Effective Profiling
A crisp and clear personal profile is an important element that might help get you
an opportunity to interview with companies.
One should ensure that profile is short and includes educational background, skills
and a summary of relevant experience. This is a great way to capture a recruiter's
attention and help them understand why one would be a preferred candidate over
the others.
How to Build a Professional Student LinkedIn Profile
A LinkedIn profile acts as an interactive business card. It’s a summary of
professional experience, interests, and capabilities that is designed to attract the
attention of important people who are searching for you online — recruiters,
networking contacts, and grad school admissions officers. A strong profile is a key
differentiator in the job market.
1. Craft an informative profile headline
Your profile headline gives people a short, memorable way to understand who you
are in a professional context. Design a headline as the slogan for your professional
brand, such as “Student, National University” or “Recent honors grad seeking
marketing position.” Etc.
2. Display an appropriate photo
It is recommended to select a professional, high-quality headshot of you alone.
3. Show off your education
Be sure to include information about all institutions attended. Include your major
and minor if you have one, as well as highlights activities. It’s also appropriate to
include study abroad programs and summer institutes. Don’t be shy— your
LinkedIn profile is an appropriate place to show off your strong GPA and any
honors or awards you’ve won.
4. Develop a professional summary statement
Professional summary statement should be concise and confident about goals and
qualifications. Remember to include relevant internships, volunteer work, and
extra
curriculars. Present it in short blocks of text for easy reading. Bullet points are
great, too.
5. Fill your “Specialties” section with keywords
“Specialties” is the place to include key words and phrases that a recruiter or hiring
manager might type into a search
engine to find a person like you. The best place to find relevant keywords is in the
job listings that appeal to you and the
LinkedIn profiles of people who currently hold the kinds of positions you want.
6. Update your status weekly
A great way to stay on other people’s radar screens and enhance your professional
image is to update your status at least
once a week. Tell people about events you’re attending, major projects you’ve
completed, professional books you’re
reading, or any other news that you would tell someone at a networking reception
or on a quick catch-up phone call.
7. Show your connectedness with LinkedIn Group badges
Joining Groups and displaying the group badges on your profile are the perfect
ways to fill out the professionalism of your
profile and show your desire to connect to people with whom you have something
in common. Most students start by
joining their university’s LinkedIn group as well as the larger industry groups
related to the career they want to pursue.
8. Collect diverse recommendations
Nothing builds credibility like third-party endorsements. The most impressive
LinkedIn profiles have at least one
recommendation associated with each position a person has held. Think about
soliciting recommendations from
professors, internship coordinators and colleagues, employers, and professional
mentors.
9. Share your work
A final way to enhance your LinkedIn profile is to add examples of your writing,
design work, or other accomplishments by
displaying URLs or adding LinkedIn Applications. By including URLs, you can
direct people to your website, blog, or
Twitter feed. Through Applications, you can share a PowerPoint or store a
downloadable version of your resume.
How To Write A Personal Profile For A CV
The following steps can help show you how to write a personal profile
for a CV that is clear and compelling:
1. Summarise your career stage
Use this section to highlight where you are in your career. For recent
graduates, you may mention that you have recently completed your
education along with your area of study. Entry-level candidates may
share their short-term experiences, such as trainee or intern positions.
More experienced candidates may summarise their previous work and
designation.
2. Highlight your pertinent skills
You may use this section to give the hiring manager an idea of your
strongest skills that would be pertinent to the role you are applying for.
A great way to highlight this is by using impactful words such as highly
organised, detail oriented or self-motivated.
3. Mention your education and experience
The job you have applied for may require that you meet certain criteria.
To demonstrate that you are an eligible applicant, you may mention your
degree, your vocational training and certifications and your previous
work experience.
4. Describe your career goals
An important factor to mention in your personal profile is your career
goals. This helps the hiring manager understand your dedication to your
work responsibilities. It also helps demonstrate how you may contribute
to the company's goals.
Tips To Write A Personal Profile
To increase your chances of success against other candidates and get an
interview, here are some tips to craft your personal profile:
Keep it short
A personal profile provides a quick overview of your professional
experience as a potential candidate for the company you are applying to.
So, personal profiles that perform well are generally three to five
sentences long. It is best if you can share certain highlights in a single
sentence rather than two, as it gives you more space on your resume for
other important information. The more concise the personal profile is,
the better it may communicate your message.
Customise it for the role
While most of the personal profile remains the same across applications,
you may want to customise it according to the role. You might do this
only when the changes present you as a better candidate. A way to
customise your personal profile is by reviewing the keywords in the job
description you are applying for and then changing words to match. This
may capture a hiring manager's attention more easily.
Use a professional format
It is important to create a personal profile that leaves a strong impression
on the hiring manager, but it is equally important to ensure that it looks
professional. You may use corporate fonts like Times New Roman,
Proxima Nova or Helvetica for a professional look. You may also use a
second font to pair with the primary font. You can even italicise or bold
statements to make them appear more prominent and draw attention to
those sections.
Another way to look professional and create an impression is by mixing
colours to highlight important sections. Use corporate colours such as
black, navy blue, dark grey or blue green. It is best to use a maximum of
two colours in your resume.
Avoid corporate jargon
It is best to stay away from industry jargon or even acronyms. What you
intend to communicate versus what a standardised version of the
acronym means could be different and cause confusion for the hiring
manager. The use of technical jargon may also not add value since you
do not know who is initially screening your resume. If they are not an
expert, you may miss an opportunity. By being clear and engaging, you
may increase your chances of getting an interview.
Add important numbers
Since your personal profile section is short, you can try to avoid using
general phrases other applicants might include on their resumes. You
can be strategic about what to share that may make you appear as a
strong candidate. You can add achievements, such as receiving a
particular award, or factual numbers, such as increasing sales by a
specific percentage, which might help you get an interview.
Remember to proofread
Carefully review your profile to ensure that there are no spelling or
grammar mistakes and that it is easy to understand. You can rewrite
sentences as necessary but try not to overuse contractions. You may
even get it checked by friends or family to be sure that there are no
errors in your personal profile and resume.
