LinkedIn is considered one of the leading social media platforms for professional networking and some employers now actively investigate the digital footprints of potential candidates before making hiring decisions.
In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Kamara Toffolo, Resume Writer, LinkedIn Consultant, and Job Search Strategist, joins us to talk about some strategies you can use to make your LinkedIn profile stand out in your network and impress potential employers.
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Music Credits
The following tracks were used to produce this podcast episode:
I encourage use of LinkedIn because people are looking, um, people are going to background check you wherever you might as well, give them something that you can control. Uh that's that you can, um, make sure is reflecting you in the best possible way. So LinkedIn is like your own kind of real estate on the internet. So you. Claim it
Sully:
this is the public health insight podcast.
Ben:
Before we move on is important to note that the views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not represent any of the organizations we work for or affiliated with.
Sully:
In the previous episode, Gordon and Leshaun spoke with Camaro Buffalo, resume writer, LinkedIn consultant, and job search charges, where she talked about the importance of cover letters when to include them in a job application and how to structure them in a way that is engaging for the reader. In the final part of the discussion, Kymera remains with us to share some easy strategies you can use to optimize your LinkedIn profile so that you will leave a positive impression in your network as potential future employers. This is where they left off.
Gordon:
So, you know, LinkedIn is, I would say probably, uh, one of the more professional, uh, social media platforms. And I've heard rumors personally, that employers are now sort of actively investigating your, uh, digital footprints. Uh, if you're a potential candidate being considered, how true.
Kamara:
Very Very
Gordon:
Very true. Okay. So you heard that, so make sure your profiles are, you know, up to standards. So on that note, that was a very quick answer. Appreciate it. So how PR in terms of the practical sense, how do we ensure that our LinkedIn profile is standing out or at least not hindering our chances of getting, uh, considered for a job?
Kamara:
We want to have first of all, a full and complete profile. So, um, there are certain parts of LinkedIn profiles that you don't need to invest time in, but we really want to focus on a few key areas, headline. We want to make sure that that is well-written and, um, not just auto-populated by, with our current role that doesn't really do us any favorites. So headline, we, we want to make sure we have a profile picture. So we definitely, we were talking about resume pictures. LinkedIn is the opposite. We definitely want to include a profile picture on LinkedIn professional. Yeah. Um, I remind me to speak more on, on, uh, profile photos because I have some thoughts.
Gordon:
okay.
Kamara:
So headline and then, uh, the about or summary section. Uh, so we get a lot of space in the about section to write about our own story. I think it's up to 2,400 characters now used to be 2000. So that's about a full page of text. Um, and so we have a lot of the space to play with. We have a lot of ability to a lot of space to share things about ourselves, and I can get into more specifics around that as well. Um, then we have our national work or work experience section we'll want to make sure that that's full and complete, and that we're actually talking about our work, not just including the title and the company education. We want to make sure that's filled out. We want to make sure our skills are well-defined and, and skills that we actually possess and skills that we actually need in our career. And then, um, we also have our recommendation section, which is often overlooked and, uh, but very valuable.
Leshawn:
So, I guess in terms of, um, I guess digging a little deeper into that summary section, um, because I know that's like one of the first things I look at when someone adds me or add someone, I want to get to know them a bit more. In a nutshell, what would you want to highlight specifically in that section to stand out?
Kamara:
For sure. So certainly talking about, um, where you're headed in your career, but I think it's really interesting to share where you've been as well. So how did you get into, uh, public health? How did you realize that you wanted to pursue a work in research, public policy, things like that. Um, what about your personal backgrounds, uh, really lends itself to, um, work or kind of lit a fire in you to have a passion to work. Public health or working within the field. Uh, so sharing things like that, uh, would be really valuable and make that section quite engaging. Um, so that's, that's mostly what I would recommend. Uh, as we get further, along into our careers, we can also pull out a few of our biggest career wins, biggest career highlights. Uh, and, um, yeah, there's a lot, there's a lot we can do with that section because it's
Gordon:
Yeah.
Kamara:
form. Um, so yeah.
Leshawn:
Curious, I guess about that the big career wins or career wins. How do you do that in a way without showing off too much or coming off as kind of rubbing people off the wrong way?
