Update Your LinkedIn Profile At Every Stage of Your Career

Why? Past positions are hidden away accordion-style with a “See more” option—and most people won’t bother to click this. However, your current job description is right there, wide open, waiting to be read.

So try what I call the “Blurb-Twist-Proof” approach. Your blurb frames your day-to-day in terms of your talents (rather than job duties). Then your twist connects those talents to your proof (aka results). It looks like this:

My role with MuleSoft was a chance to further my skills as a relationship builder and sales leader. Driving business outcomes for the Denver team has shaped my ability to understand customer pain points, and my “Let’s figure it out” approach helped create engaging mobile experiences.

Value that I’ve contributed on the Denver team includes:

• Increasing sales revenue by 430% by framing product roadmap changes as value-add features that secured two new $100K+ accounts
• Copresenting an “Everybody Sells” training workshop that taught all employees how to explain products (program led to a relationship with the San Francisco Giants)

Word to the wise: Curate just two to three of your top talents in this space, lengthy paragraphs simply won’t get read. Plus, a short preview lets people know you have even more to offer.

MID-CAREER: 7–15 YEARS

At this point, your goal is to capture your leadership ability and the specialized set of skills you’ve gained. You’ll also want to demonstrate that by hiring you, employers are becoming a part of your strong network of industry contacts.

Recommendations are the drop-dead best social proof in showing that you’re connected with influential figures in your industry. Give them just as regularly as you ask for them. (It’s a two-way street!)

Here’s my template for requesting them:

Hi [Name],

I’m about to [start a job search / pitch an idea] and a recommendation from you would help me gain some serious traction.

I’m hoping to highlight [talents you want to highlight], but would value anything you write from the heart.

If it’d be easier for me to provide a potential draft for you to edit, please let me know, and thanks in advance for considering this.

Best,

[Your Name]

These small write-ups are an opportunity to show visitors both the community you’ve created for yourself and the fact that you’re someone who people are happy to recommend.

C-LEVEL, VP, OR DIRECTOR: 15+ YEARS

At this point, your profile likely tells a cohesive, compelling story about your skills, experience, and passion. Way to go! All that’s left is creating and distributing some rock-solid thought leadership content.

The value in publishing these items is twofold. First, it increases the visibility of your profile and number of visits because all of your connections get a notification when you publish. Second, it solidifies you as an expert within your industry.

If you’re not much of a writer, consider sharing your insights using short videos. Or if you’re strapped for time in general, use “commentary” posts. Find a relevant article for your industry, write a paragraph intro sharing your thoughts on the content, and then post it. The goal is to market yourself with content that solves a top problem of your target audience while creating a dialogue among your network.

Figuring out what story to tell at different points in your career can be a challenge. But, you need more than keywords to impress on LinkedIn. Get creative as you update your profile and capture your “So what?” factor using elements that others tend to overlook!