5 Key Ways to Strengthen Your LinkedIn Presence & Get Noticed

“Stand Out. The World Needs Your Magic.”  — Unknown

Hi Audie,

I hope you and your family are doing well, and are continuing to stay safe and healthy. 

In recent weeks, we, as a nation, have finally come face-to-face with a different type of virus prompted by the heartbreaking and unnecessary death of George Floyd and others -- acknowledging and fighting racial injustices and inequality. I was living in Los Angeles in the early 90s during the horrific Rodney King beating and subsequent riots. Reflecting back on that moment, it seems like very little has improved over the past 28 years. I proudly support the Black Lives Matter movement and commit to learning and doing more to help support and fight racial injustices and inequality.

YCTA is celebrating its 5th birthday on July 1st! 🎂 🎉 It’s been a wild ride, and I wouldn’t change a thing! I thrive on helping my clients achieve their goals, and find it so gratifying and fulfilling knowing I’m making a positive difference in people’s lives … especially since it impacts their career, income, personal relationships, and, for some, their confidence (and sanity!). 

Heartfelt thanks and appreciation to my wonderful and talented clients who have entrusted me with their job search journey, and many others I’ve met and worked with along the way. These include those who have facilitated the growth of my business through their referrals and introductions, those who’ve extended invitations to exclusive networking events or to join collaborative communities for entrepreneurs, and, finally, those who have played key supportive roles (i.e. my Virtual Assistants, Business Coach, and everyone involved in the amazing Business Accelerator Program I participated in last year). 

This month’s newsletter addresses the importance of having a strong LinkedIn presence by sharing 5 key ways to strengthen your LinkedIn presence so you stand out and get noticed.

Enjoy reading this month’s newsletter! I welcome your feedback as well as input and suggestions on topics that would be of value to you in future newsletters. Please email me at [email protected].

Please stay safe and healthy, and enjoy celebrating the July 4th holiday!  

Warm regards,

P.S. I invite you to share my newsletter with anyone you feel could benefit from receiving valuable content and insights specific to mid- to senior level executive job seekers/career changers. 

P.P.S. To learn more about Your Call To Action and how I help my clients go from being frustrated, burned out, stuck in a toxic environment or worried about being downsized, to feeling excited, valued and re-energized at work (and in their life) again, take a look around my website.

5 Key Ways to Strengthen Your LinkedIn Presence & Get Noticed

According to LinkedIn, there are over 675 Million monthly users globally (30% live in the United States). 303 Million are monthly “active users” of which 40% use the site every day! In addition, there are over 30 million companies on LinkedIn. Over ¾ of all recruiters (internal and external) use LinkedIn to fill positions, 1/3 of which are in upper management positions. 

If you are a job seeker and aren’t using LinkedIn to power your search, think again! Effective job search strategies vary depending upon your experience level and where you’re at in your career; however, they all view LinkedIn as an important resource to be used in one’s search.   

Following are 5 key features and tips for mid- to senior-level executives looking to stand out, get noticed and land an exciting and challenging new position in today’s business climate.

YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE

Before we go further and discuss potential changes you’ll make to your profile, be sure you FIRST turn off the setting that asks if you want to “Share job changes, education changes and work anniversaries with your network.” If you don’t do this and you make changes on your profile, you’ll have hundreds of your connections banging on your door Fred Flintstone style!

To do this:  click on the Me icon on the gray bar at the top of your LinkedIn home page ➡️ Under the Account section, click on Settings and Privacy ➡️ Under Privacy (center column), scroll down to How Others See your LinkedIn Activity ➡️ Click on Share job changes, education changes and work anniversaries. Look to the far right and make sure it says NO.    

Headshot – if you’re serious about landing a new position, be sure to upload a current professional looking headshot. You don’t have to hire a professional photographer, just be sure your phone takes great pictures, you’re dressed appropriately and are in a setting with good lighting and a neutral, non-distracting background.  

❗️Tip: I consistently hear that companies skip over potential candidates who don’t have a headshot, so set yourself up for success and upload a picture!

