LinkedIn Cheat Sheet for Beginners
How did we arrive at today’s employment landscape?
Decades ago, job seekers relied on local classifieds, personal connections, and even cold calls. The ‘old boys’ network and exclusive groups often controlled access to high-paying jobs. Employers faced limited local talent pools and inconsistent results from staffing agencies. Now, with global accessibility, job seekers and employers are more connected, but this brings fierce competition. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) filter candidates, but these systems aren’t perfect. Even with a strong application, external candidates often struggle to compete with internal hires and referrals.
LinkedIn is the key to breaking through these barriers. It allows candidates to showcase their resumes, networks, and personal brands while bypassing ATS limitations. For employers, LinkedIn offers a more complete picture of a candidate. It also helps job seekers build networks, gain referrals, and boost their chances of landing jobs by up to 11 times.
Setting Up Your Profile
To access your profile page, click on your small profile picture located above the word ‘Me’ at the top right corner of the screen, then select ‘View profile.’
Profile photo: Opt for a clean, professional headshot wearing attire that reflects your industry or the role you’re aiming for. Aim for a friendly, approachable expression, avoiding overly stern or serious looks. While your background should be free of distractions, it doesn’t have to be plain—consider subtle colors, textures, or elements that enhance your photo without overwhelming it. It’s best to have someone else take the picture, as selfies tend to look less professional. Pay attention to contrast—wearing a dark outfit against a dark background can make you blend in. Additionally, you can upload supplementary photos that reinforce your personal brand or highlight your skills in other areas of your profile. Use the ‘Add Media’ feature to showcase these under your experience section.
Background photo: Adding a background photo to your LinkedIn profile not only enhances its professional appearance but also reflects your dedication to personal branding. Choose an image that resonates with your career aspirations and personal brand. For instance, if you’re aiming for a career in high finance, a backdrop of the NYC skyline might be appropriate. If you don’t have a suitable image on hand, search for ‘LinkedIn background images’ online to find one that aligns with your future career goals. Once you’ve selected an image, save it to your computer. To update your profile, navigate to your profile page and click on ‘Update background photo’ located to the right of your profile picture.
Headline: Craft your LinkedIn headline to reflect your career aspirations, not just your current position. I recommend using the job title you’re targeting, found in actual job postings, followed by a ‘|’ to separate your thoughts, then a few key phrases that highlight your strengths. For inspiration, take a look at my headline or those of professionals in your desired field. Remember, your headline is one of the first things potential employers see on your profile. If well-constructed, it can significantly enhance your visibility. Crafting the perfect headline can be challenging and might require adjustments as your brand evolves. A helpful framework to consider is: ‘Who I am, What I do, Who I do it for, and How I do it.’
Veterans: I don’t recommend using transitioning, retiring, senior leader, senior executive or similar word. These are not actual positions and don’t tell recruiters what job you are looking for. There are no “Senior Leader” jobs out there for us after we transition. Your headline is your personal brand delivered in 3 seconds. Imagine you had to market yourself on a bumper sticker. What would that look like?
Summary:Your LinkedIn ‘About’ section is more than a bio; it’s a strategic way to show how your skills and experience match the job you want. Start by briefly highlighting your experience and using measurable achievements (like numbers or dollar amounts) within the first few lines to grab attention. Include industry-specific keywords to boost visibility in LinkedIn’s search. Use several paragraphs to tell your story, using professional language. For inspiration, look at summaries from industry leaders to see what works. The goal is to engage the reader quickly and show why you’re the best fit for the role.
Veterans: Your LinkedIn summary shouldn’t mirror a military evaluation or job description. Instead, think of it as your response to the interview question, “Tell me about yourself.” This section is not about detailing your military accolades, awards, or past achievements. It’s about showcasing what you can offer to a future employer’s organization. Imagine you had 30 seconds or a half-page magazine ad to market yourself; how would you present your unique value? This summary should address the employer’s fundamental question: ‘Why should I consider you for this role?’ Rather than recounting your past as a military leader, it should narrate your potential as the ideal candidate for a prospective employer. Focus on who you are now and who you aspire to be professionally, not just who you were.
How to Personalize Your URL: If you’re including your LinkedIn profile on your resume—and you should if it’s well-maintained—ensure that your profile URL looks professional. Your URL is the web address that directs others to your profile page. To customize it, access your profile from a laptop and click ‘Edit Your Public Profile’ located at the top right corner. On the subsequent screen, find the section labeled ‘Edit URL’ on the right side, and click the small pencil icon next to your current URL. This will allow you to change it to something that reflects your professional image.
How to find your LinkedIn QR Code: Download and log into the LinkedIn app on your smartphone. Once open, tap the QR code icon located in the Search bar at the top of your LinkedIn homepage. Select the ‘MY CODE’ tab to view your personal QR code. For easy access, tap ‘SAVE TO GALLERY’ to save your QR code directly to your phone’s photo gallery. This QR code serves as a convenient tool for quickly sharing your profile and facilitating connections with others.
