What's the secret to writing a good LinkedIn profile?
Simple. Don't write a bad one.
And that brings us to this article. Here, we are going to tell you how not to describe yourself in your LinkedIn profile, so you don’t write a bad one.
It revolves around this point – the key to having a good LinkedIn profile is to stand out, to be unique. To achieve that, by definition, you can’t sound like everybody else.
To help you, we compiled a list of the most common words people use on their LinkedIn profile; aka, the most common, generic buzzwords on all of LinkedIn.
They are:
- Specialized
- Experienced
- Leadership
- Skilled
- Passionate
- Expert
- Motivated
- Creative
- Strategic
- Successful
Don’t use these words to describe yourself in your LinkedIn profile, as you’ll be lost in a sea of sameness. Or, if your LinkedIn summary already says you are an experienced, specialized, skilled, passionate, motivated, creative, strategic, successful leadership expert; well, will give you a minute to clean that up a bit.
What you should put in your LinkedIn profile
So, what should you put in you LinkedIn profile?
It’s simple: yourself. Everyone has a unique story – what’s yours?
What does this mean, exactly? It means talk about how you wound up with the career you have in your summary – maybe you wanted to do it since you were 2-years-old, maybe you had an epiphany in the middle of the night when you were 40 and never looked back. Let the world know what you are #InIt for.
For your previous jobs, share the unique successes you had in the role. Did you run an awesome campaign? Did you increase sales using some creative technique? Did you develop a new feature that led to higher engagement?
Share it! Share those accomplishments.
Finally, don’t be afraid to show what you are passionate about outside of work. If you’ve run the Boston Marathon six times, put that in there. If you volunteer with an organization you love, put that in there. If you are passionate about reducing food waste, put that in there.
All of this reminds me of the famous Oscar Wilde quote – “Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Already Taken.” When it comes to life or creating your LinkedIn profile, it still rings true.
Looking to become a better professional? These LinkedIn Learning courses can help:
- Managing Your Career
- Leading without Formal Authority
- Influencing Others
- Leading Productive Meetings
- Body Language for Leaders
Topics: Career success tips
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