Headline – this is the sentence below your name, and is THE most prominent real estate on your LinkedIn profile. A good headline should reflect who you are and your expertise OR who you are and the value you provide your future employer. (The ‘who you are’ is something like Results-driven Healthcare Marketing Leader, or Forward-thinking Operations Executive, etc.)

❗️Tip: Refrain from indicating in your headline (and profile, for that matter) that you are open to opportunities, seeking a new position, #ONO, on sabbatical or anything similar to this. Companies are looking to hire the best candidate, regardless of whether or not they are employed. Your profile should focus on highlighting who you are, your expertise, and the value you provide in achieving your future employer’s needs.  Anything else devalues your brand.

About – Many people skip this section, yet it’s a great way to provide a high level overview of who you are and what your expertise is. Make sure it's forward thinking …  as if you’re describing what you’ll be doing in your next role.

❗️Tip: It is common practice to copy the Summary section from your professionally written resume and paste it into the About section. Depending upon your area of expertise, some executives also list out Core Competencies using bulleted keywords/phrases or call out Career Highlights using quantitative accomplishment statements.

Experience – More people will be looking at your LinkedIn profile than will ever see your resume. As such, in order to highlight your experience, it’s best to write a descriptive paragraph about your role and responsibilities in each of your positions along with a list of 3-5 bulleted accomplishments/success statements.

❗️Tip: Be sure all sentences begin with strong action verbs – in your current role (if still employed), the paragraph should be in present tense and the bulleted accomplishments should be in past tense. If you’re in between jobs, all strong action verbs should be in past tense.

Endorsements – Endorsements are LinkedIn’s version of testimonials, and, like headlines, they are a significant part of your LinkedIn profile. Be strategic about who you ask to write an endorsement for you: think of it as a 360 so be sure you include company leadership, peers, direct reports, partners/vendors, other cross functional leaders you’ve collaborated with, etc.

❗️Tip: I would stay away from asking your managers for endorsements, as you’ll want to ‘save’ them for later in the interview process when your future employer asks for references.

CONNECTIONS

Aside from your profile, connections (your network) are the heart and soul of LinkedIn.  As a mid- to senior-level executive, you know the importance and value of having a strong network. However, what’s most important is the quality of your network, not the quantity. So be strategic yet open to connecting with professionals where there is a strong possibility of a mutual benefit. 

When sending a connection request (or viewing one sent to you), answer the following questions:  Could this person introduce you to others in their network that could help advance your search? Could this person help provide company, industry or other knowledge/advice that will help in your search? Does this person have a similar career path as you, where you could mutually benefit by brainstorming together, sharing industry trends, provide introductions to headhunters, etc.? 

❗️Tip: When sending a connection request, ALWAYS take the time to write a short and concise custom note and include a brief reason for why you want to connect.  This dramatically increases the chances of people connecting with you -- this is a great habit to get into.

PREMIUM

One of the common questions mid- to senior-level clients ask me is “Should I upgrade to the Premium version?” If you can afford it, I highly recommend upgrading for 2 key reasons:

• You can send/receive more InMails. If you want to communicate with a prospective employer, headhunter, or expand your network, and you don’t have the individual’s email address or phone number, using InMail with a short, concise and compelling message is the best way to reach people. 
  
  
• With the exception of headhunters and recruiters who usually remain anonymous, having the ability to see who is viewing your profile is invaluable. Is this someone from a company you’ve been following or reached out to? Could this person be a great networking contact? Could this person help provide company, industry or other knowledge/advice that will help in your search? When applicable, decide what your next steps are and take action!

LinkedIn offers a free 30 day trial for their Premium version, so you have nothing to lose by trying it and seeing if you’re getting value from it.

FOLLOW COMPANIES

For those of you who have created a list of target companies, I recommend you go into each company’s LinkedIn page and follow them. You’ll get up-to-date information about the company on your news feed, which, in turn, will help you frame communications with the company, and will be beneficial during your interviews with them. Knowledge is powerful!

GROUPS

LinkedIn Groups are a great way to connect with like-minded professionals, provide value, and  expand your network. I recommend joining a variety of groups, including those that are industry related, job function related, former employer groups (many large companies have these and are administered by former employees) or college alumni groups, etc. 

