The five most important things to include in your LinkedIn profile

These tips were compiled by Edson College Alumni Coordinator, Angie Haskovec and Associate Director for Alumni Engagement at ASU, Melanie Burm.

LinkedIn is the largest online network for working professionals which is why creating and maintaining a profile is extremely beneficial for those in the health care industry or those interested in getting into the industry, including students.

While there are many tools and benefits to using LinkedIn, the crucial thing you need to do to use LinkedIn effectively is to create a strong profile.

Here are five of the most important things you need to include to make your LinkedIn profile stand out:

1)    Professional photo.

2)    Compelling summary.

3)    Summary of industry experience, expertise and education.

4)    List of skills for endorsements.

5)    Strong headline.

Having a recent, high-quality headshot sets the tone for your profile and is a powerful tool to help you get noticed. In fact, LinkedIn reports that users with a photo in their profile, are viewed 21 times more than someone without a photo.

For those in the health care industry that have specific work attire such as scrubs, it is completely appropriate to wear that in your profile picture if you choose.

Think of the summary section of your profile as the place where you concisely highlight all that you have to offer. You should write this in the first person and emphasize your strengths, experiences and top qualities in your current health care role.

This is also where you can mention what opportunities you are looking for now or what your professional aspirations are down the road.

The industry experience section is where you can expand upon your skills. Similar to how you lay out your resume, use bullet point format to detail what you’ve learned through your various experiences. It’s a good idea to use key terminology or professional language fitting for the health care industry here.

Make sure to list your degree from ASU’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation and follow for updates, events and career insights. You can also include your training and credentials in this section as well. 

The skills and endorsements area on LinkedIn helps to round out your profile. This offers you the chance to choose the skills for which you would like to be endorsed. We suggest selecting at least five but no more than 50 when picking these, so be specific!

For example, listing qualities like “Med/Surg or ICU experience” instead of general qualifications like “hospital experience” will make your areas of expertise stand out even more. Other things you may want to include: volunteer experience, community involvement and accomplishments in your personal life.

Your headline is the area right below your photo and your name. Rather than just listing your position, write something that describes who you are. Make this pop!

For example, if you’re an RN at a local hospital you could say, “Experienced critical care nurse, driven by the desire to make the lives of all patients better through compassionate care and kindness.”

Create a headline that stands out, because after your photo and name this is the first thing people see that describes you and the work you do, so make sure it’s a true reflection.

Once you’re happy with your profile you can take it to the next level by creating a customized URL.

To start, most LinkedIn URL’s follow the format: linkedin.com/in/firstname-lastname but many have numbers or letters added after your name and look something like this: linkedin.com/in/fistname-lastname/123a456b7

To customize your URL follow these quick, easy steps:

• Click on view profile → edit public profile & URL in the top right corner
• Click edit URL again in the upper right corner → customize your link → save

If your first choice for customization is not available try to think of another unique identifier, such as a number or an initial.

After saving your new custom URL, you can add it to your email signature and resume to continue to grow your network and strengthen your personal brand.

Of course, there are many other tips out there, including on LinkedIn, to build an effective profile, but following these five steps can make a big difference with minimal effort.