January 8, 2022
Keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date benefits both you and your company. Business brands are built on the talent and commitment level of their teams. It's time to share the latest example of what distinguishes you and your company from the pack.
Step 1: Take Stock
Consider what has changed because of the project and who benefits. Make a list of new technologies deployed. Think about the data on results and how it reflects improvements in productivity, responsiveness, and reliability. Comb through feedback from customers, partners, and employees and look for common threads in their reactions.
Step 2: Evaluate Your Profile
Take a close look at your current LinkedIn profile. If you don't have a profile photo, banner, About essay, up-to-date Experience section, or other significant items missing, take this opportunity to complete your profile. But assuming you've already done that, consider how the recent project intersects with how you present yourself on your profile. It may be the latest win in a string of similar initiatives you've helped on or led, or it may have been a bold change of direction for both you and the company. You'll make significant changes, subtle ones, or a mix based on your current profile.
Step 3: Update Your Skills & Headline
Your Skills section should constantly evolve. Review your current Skills list and add terms that are missing. Be careful using acronyms or insider language. You want people seeking someone with your skillset to find you. Use the words they use to search. The top three skills should be the most relevant ones that complement your personal brand. LinkedIn allows you to pin them to the top.
Once you have updated your Skills, take a look at your Headline. It's one of the most critical pieces of your profile because it is one of only a few items displayed in a search result. Every word counts. Consider including a few of your strategic keywords in the Headline to emphasize your expertise in those areas.
Step 4: Tell the Story
There are several ways you can include details about your project in your LinkedIn profile:
- Featured Section – You can include photos, videos, websites, presentations, and more in this section that appears just after your Introduction Card. The high placement draws attention, and it's one of the more visually dynamic sections of a profile.
- Publications Section – If the project received any press, you could link it to your profile.
- Awards Section – If someone honored you or the project with an award, add it to your profile.
- Projects Section – You can describe the project in detail, tag others on LinkedIn who participated (Share the recognition!), and even link to a project profile site. Associate it with the relevant position in your Experience section to add it there as well.
- About Section – If the project is exceptionally strategic and you had a significant role leading it, you might include a few details in your About essay. Conclude by directing the reader to learn more in the Featured or other sections where you post more details.
Projects that have had a positive impact on your business are good news worth sharing. Take the time to update your profile and encourage others at your company to do the same.