Activity: Maintaining an active presence on professional platforms can significantly reflect your commitment to a new career and demonstrate your eagerness to be a leading contributor in your field. While job hunting, aim to engage on these platforms daily and consider posting original content at least once a week. For maximum visibility, posting original content on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 09:00 EST is often recommended, as these times tend to attract higher engagement rates.
Experience: Ensure your LinkedIn profile includes all relevant professional experiences from the past 15 years, or up to a point where previous roles become less relevant to your current career goals. For each position listed, provide a concise description using civilian terminology, and highlight key accomplishments with bullet points. Additionally, consider enhancing your entries with media such as links to your previous organizations’ homepages or any notable press coverage you received during your tenure. If you were featured in a newspaper or published in a professional journal, include these references with corresponding thumbnails. It’s crucial to double-check that the dates of employment on your LinkedIn profile align precisely with those on your resumes.
Veterans: This can serve as a great place to highlight some of the accomplishments that don’t make the cut for your resume. You have more room to work with so sell yourself! When you get down to the skills section, be sure to associate the skills with the entries in the experience section.
Open to Work: You populate in this category if you have turned on the button that states you are “Open to Work.” Some recruiters specifically look for that “Open to Work” banner before engaging.
Engaged with Your Talent Brand: You fall into this category if you are “Following” the company. Since you can follow up to 1,000 companies, I recommend you follow a ton of companies that interest you.
Leveraging Your Profile
Keep in mind that LinkedIn searches typically begin with criteria like current position title, past position titles, location, skills, and education. Your visibility in these searches, driven by LinkedIn’s algorithms, hinges on your effective use of relevant keywords and your profile’s alignment with the search criteria.
Location: It’s strategic to list your location based on where you aim to work. While recruiters often initiate searches based on location, restricting yourself to a narrow area may limit your job opportunities. I recommend setting your location to the nearest major metropolitan area where you plan to work. If possible, select the option that includes ‘area’ in the description to broaden your visibility.
Experience: For optimal impact on your LinkedIn profile, detail your professional experiences from the past decade. For positions held earlier, group them together unless they significantly enhance your personal brand. It’s crucial to provide a description and list notable achievements for each role. This not only enriches your profile but also increases the likelihood of including keywords that improve your visibility to search algorithms.
Veterans: Make sure that when you type company, the service logo appears – that is how you are recognized as a veteran by the algorithms. There is an actual button on LinkedIn Recruiter that, when checked, will only show veterans in the results. You will not populate as a veteran unless one of your jobs has your military service and logo as the “company” in your experience.
Veterans: To ensure you’re recognized as a veteran by LinkedIn’s algorithms, it’s crucial to select the correct organization when listing your military service in the ‘Experience’ section. Make sure to type in the service branch so that its official logo appears next to your role. LinkedIn Recruiter features a specific filter that allows employers to search exclusively for veterans. Without the official logo and correctly listed military service as your ‘company,’ you may not be identified as a veteran in search results.
Veterans: A common feedback from employers and recruiters regarding veteran resumes is their tendency to overstate roles. For example, serving as a Battalion Commander does not equate to being a CEO. Except for flag officers, most military positions do not directly correspond to C-suite levels of civilian corporate responsibility. If you’re unsure about how your military role translates to the civilian workforce, it’s crucial to conduct research or consult with a mentor. Accurately aligning your military title with the appropriate civilian job title is essential—do not rely on guesswork!
Education: Prioritize listing your highest-level degree first on your LinkedIn profile, but be sure to include all of your educational qualifications. Utilizing LinkedIn’s alumni function can uncover valuable connections, revealing individuals from your alma maters who are employed at specific companies—a perfect starting point for networking. To rearrange your education entries, click the four horizontal lines located beneath the pencil icon next to any of your educational details. Due to the potential for age discrimination, I recommend omitting the years of your degrees if they were awarded more than five years ago, to maintain a focus on your qualifications rather than your age.
Veterans: The long list of military schools you have attended is probably irrelevant. If it isn’t something you would mention during a conversation with an employer or use as an example of relevant work experience during an interview then leave it out. If you are remaining within the defense sector, you can keep more of that content. If not, keep it to a minimum.
Skills: Skills are pivotal for both getting noticed by recruiters and assessing your fit for a role at a glance. Recruiters often specify required skills when searching for candidates, which is why I recommend adding the maximum of 50 skills to your LinkedIn profile. Ensure your listed skills comprehensively reflect the requirements of your targeted job positions to affirm your qualification. To accurately identify the necessary skills, leverage your LinkedIn premium insights. Navigate to the ‘Jobs’ tab, search for your desired job title, and explore several listings. Premium insights will highlight the top-10 skills possessed by applicants to these positions, which can reveal critical skills you might have overlooked. Additionally, consider using keyword searches on job descriptions and reviewing the profiles of leaders in your field to further refine your skills list and enhance your profile’s effectiveness.
