How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for a Successful Job Search

Having a professional-looking LinkedIn profile is a must when you are actively searching for a job. Online presence is becoming an essential and fundamental part of your job search. Hence, you should optimize and leverage your LinkedIn profile. Optimize your LinkedIn profile with following tips:

1.Start with an Appealing Headline

You don’t have to be a quirky writer in advertising. But as PhD candidate you should have a headline with basic information about your degree and that you are seeking a job (industry-specific).

Your headline needs to communicate that you are not just a “student “but a professional

Example: University of Houston PhD Candidate | Interested in Economic Modeling and Patient-centered strategy| Dean’s List 2020 | XYZ Summer Intern

2. Use a Professional Profile Photo

LinkedIn is not Instagram. This is a professional network and to portray yourself as professional a profile photo depicting the same is a must. Don’t hire a photographer! Just a simple picture of you, appropriately dressed, and a smile is perfect.

3. About section

Must have section! Your chance to portray your professional image and expertise. Do Mention what you are currently doing. What are your interests(job-related), your achievements (publication, presentations) and enlist your competencies (relevant coursework/skills).

Keep it simple and in a first-person

Examples:

• Currently, I am a doctoral candidate at XYZ university pursuing my dissertation in the XYZ disease area using ABC methods to find XYZ results/Impact. Past experiences and competencies.

• Over three years of experience within the field of HEOR. I am currently working to understand relationships in risk of stroke and non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants through claims data analysis.  I am driven by methods development to translate prediction modeling in healthcare and am looking forward to working in this area or wherever the next opportunity leads. Competencies:  Biostatistics, Real-World Evidence, Epidemiology.

4. Get a LinkedIn custom URL

You don’t want to add a URL that looks like linkedin.com/in/sdhkJSDLJADHD

So, get a custom LinkedIn URL?

• Go to your profile and click the “Me” icon at the top right corner of the homepage.

• On the right side, click “Edit public profile and URL”

• Go ahead and personalize it

Use this link on your CV and while emailing job recruiters/ references

5. Experience section

This is similar to your CV, but you have more space to be detailed.

Include relevant jobs and add a few lines to describe your key responsibilities. You can also create a project section to add Relevant projects or volunteer work. But they should be related to the field you are trying to find a job in.

6. Education

This section is a no-brainer! But if you are PhD student there is no need to catalog your high school. You can limit it to undergraduate education. List qualifications in descending chronological order. Add relevant coursework under each institution/degree listed.

7. Add skills relevant to your job field

Don’t add too many skills just for sake of it. Add skills relevant to the degree a job you are seeking.

As a biology graduate, adding bartending as a skill is irrelevant (I have seen this on LinkedIn).

However, adding soft skills is helpful as they are always mentioned in the job description of most of the jobs. Examples: communication, team player, leadership.

8. Volunteer experience

This is crucial when you don’t have any work experience. But even if you are employed it reflects your commitment beyond the workplace. Add relevant information that supports your professional role or cause that is close to your heart. This will allow potential employers/HR/connections to get a close look into who you are or the causes you care about.

Examples:

• Volunteered once a month as inventory intake help at a local food bank
• Volunteered as a local caregiver for dementia patients at XYZ senior living
• Volunteered for the XYZ Animal Shelter, rescued 50 dogs, and fostered 12 puppies

9. Add accomplishment section

Flaunt your accomplishments! Use this to highlight your patents. projects, publications, and honors/awards.

Quick tips

• Network! Network! Network! Not just with fellow graduates but industry leaders
• Request recommendations
• Have Online Presence: Share relevant content from your LinkedIn feed