“Instead of using LinkedIn as a passive billboard, you can use the platform to build connections with other professionals in your niche.”
A LinkedIn profile is an important professional material. All students should have a LinkedIn profile to be competitive in the job market. This profile can be used as a more complete record of skills and achievements than the resume; to network with other students; and for students to be visible to recruiters.
The Basics
As with all professional documents, ensure that your LinkedIn profile has:
- Accurate spelling and punctuation
- Consistent tone throughout
- Working links
Compelling Introductory Information
- Professional profile photo
- Customized background image
- Catchy headline that incorporates your target role.
In this screenshot of Ryan Greene’s LinkedIn profile, we can see that his profile picture is zoomed in on his face, that his background shows a relevant illustration, and that his headline includes his industry and area of expertise.
Contact Information
Ensure that all of your contact information is accurate and up-to-date. In addition, ensure that you list your professional email.
Summary Statement
A compelling summary statement is written in clear language, speaks to your experience and background, and demonstrates your professional qualifications.
Ryan Greene’s Sample Summary Statement
Business analyst with a background in mathematics. Trained at Georgia Tech’s Data Analytics and Visualization Boot Camp where I gained a certificate. Insatiable intellectual curiosity and ability to mine hidden gems located within large sets of structured, semi-structured, and raw data. Team-oriented individual with strengths in analytical problem solving and collaborating across diverse groups.
Experience
This section should be listed in reverse chronological order.
Each entry should include the following:
- Job title
- Company name and location
- Dates of employment
Your experience section should include your accomplishments, not just your job duties. Use results-driven bullets to highlight previous project management experience.
Ryan Greene’s Sample Experience
Technical Analyst
Microsoft
Jun 2019 – Present
- Recognized for the development of the well-normalized database
- Increased client satisfaction percentage by 24% with the new indexes and fine tuning of top expensive queries keeping the servers running smoothly at all times
- Contributed proactively to team solutions by the development of faster running reports
- Exemplified leadership skills with management for coaching the team with SQL
- Performed market analysis to achieve stakeholder goals successfully increasing sales by 23%
Computer Support Specialist
IT Company
Oct 2018 – Jan 2019
- Investigated and troubleshooted problematic issues while exceeding team timeline expectations with a 15 hour average for solving cases
- Earned the highest satisfaction rating from a crucial long-term client
Education
Like the Experience section, this should be listed in reverse chronological order. Include your boot camp listed as a certificate.
Ryan Greene’s Sample Education Section
Skills
Your skills section should include at least 20 skills and interests. The skills should be a mixture of technical and transferable, and the interests should be a mixture of personal and professional.
Ryan Greene’s Sample Skills
Industry Knowledge
- Data Analytics
- Python (Programming Language)
- SQL
- Algorithms
- Data Science
- Data Engineering
- ETL
- Data Management
Interpersonal Skills
- Analytical Skills
- Problem Solving
Tools and Technologies
- JavaScript
- NoSQL
- GitHub
- SciKit
- Flask
- CSS
- Pandas
- Jupyter Notebook
- R
- HTML
Projects and Recommendations
Include at least 2-3 projects or features with working links. Also include at least 2-4 recommendations that attest to your skills and work ethic.
Ryan Greene’s Sample Projects and Recommendations
Ryan has included three working projects, as well as a recommendation from a former supervisor and a former teacher.
Former Supervisor
I have known Ryan for several years. I met him in the summer of 2017 when he was enrolled in my Introduction to MATLAB course at USC. I taught this same course again in the fall of 2017 semester, during which time Ryan was a teaching assistant. Ryan, of course, performed very well.
Former Teacher
I had the pleasure of working with Ryan as part of a comprehensive in-person Bootcamp at the University of Southern California. I experience first-hand Ryan’s dedication and sharp focus to differentiate himself and stand out.
