Every fisherman knows before you can enjoy a delicious tuna dinner you have to catch the fish.  How do you catch a fish?  You use really good bait.  The qualifications for “good bait” might change with each fish you try to catch.  Sometimes you might use a worm, or chicken, or maybe another type of fish to put food on your table.  It all depends on your end goal.

Shifting our focus from the depths of the ocean to your LinkedIn profile, the three most valuable pieces of bait in this arena include your photo, headline, and About section.  Identifying the type of employer you are hoping to attract and how to articulate your value can help you figure out the best bait to use when designing your LinkedIn profile.

Photo

According to LinkedIn, adding a photo to your LinkedIn profile makes viewer 14 times more likely to visit your page!  Since this section of your profile has a chance to make quite an impact, make sure your picture is saying what you want it to say.   Your photo should only feature you, the background should be plain and not distracting, your image should be inviting (aka smile), and your outfit should be professional.  You can use tools such as Photofeeler.com to gather feedback from others regarding your profile photo.  (Warning: this website is judgey by design, so keep that in mind if you choose to use it).

An extension of your profile photo is also the banner photo which runs across the top of your profile.  Selecting a banner photo that aligns with your work or industry is a nice touch.  A picture is worth a thousand words.  Make sure your photo and banner are saying the right things about you.

Headline

Your headline is the only piece of bait profile viewers can read in its entirety.  By default, LinkedIn will include your current title and employer as your headline.  You can certainly include this information in your headline.  However, this enticing worm should be edited to include keywords and descriptive language to explain your value.  Try this exercise to help you create content for your headline.  Answer the questions below using as much detailed and descriptive language as possible.  Then look at your answers and identify words you feel uniquely describe your work. Remember, you only have 130 characters, so be critical in your selection.

• How do you do your job more uniquely than others?
• What is your greatest strength in relation to your work?
• Where do you see yourself going in the future?
• Why are you qualified to do your work?
• What is something you want people to immediately know about you when they look at your profile?

Here are a few examples to help you brainstorm ideas about your headline.

Example 1: Mutual relationship builder | Outside the box logistics coordinator | Aspiring event planner

Example 2: Career Coach | MBTI, CCSP, GCDF | Collaborate with clients to design careers through reflection, exploration, & planning

Example 3: Supports community of learners in higher ed | Aspiring academic advisor | Organizer & planner of camping trips

About

The last piece of bait we will cover today is the About section.  More specifically, the first three lines of this section.  Unlike the headline, you have 2,000 characters to work with in this section.  However, only the first three lines with be visible to the viewer without clicking “see more” to read on.

A good format to follow when writing this section is to lead off with a short but factual story about why you enjoy your work and/or why you decided to go into a certain field.  You should try to tell this story in the first three lines.  Then, go onto summarize your professional accomplishments, qualifications, what makes you stand out in your industry, and your next step professionally (if needed/appropriate). Continue to utilize industry-specific keywords that will catch the attention of recruiters and employers.

Just like the activity above, give yourself some time to answer the following questions and then weave your answers into a 2,000-character (or less) story that lets viewers know a little more about you.  You don’t have to answer all these questions.  Just those that apply and help you tell your story.

• Why do you enjoy your work?
• What are some major accomplishments you have been recognized for in your career?
• Was there a pivotal moment in your life that helped you realize the type of work you would like to pursue?
• What skills or strengths do you consistently use well at work?
• Why are you qualified to do your work?
• How would you describe your style as a (insert job title)?
• When someone hires you, what can they expect to get?
• Is there a particular philosophy that guides your work? If so, how would you describe it?

Now that you have all the right pieces of bait, it is time to go fishing! Good luck with your job search.

If you are thinking about updating your LinkedIn profile, my free Resume Workbook can help you gather your thoughts and select which skills, strengths, and achievements to highlight on your profile.  If you enjoyed this post, scroll down to subscribe and my blog will be sent straight to your inbox 😊!