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Genevieve Boron is an Assistant Director and Career Coach at the Wasserman Center for Career Development, School of Professional Studies Office. Before beginning in Higher Education she spent 18 years in K-12 Education and Nonprofits. She loves using the LinkedIn Find Alumni Tool and speaking with students and alumni about how their LinkedIn profile can best tell their unique professional story.
Welcome to a new school year and recruiting season! Take a few minutes to update the basics on your LinkedIn profile since last semester and summer–relevant academic project media, GPA, and any volunteer, internship and/or work experiences. Once that is complete, it’s time to review your Photo, Headline and Summary.
Photo: According to LinkedIn, profiles with a photo receive approximately 7 times the views of profiles without photos.
Ask a friend or family member to take a headshot of you alone and professionally dressed. Look out for the Wasserman Center LinkedIn Photo Booths offered throughout the year. Log in to NYU CareerNet and click Events–> Seminars–> and type LinkedIn to the search box.
Headline: According to LinkedIn, “your headline is a short, memorable, professional slogan.”
The headline is a phrase that highlights your professional value–think about what you are doing now and where you want to go next professionally. Not sure of the wording? View the profiles of other students or recent alumni from your program to spark ideas for your headline.
Summary: According to LinkedIn, profiles containing more than a 40-word summary are more likely to turn up in employer searches.
The summary is the space for you to confidently describe what you have already done and what you hope to accomplish, in a few paragraphs or less. Use the summary to highlight your strengths and help your future employer understand what they can expect from you. If you already have an elevator pitch for professional networking, use that to begin your Summary section.
If you are lost as to what to write here, take time for self-reflection. Ask yourself important questions. What words would managers, professors, and co-workers use to describe me? (If you are not sure, ask a former boss, professor or colleague what they see as your greatest professional and personal strengths.) What do I enjoy most about the work I do and/or my field of study? What do I want to be known for in my career?
Finally, download the LinkedIn Students app and schedule a career coaching appointment via NYU CareerNet to have your LinkedIn profile reviewed.
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