A key aspect of being in a group is having access to their member list. The bigger the membership, the better as you have others from across the country (and globe) to network with. Don’t forget to connect and talk with people from outside your home city, too. 

Remember, you’re networking and, at its core, networking is a give and take. While you may be seeking help or advice, don’t forget to ask how you can be of help or how you can reciprocate. Plus, it feels good to help others!

Some LinkedIn Groups are more active and engaged than others. Feel free to post articles, start threads and/or respond to posts … just be sure you are providing value and not self-promoting. This is a great way to start getting noticed, especially if you do this with some level of consistency.

In closing, believe it or not, there are many more ways to leverage the power of LinkedIn in your search, which I will save for another day. As you reflect on what’s listed above, what 3 things are you going to implement NOW to enhance your LinkedIn presence, you stand out and get noticed? 

Here are a couple of informative articles that will help you maximize your use of LinkedIn in your search:

How Hashtags Can Help Your Job Search

24 LinkedIn Rules You Might be Breaking

If you are a mid- to senior-level executive and motivated to find your next opportunity (or know someone who is), I'd love to speak with you to better understand your situation, what you're looking to do, and see how I can be of help. Book your complimentary 40-minute Strategy Session here.

Over the years, I’ve helped a number of clients launch their own businesses vs. seeking another corporate position. LinkedIn is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs, as well, yet the way one’s LinkedIn Profile is written is dramatically different than a “corporate LinkedIn” profile. For those of you who are entrepreneurs or will soon be taking the leap, please read on!

I’m pleased to introduce you to my friend, colleague and LinkedIn expert for business owners, Angela Dunz, who offers the following helpful insights and services to ensure your LinkedIn profile well represents you and your business, builds up your know/like/trust factor, and attracts your ideal clients. 

Professional Branding on LinkedIn

What does that mean? 99% of the Professionals I talk to are frustrated, confused or overwhelmed by LinkedIn. They just don’t know what they should be doing there to build their business and consistently generate leads.

It’s so much simpler than you think.

A strong Professional Brand sells itself. The decision to choose you is already made, it’s just a matter of timing. Trust, visibility, caring and understanding ~ are all built into strong brands. If someone looks at your profile (and over 70% of your potential clients do) what will they see?

Do you clearly state who you work with? What results you will help them achieve? What problem you will help them get rid of? How you are different from your competitors?

A great LinkedIn Profile is engaging, it will start a conversation or invite a new connection. It provides valuable resources for your target audience. It establishes your credibility. How’s your profile?

For a complimentary Initial Consultation to explore how you can get started building your brand and your business on LinkedIn, click here.

Angela Dunz is the Introvert’s guide to LinkedIn. For 7+ years she has been a LinkedIn Consultant, Sales Trainer, Content Strategist, and Public Speaker. She built her business working with coaches, consultants and small businesses. Right now, she is in high demand as everyone scrambles to improve their online presence and shift business to Digital. Angela is a former high school rodeo champion, rock-climbing guide, and NFL (Packer) fan. Watch for her upcoming book, Conversations with Skunks. 

Angela Dunz
LinkedIn Consultant & Coach • Build your business on LinkedIn! • Public Speaker
https://calendly.com/angeladunzconsulting/30min
P 415-419-1781   
 

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Prior to launching Your Call To Action in 2015, Audie spent over 30 years in technology sales and sales leadership roles working with C-Level and other key stakeholders at Fortune 1000 companies utilizing a consultative and value-based approach to addressing her clients' needs.

Due to the evolving nature of the technology industry, it was common to change companies due to M&A, new leadership coming in and bringing their own team, corporate restructurings, or as a way to advance one's career. Audie became very proficient — and successful — in landing multiple offers each time, and was frequently complimented on how she stood out (in a good way!) from other candidates throughout the interview process.

She leverages her business acumen, consultative and value-based approach to sales, and professional coach training (ICF Certified) in working with clients and delivering her proven methodology, strategies and tips for successfully landing a new position (after all, one needs to sell oneself, right?).

Audie is intuitive, nurturing, and compassionate yet firm—all of the qualities you should want in a coach. She is your accountability partner with a focus on helping you get real results ... and you’ll also have fun along the way!

Want to learn more? Click here to book a Complimentary Strategy Session.