Enhance Your LinkedIn Profile for Career Success
"Learn key steps to optimize your LinkedIn profile for career opportunities. Discover tips on creating a strong summary, choosing the right profile picture, and showcasing your work experience and education effectively."
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Presentation Transcript
NETWORKING FOR YOUR NEXT CAREER Mark A. Chesney, BSHS, MSL United State Navy (retired) February 2, 2022 https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-a-chesney/
DEVELOP A STRONG LINKEDIN PROFILE Should provide an overview of your skills and experiences, as well as introduce your professional and academic background to recruiters, alumni, and other professionals. An effective profile will include: A well written headline and summary Work & internship experience Academic and/or research projects Education and skills Scrub your Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites and make them private!
CHOOSE THE RIGHT PROFILE PIC AND A NOTICEABLE HEADLINE Your pic should be simple, professional, and features only you A professional quality photo is not necessary Do not use a passport photo Do not use the following Group photos Selfies Blurry or poor quality Informal photos Headline should be brief & informative You want to attract employers and talent agents to your profile At a minimum, include who you are and your position or student status Include the type of job or internship opportunity you wish to pursue
CREATING A STRONG SUMMARY A summary allows you to introduce your academic/professional background to a prospective employer or networking contact. Example: I am currently pursuing my Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security with a focus on Public Health Preparedness through Penn State University s College of Medicine, and I plan to leverage my coursework and professional experience to pursue a career assisting state and local governments develop plans in disaster response. Think of this as your Elevator Pitch Summary framework: Present, Past & Future Current education Professional and/or academic past Your future career aspirations
WORK EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION Add the content from your resume to the corresponding/most relevant sections in LinkedIn Examples: - Led a team of 20 direct reports who were responsible for maintaining certification of 250 clinicians assigned to 65 clinics resulting in 100% compliance during annual assessments. Your Background section should include professional work experience, education, and volunteer work if any Use bullet format and write cause & effect - Effectively managed a $50K budget and maintained fully stocked medical kits, supplies, & medication with 100% inventory compliance. I did this which resulted in that Quantify your work (show numbers)
ADD VALUABLE SKILLS, HONORS & AWARDS, AND ORGANIZATIONS Adding skills to your profile will help employers evaluate your qualifications for a job or internship opportunity List any professional or academic organizations you belong to. Joining professional organizations helps grow your network beyond the academic walls Select the technical skills that you included on your resume Don t forget those soft skills you gained such as conflict management, leadership, and communication List any recognition you may have received to include academic success
ADD TO YOUR NETWORK Network with people who you know. Request fellow classmates and professors. Follow the companies on LinkedIn and find employees who you might have a connection with Graduates from your college Connect with people in the career field you want to work in. Members of an organization you belong to Find recruiters/talent agents, directors, vice presidents, HR managers, and others in leadership roles Get active on LinkedIn Comment, like, and share posts Stay away from politics, religion, and other controversial topics Send them a quick message of who you are and why you d like to connect. You can never go wrong with positivity!
FIND A MENTOR When the time is right, reach out to your network and let them know you are interested Request to borrow some of their time to get advice of the organization and ask them to review your resume Ask if they wouldn t mind being your mentor or if they can help you find one in the organization or career field you want to work in Don t be afraid to share some of your personal interests. Never get too pushy. Those who provide their free time to mentor still have other commitments themselves.
YOUR RESUME WHAT YOU SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT DO Use easy-to-read in 12-pitch font One to two pages based on experience Name and contact info at the top Start with a Professional Summary Followed by 9 bulleted skills Work experience in chronological order No italics, underlining, or colored font No pictures or designs Do not use templates from websites. Such as LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, etc. Always spell out acronyms Never include marriage status, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, or disability Don t apply for jobs you don t qualify for Write to the job description Cause & Effect bullet format Education, Training, Certifications Include your LinkedIn profile
GETTING READY FOR YOUR INTERVIEW
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE Practice with friends and family Attend career fairs Dress as though its real Great place to practice your elevator pitch Talk to everyone, even if you are not interested in the company Bring copies of your resume Apply for positions you know you could get a job for easily so you can practice You might be overqualified Don t get discouraged if you don t get selected
INTERVIEWING FOR THE JOB YOU WANT Research the company you are interviewing Always have 3 strengths & weaknesses Provide examples. The interviewer wants to hear a story of how you handled situations Be honest but not too honest Be relaxed but not too relaxed In a group interview, don t just focus on one person when answering a question What can you bring to the organization? Have a question ready to ask at the end It s history & leadership Mission, vision, & values Company benefits Check news sources about the company Is it growing? Have they had financial troubles recently? Review your interviewer s LinkedIn Be ready for the 50 common questions
AFTER THE INTERVIEW Send a follow up email a day or two later Do not get discouraged if you did not get the position. Thank you for the interview opportunity you provided me. I look forward to hearing your response soon. Request a follow up meeting to discuss how you can improve for future applications This let s them know you are interested This will show that you are still interested in the company If you have not had a response in two weeks, it s okay to contact the recruiter. Keep track of all the jobs you applied for and update the status as you progress Do not contact the interviewer. Remember, there may be dozens of others interviewing for the same job Always have at least 3 references ready
CONGRATS! YOU GOT THE JOB! YAY!!! After many attempts, you ll eventually land a job Send a Thank you email to the person who hired you Don t get discourage if it s not the job you really wanted HR will coordinate with you on any pre- employment requirements such as: Background check The recruiter will negotiate your pay and start date with you FBI finger printing Many companies use experience to determine your pay Urinalysis Make a quick post on LinkedIn that you got the job. Just make sure you are humble and thankful for it! It s okay to ask for more, but keep in mind, there may be a limit to their budget
FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT www.usajobs.gov Connects job seekers with federal employment in the U.S. and around the world with 900+ job postings daily The federal government offers unique hiring paths to help hire individuals that represent our diverse society
FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT You will probably need to take an entry-level job. For many, this could be a pay cut but it s a foot in the door Resumes are typically multiple pages For each work experience, include: Start and end dates (month & year) Number of hours you work per week Pay (annual or hourly) Level and amount of experience Examples of relevant experience and accomplishments that prove you can perform the tasks at the level required for the job Your experience needs to address every required qualification https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/
OTHER HELPFUL SITES Clearance Jobs O*NET OnLine (U.S. Dept of Labor) Contract companies that work with federal, state, & local governments Has detailed descriptions of the world of work for use by job seekers, workforce development & HR professionals, students, researchers, and more. Career One Stop (U.S. Dept of Labor) MUST have an active or current clearance You cannot obtain a clearance on your own Must be sponsored by a cleared contractor or a government agency State & Local government websites (examples) Serves job seekers, businesses, students, and career advisors with a variety of free online tools, information, and resources. Salary.com Pennsylvania Career Link Understand your worth and plan your next career move with easy-to-use tools. York County of Pennsylvania
