[spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]
“Captivate me with that headline.”
[spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]
Once upon a time, if you wanted a job, you’d look up the jobs section of the newspaper, highlight the jobs you were interested in, send your CV with a covering letter and cross your fingers( and toes) and hope that you’d get a reply and better still, an interview.
[spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]
Today, LinkedIn has taken the place of the newspaper, your CV, and even that first meeting. 
[spacer height=”20px”]
Your presence on LinkedIn matters. In fact, 87 percent of recruiters will vet your candidacy by visiting your LinkedIn profile, according to data from Jobvite
[spacer height=”20px”]
It’s therefore important you have not only a LinkedIn profile, but an outstanding one.
[spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]
Listen to this post here
[spacer height=”20px”]

[soundcloud id=’329508008′ height=’false’]

 [spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]
In March this year, I wrote a post on the 10 steps you need to take to create an effective LinkedIn profile that would be read by recruiters and potential clients. 
[spacer height=”20px”]
Your LinkedIn profile is made up of 3 main parts:
[spacer height=”20px”]
  •  Headline
  •  Summary
  •  Detail
[spacer height=”20px”]
Before someone reads the detail, the first things they’ll see are your photo, your headline and then your summary.
[spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]
Your headline is your slogan. 
[spacer height=”20px”]
Imagine you’re a brand. Your headline is your slogan NOT your job title. (Think Nike: Just Do It; Apple: Think Different) 
[spacer height=”20px”]
Your headline is your chance to be different from everyone else on LinkedIn – to stand out from the crowd. 
[spacer height=”20px”]
It’s where you can take control of your ‘brand’, in other words, say who you are.
[spacer height=”20px”]
It’s where you put yourself in your reader’s shoes and imagine what they would want to know about you.
[spacer height=”20px”]
It’s where you sell yourself, not your job.
[spacer height=”20px”]
When people browse through lots of LinkedIn users, the only information they see is a tiny photo and a headline.
[spacer height=”20px”]
You need to do everything possible to make them want to click to read more.
[spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]
So how do you do this?
[spacer height=”20px”]
Take a look at what the influencers in your industry are doing. Look at their headlines.
Choose the ones you like and ask yourself what you like about them.
[spacer height=”20px”]
What keywords have they used? Try and include them in your headline (that will help with LinkedIn searches)
[spacer height=”20px”]
Then think about how you would describe yourself in a few words in terms of what your value is -not your job title.
[spacer height=”20px”]
For example, my headline is “I help professionals succeed in business with English” NOT Business English Trainer. I am not suggesting my headline is excellent but it’s different.
[spacer height=”20px”]
The headline in LinkedIn only allows you 120 characters. You don’t have to use them all. Short and simple is ideal. 
[spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]
Your summary is your covering letter. 
[spacer height=”20px”]
It’s where people get to know you as a person before they discover what you do and have done throughout your career.
[spacer height=”20px”]
Your summary is your golden opportunity to show your uniqueness.
[spacer height=”20px”]
It’s therefore important that your summary is original and ‘speaks’ with your voice.
[spacer height=”20px”]
Before you start writing your summary, ask yourself these questions* and write down any surprising things you discover:
[spacer height=”20px”]
  • Who am I at work?
  • What are the core features and values of my personality?
  • What unique perspectives and experience do I bring to my field?
  • What original ideas have I brought to the place where I work now?
    [spacer height=”20px”]
•Source: Grammarly
[spacer height=”20px”]
Time to write the summary
[spacer height=”20px”]
Your summary doesn’t have to be long. Take some time to plan it. Once again, you can look at other LinkedIn users’ summaries to get some inspiration.
[spacer height=”20px”]
  1. Write your summary in the first person. Your personality will come through much more clearly.

    [spacer height=”20px”]
  2. Keep it short. Don’t say something in five words that could be said in two. Also, aim for four to five paragraphs of no more than a sentence or two each.

    [spacer height=”20px”]
  3.  Proofread everything multiple times. If you’re not sure about your English, ask a colleague to proofread it. Read your LinkedIn summary out loud to make sure it sounds natural and eliminate mistakes.

    [spacer height=”20px”]
    [spacer height=”20px”]
The Structure 
[spacer height=”20px”]
There are many ways you can structure your summary.
[spacer height=”20px”]
Some people choose the opening line, the pitch, the call to action and the proof. To find out more about this, see here.
[spacer height=”20px”]
Others, like me, choose question headers, call to action and the proof. 
[spacer height=”20px”]
Question Headers
[spacer height=”20px”]
For example, I’ve chosen to answer three questions:
[spacer height=”20px”]
  • This is who I am
    [spacer height=”20px”]
  • This is who I help
[spacer height=”20px”]
  • This is how I help them
[spacer height=”20px”]
The sections allow me to give my reader a glimpse of my personality and values, the clients I help and have helped and showcase my teaching/coaching method.
[spacer height=”20px”]
The Call to Action
[spacer height=”20px”]
It’s important to tell the reader what you want them to do next. Do you want them to email you? Message you? Sign up to your newsletter?
[spacer height=”20px”]
My call to action encourages my reader to contact me directly. A simple “Message me” or “Email Me” would be enough.
[spacer height=”20px”]
The Proof
[spacer height=”20px”]
Attach samples of your work below your summary. Show off that video, slide deck, report, or publication that you finished recently. These embeds are very helpful in proving that you know what you’re talking about.
[spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]
This brings me to the end of this week’s lesson. Having researched and written about this subject, I have a sneaky suspicion that my LinkedIn summary needs updating! Better go off and do that now.
[spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]
On a serious note though, if you’d like me to coach you with writing or updating your LinkedIn profile, please drop me a line at shanthi@englishwithatwist.com. 
[spacer height=”20px”]
Are you a member of the EWAT community?
[spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]

No?

 

[spacer height=”20px”]

Then why don’t you check my homepage and find out the phenomenal benefits being an EWAT member will give you? 

[spacer height=”20px”]
And if you think any of your co-workers or friends would benefit from this lesson, why not share it with them and encourage them to join the EWAT community?
[spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]
Ciao for now 
Shanthi
[spacer height=”20px”]
[spacer height=”20px”]