Kamara:
Hm, I don't, I think we're so geared towards modesty that anything that goes against that feels like arrogance or bragging. Uh, but it's, it doesn't read like that necessarily. So, uh, you can talk about things that you're proud of, um, or that you found memorable, um, or that you, um, when you reflect on, on what you've done in your career, uh, things that stand out to me include this, this, this, um, or, um, or like things like in my career, I really hit my stride when I did this. Uh, or, you know, a big milestone for me was when I did this, because it led to. Uh, there's just a lot of different things that you can share. Uh, and I would not stress that it is, it comes across as arrogant or braggadocious because it, oftentimes I find that profiles, resumes, everything that's written, uh, is overly modest and not properly marketing ourselves. So I'd rather people stray more towards bragging. If that makes sense. Uh, then, then tomorrow.
Gordon:
We didn't really touch on this for the resume section, but a lot of times in resumes, we do the week that my team, when we should really be talking about how integral we were to that whatever particular project getting done. So is that kind of more of the same vibe we're too modest and it might actually be hurting how people perceive us.
Kamara:
Yeah, we definitely don't want to downplay our contribution. Uh, after all your resume in particular, this is important on your resume to not downplay your contribution on your resume. Um, and on your LinkedIn, you're marketing yourself. You're not trying to get your colleague. You're trying to get, you're trying to get yourself a job. Um, you're not trying to build up your employer, you're trying to build up yourself. So, um, yeah, definitely. We want to make sure that we are talking about, as you said, our contribution, our involvement, our participation in whatever it was, um, where it can be valuable to say my team is particularly if you are a leader of teams. So under my leadership, I guided my team to this. Um, or if you really want to talk about how great your team was, uh, I was lucky to lead, or I felt lucky to have the opportunity to lead a team, uh, to achieve blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So you're kind of peppering in a little bit of modesty and a nod to your team, but you're still taking credit for it.
Leshawn:
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And I think a lot of the times we often are modest in public health. So, um, that's definitely a note today. Um, I guess kind of taking it back a bit, um, for someone who's maybe thinking, Hey, I maybe I don't have a LinkedIn profile. Why should they make a profile and why would it be beneficial to this whole job searching process?
Kamara:
So I encourage use of LinkedIn because people are looking, um, people are going to background check you wherever you might as well, give them something that you can control. Uh that's that you can, um, make sure is reflecting you in the best possible way. So LinkedIn is like your own kind of real estate on the internet. So you. Claim it, um, and, uh, yeah, employers very actively used LinkedIn, like very, very actively. And so it's, it's the best place to be if you like, you can leave every other social media platform behind. But LinkedIn is the one thing that I really hope people embrace, uh, because you are being background checks. So you might as well. Good.
Gordon:
Yeah.
Leshawn:
that's fantastic.
Gordon:
one more thing to add to that? I have applied to jobs and I know one of the things you mentioned in your advice is to hyperlink, make sure your hyperlink, the email and hyperlink, the LinkedIn profile, and, you know, depending on the privacy settings you have, or the person viewing your file, you might be able to see who's viewing. And I have seen times for when I've applied to jobs that you could see kind of when a recruiter is checking you out. And it's kind of cool to know. So even if it's just for that purpose alone, it's pretty good.
Kamara:
Yeah.
Gordon:
Camaro, I wanted to give you a chance to, tell people where to find you. Um, you know what you'd mentioned, your cover letter or resources that you have available and just your partying, uh, uh, words of wisdom for frustrated job searchers.
Kamara:
Okay. So, um, where I can be found. So I'm, cmera talk low everywhere, and I hang out most on YouTube. LinkedIn and Twitter, so you can find me there. Um, and, uh, yeah, I hope you find my videos helpful. I post new videos every Thursday, uh, and, um, I'm very active in the comments. So let me know what questions you have and I will do my best to help in terms of people feeling a little de-motivated with their job search. Things are really heating up right now. Uh, and in health, you're in a very good industry, uh, uh, particularly for, um, the, the state we're in right now. Uh, and so, um, just keep at it, but do not underestimate and do not overlook how important it is to first get your target job nailed down before anything else. Uh, because that is just the most important part and it will, um, really, I think it will really help you optimize your job search where you may have been running into some obstacles is almost always the answer.
Sully:
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