Tips on developing and enhancing your LinkedIn profile

1. Enhancing your Academic online presence
using
SueBeckingham @suebecks SheffieldHallamUniversity

2. “Social Media gives more
people a voice and provides
a powerful tool for value
creation and competitive
differentiation”
Advanced Human Technologies 2010

3. We need to be seen as role
models for our students
Our students returning from
placement and graduates can also be
role models
http://www.slideshare.net/suebeckingham/social-media-for-placement-networking

4. Our students need to be
prepared for 'social recruitment'
Social media screening, Skype interviews and online CVs
• 42% of companies are now using video interviews to recruit roles
• 45% of employers now use social media to screen job candidates
• 34% of Jobseekers are using online profiles and using Twitter to make
first contact with employers
Guardian Careers 2015
http://www.theguardian.com/careers/2015/nov/22/social-media-skype-and-online-cvs-new-ways-to-get-a-job-live-chat

5. https://press.linkedin.com/about-linkedin
build
connections
group
discussions
collaboration
opportunities
share your
expertise
Why LinkedIn?

6. https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/profiles/cases-2/
This project has developed a toolkit of resources to support the effective use of
LinkedIn by staff and students made up of artefacts in multiple media, including:
• Video ‘talking heads’ of employers describing how they scrutinise LinkedIn
profiles, and other social media, as part of their recruitment strategies;
• Short video case studies featuring alumni and how they understand the
importance of social media in relation to getting a job;
• Case studies from students and advisors describing their use of LinkedIn and
how this has helped them, especially in becoming confident, networked
professionals;
• Leading academics talking about the importance of maintaining a
professional network.

7. The interface keeps changing so do
refer to the up to date resources
provided by LinkedIn
https://help.linkedin.com/app/home
LinkedIn Help

8. Questions to consider
Who will look at your online profile?
 What do people want to know about you?
 Where will they use this information?
 Why is your profile important?
 When and how often do you update it?
 How will you use your profile to your advantage?

9. Shining the spotlight
on LinkedIn
MAKING
CONNECTIONS
SKILLS AND
ENDORSEMENTS
RECOMMENDATIONS
SEARCH GROUPS
DIGITAL
SCHOLARSHIP

10. Expand your network

11. Image source: Noah Sussman
3
1
2
Building a
valuable network

12. Weak Ties
Strong Ties
YOU
Strong Ties
Friends or Peers
are less likely to
be able to
provide new
information or
connections
Weak Ties
May be able to
introduce you to
new people
with potential
company
information and
potential job
offerings

13. The power of online connections
• recruitment/job seeking
• develop a personal brand
• opportunity to learn and share
• global connections
• maintain connections
• ongoing 24/7 networking
• ability to be known and found
• 6 degrees of separation
4.74*
* Facebook study

14. Understand your audience
The way you tell your story will depend on whose attention
you’re trying to attract. Whether it’s peers in your professional
network, potential research or business partners, or other useful
business contacts, understanding your audience will help you
tailor your LinkedIn profile to speak directly to them.

15. Complete your profile

16. Put a face to your name
First impressions count. Including a professional photo in your
profile brings your story to life and attracts more attention on
LinkedIn. LinkedIn state that members with profile photos
receive 14x more profile views than those without.

17. Create a headline that
reflects your skills/interests
Along with your photo, your headline is the first thing people
see on your LinkedIn profile. Use this area to speak directly to
your target audience, including phrases or keywords they might
be using to find you.

18. Tell your professional story
Demonstrate your expertise.
Use the Summary and Experience sections of your profile to
showcase your career and experience – and show others why
you’re someone worth knowing.
Be sure to include keywords and phrases that highlight your
best skills and improve your visibility in LinkedIn and Google
search results.

19. Let your network speak for you
Get recommendations and endorsements of your skills from
colleagues, employers, and professionals who can speak to your
abilities and contributions. Having personal advocates will give
you even more credibility.
Leadership
Team working
Digital
Literacy
Problem
Solving
Negotiation
and persuasion
Communication
Organisation
Emotional
Intelligence

20. Showcase your work
Nothing shows your quality of work to contacts better than rich,
tangible examples. Upload or link to previous work, such as blog
posts, presentations, images, and websites, and give people a
reason to engage with you.
You may also link your SlideShare presentations and auto upload
them to your profile in your Summary section.

21. SlideShare
http://www.slideshare.net/suebeckingham
Showcase conference presentations

22. SlideShare analytics

23. Showcase your publications

24. Make yourself easy to find
Your LinkedIn profile tells your professional story and can help
cement new relationships. Make sure people are seeing it.
Customise your public profile URL to increase your chances of
appearing in search results and make it easy for people to find
you. Add to business cards, website/blog, email signature.

25. Updating your profile
On your profile page you can
turn updates off whilst you are
making edits
When adding new publications also consider adding to:
• LinkedIn profile
• SHURA Sheffield Hallam Research Archive
(or your institution's equivalent)
• Academia.edu
• ResearchGate
• Mendeley

26. Using social media to remain
in good standing
Middleton and Beckingham 2015

27. “Your brand isn’t what you say, it is,
it’s what Google says it is…”
It has the power to influence people
to invest (or divest) in you.
(Joel 2009)
Remember....

28. Senior Lecturer in Information Systems and Educational Developer with a
research interest in the use of social media in education.
Blog: http://socialmediaforlearning.com/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/suebeckingham
Sue Beckingham | @suebecks