Veterans: Given that only 1% of the population has served in the military, it’s important to curate the skills on your LinkedIn profile to match your desired civilian job. The 99+ endorsements you may have for Weapons Handling, for instance, are likely irrelevant if you’re pursuing a career in Human Resources. In fact, listing military skills such as counterinsurgency, physical security, or weapons expertise could be misconstrued and potentially unsettling in civilian settings, especially with growing concerns around workplace safety. Focus instead on translating your military experience into skills that are valuable in the civilian workforce, such as leadership, project management, or team coordination.
Tip: Prioritize your top 3 skills to enhance visibility for endorsements. You can reorder your skills by clicking the pencil icon next to “Add a new skill.” In the resulting window, to modify your top-3 skills, click the blue pin to remove one, and click a white pin to add a new skill, turning it blue. This action moves it to the top of your list. Additionally, reorder skills within a subcategory by dragging the three horizontal lines next to any skill up or down. Maximize your profile’s potential by utilizing all 50 skill slots, increasing your visibility in searches and your match rate for job opportunities.
Industry: Select your industry by clicking the pencil icon next to your photo, then scroll to find the industry section. From the drop-down list, choose the industry that best aligns with your career goals. This should be reflective of your work experience.
Groups: Enhance your network by joining relevant groups in your target career field. This not only links you to professionals in the industry but also boosts your profile’s visibility. Active participation is key to expanding your network’s reach. Consider joining military groups as well to connect with veterans who have successfully transitioned and can provide valuable networking opportunities.
Veteran Mentor Network Group: This is one of the most active veteran groups on LinkedIn and a critical resource for your career transition. It offers a wealth of information on transitioning, available programs, job opportunities, mentorship, resume writing, and interview preparation. Join the group, explore the discussions, and when ready, introduce yourself with a brief message outlining your goals and seeking advice. The community response can provide substantial support and guidance.
Connections. The content in your LinkedIn feed includes posts, comments, shares, and likes from your 1st-degree connections. For those transitioning careers, I recommend strategically expanding your network by adding a substantial number of recruiters—aim for at least a hundred—from your targeted companies and industries. This approach will optimize your feed, making it a valuable resource for discovering active job vacancies posted by recruiters. To find recruiters, simply search for a company’s name followed by ‘recruiter,’ or you can search using the term ‘recruiter’ and then use the ‘Filter results by’ options on the right of the page to refine your search by location, company, or industry. These strategies are just the beginning of effectively using LinkedIn to network and pinpoint your next opportunity, but they are crucial steps in building a robust network.
Open to Opportunities: Navigate to your LinkedIn profile and scroll down to ‘Your Dashboard.’ There, you’ll find a link labeled ‘Career interests.’ Click on this to access the career interests page, and at the top of the page, you will see an option to ‘Let recruiters know you’re open.’ Simply click this button to activate your job search visibility.
To enhance your visibility to recruiters, I recommend filling out the job title, location, and industry sections to clearly communicate what you are seeking. Additionally, you can specify your available start date at the top of the job preferences page. Since hiring timelines are typically within a 90-day window, providing your availability helps recruiters immediately understand if they should consider you for roles requiring urgent fills. This ensures a more efficient process for both you and the recruiters.
How to find Mentors or Connections: Start by entering the job title you’re interested in into the search bar at the top left of your LinkedIn screen. After the search results appear, click on the ‘People’ tab to find potential mentors. Now, let’s narrow down these results: On the right side of your screen, you’ll find the ‘Filter People By’ section. First, refine the location by selecting the nearest metropolitan area where you plan to retire; if it isn’t listed, click the +add box, type your location, and select it once it appears. Next, scroll down to ‘Past Companies’ and add your branch of service—whether it’s US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, or US Marine Corps—by clicking ‘Add’ and typing it in. This search will show you professionals in your desired position and location who are also veterans from your branch of service. Once you’ve optimized your profile with the tips provided earlier, reach out to the most relevant matches with an InMail to seek mentorship, connect, or request an informational interview.
Free 1 Year LinkedIn Premium: To activate your complimentary one-year LinkedIn Premium subscription, visit veterans.linkedin.com. Scroll down and click on the designated box for veterans. This will direct you to a new page where you will verify your veteran status using ID.me. Simply click on the blue “Log in with Troop ID” button to begin the verification process.
Maximizing Credibility with Recommendations: Recommendations on LinkedIn significantly enhance the credibility of the skills and accomplishments listed on your profile. To request or give a recommendation, navigate to the individual’s profile, click the three dots adjacent to their profile picture, and choose “Request a Recommendation” or “Recommend.” If it’s your first time, remember that you’ll need to approve any recommendations before they appear on your profile, ensuring that nothing is published without your consent.
The 2-2-2 Rule for Recommendations: As a best practice, follow the 2-2-2 Rule: aim to give and request two recommendations each from peers, superiors, and subordinates. This mirrors the 360-degree assessment method often used in organizational performance evaluations, presenting a balanced view of your professional interactions.