Hello everyone! As I engaged in a mentoring activity this week through an internal company organization pairing, the topic of LinkedIn was quickly brought up. As many of you are aware, LinkedIn is a driving force of today’s job economy, ecosystem, and connection between recruiters and candidates. So, what are we looking for when we view your profile? How can you make sure you are expressing your most valuable traits? Keep reading to find out!

LinkedIn Profile Attributes…

1. Profile picture – Formal, professional dress, against a plain background (a dorm room wall is often a good place!), smiling, and crop from the chest/shoulder area up so that your face is clear to see from that small little circle!
2. Header – Have fun with this! Try to think, “if my interviewer were to ask me about my header, how could I describe it?” I know that mine, throughout college, symbolized my favorite place in Madison, which could easily lead me to an overview of my college experience and favorite things to do on campus.
   • This may look like an activity, an environment, your campus, a building, a location, a sunset, a hobby, anything that is eye-catching and relates to your identity!
3. General profile below picture – Make sure your occupation is documented in the headline (student, full-time, part-time, etc.)! Include as much info. as you have: first name, last name, pronouns, location, etc.!
   1. This is also where you can “add profile sections” if you don’t see any listed. Always make sure if you are seeking work to include this at the top of your profile for easy viewing by a recruiter. 
4. About section – personal attributes about yourself! Remember, recruiters view so many profiles, so keep it concise (6-8 sentences). Communicate your year in school, university, major path, career interests, and anything personal (in my free time, I love to…../you can find me/…. something like that!).
5. Featured – totally optional! If there is a school project you’re proud of, a website you’ve created, a portfolio of graphic work, a video about your University, or anything to embellish your experiences/personal interests this would be a great place to add!
6. Experience – copy from resume! If you have experiences that didn’t make it onto the resume because of the now page restrictions, add them here if you find them valuable!
7. Education – University, majors, student organizations.
8. Volunteering – any volunteering experiences you’ve had (and also a great way to communicate your values). 
9. Skills – grab from your resume, things like Excel/teamwork/collaboration/creative writing etc. These can be endorsed by your professional connections so make sure they are relevant to previous experiences and accomplishments. 
10. Honors/Awards – Anything else you find relevant that you’ve been recognized for (scholarships, honor societies, etc.)
11. Languages 
12. Organizations – expand on any student organizations you referenced in the education section!
13. Interests – last one, navigate through LinkedIn to “like/follow” any companies, topics, people, etc. that you are interested in. This is yet another way to find common ground with someone, like a recruiter, who is using your profile to evaluate how you come across as a candidate. 

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