!

That’s where the digital resume LinkedIn comes to the rescue. Most young people are still in the process of creating great profiles, so by creating your KILLER profile you’re already one step ahead of the game and creating great personal branding.

Why use LinkedIn?                    

LinkedIn is a way to compile your creative experiences in one place. Being a creative, it is often very hard to convey what you are capable of or what experience you have by written text alone. The wonderful thing about LinkedIn is that you can assemble a kind of creative portfolio and CV all in one place.

While at university and especially when you start freelancing keeping track of all your completed projects can be daunting task. Like that niggling in the back of your mind that tells you you should be doing something about it, but you’re not quite sure where to start. LinkedIn can be the best way for you to follow up on group collaborations, group assignments and find just where those projects have gone.

LinkedIn is somewhere that you can collate all of your work, not only for potential employers and contacts to view them, but I find that it is a really nice way to remind yourself of how far you've come.

My parents are fond creators of vision boards, but are also great advocators of achievement boards, which serve the same role as a vision board but by looking into the past. You could add achievements such as a high mark on an assignment, a trip you successfully saved up for or an award you have won.  LinkedIn is my digital version of an achievement board. And, serves as a great reminder for those days when you feel like you don’t know as much as you think you do, and that indeed! You know a heck of a lot.

 So how do you make the most of it?

1.           Create a Catchy Headline

This is the first thing employers and contacts will see. You don’t need to use your job title (especially if it’s a temporary day-job). Make it something catchy, something that sets you apart from your competitors and if you’re looking to freelance or build your own brand, mention it here.

2.      Perfect your Summary

A summary of over 40 words or more makes you more likely to turn up in a future employer’s search [source]. You can use up to 2000 characters and the more information in your summary the more key words you can use which, in turn, improves your likelihood of being found in a search. Be confident describing your experience. You’re new to the industry and no one expects your work to look like it had a million dollar budget, that said, make it look as good as you can and sometimes the tact is in editing OUT projects and work that you can now do better.  Mention if you’re looking for work and if you’re happy to be contacted, leave an email address or instructions on how potential employers and connections can get in contact.

3.      Create Engaging Descriptions of Work Experience.

Use Google! Look up jobs and positions you've previously had to help you remember keywords and skills to describe your work experience in depth.  You can also search LinkedIn for successful profiles (usually with 500+ connections) in your industry and look at how they've presented their profiles and described their jobs.

4.      Use Dot Points

• Recruiters get disengaged by bulk text
• Break it up with dot points
• Or by infographics,
• Images
• Videos and
• Links

5.      LINK LINK LINK

As mentioned in step 4, break up the text! Without links to your previous work on YouTube, Vimeo, articles you've written, websites and events you've created you’re just creating another 2D resume. You want your work to speak for you and the more experience you can link onto your profile the more recruiters and employers can see you are a professional with in-depth knowledge of your industry. 

Examples of links blocks to use on your profile

6.      Profile Photo

Including a photo can increase your views by 14% [source]. Remember, this isn't your chance to show off your new selfie with a glass of red wine from last weekend. Invest in professional headshots; get a friend to shoot them or a fellow university student. If you’re looking for a professional I’d recommend DJZK Photography. Once you have a good album of different headshot options you’ll be amazed at how many opportunities you have to use them. For Gmail and especially for press releases. I've had mine published time and time again and am happy I didn't need to use something embarrassing taken from a smart phone.

7.      Spelling and Grammar

Most recruiters are looking for key words such as “attention to detail” if you have mistakes in your profile and are claiming to be an immaculate perfectionist and don’t reflect this in your work, they won’t bother engaging with your profile content. You might want to ask a friend or family member to double check your profile first.

8.      Use the LinkedIn Pie Chart

On the right of your profile, you will see LinkedIn pie chart guiding you along the steps to creating a KILLER linkedIn Profile. LinkedIn will ask you to fill out any sections you may be missing. Don’t add junk just because you feel you might need to. Some categories won’t be applicable to you. For example,  I don’t have any patents or publications so I left them blank.

9.      Gain Work Experience with Companies on LinkedIn

While you’re studying you have a fantastic opportunity to pick up work placements, choose these wisely. The more work experience you can get while you’re studying the more employable you’ll be. Work for employers that have profiles on LinkedIn, when you enter your experience details, LinkedIn will link their logo to your profile which makes your profile more visually appealing. Remember, certain brands do help you STAND OUT.  If you've had work experience with big companies or notable start ups with great online presence, you’ll benefit from their branding, which means less time for you to establish who you worked for. Recruiters will recognise the qualities you have developed by working for different companies, too.  

10.  Have fun!

Enjoy the process of creating your online identity and brand.

CHALLENGE

Find a friend who wants to build their profile too. Work together, remind one another of projects you've worked on and the skills you have. That way you won’t miss anything. They’ll also be a great resource to help you proof read once you’ve finished, just make sure you return the favour.