How To Use LinkedIn For Beginners - 7 LinkedIn Profile Tips

High-level summary (business focus)

This video is a tactical, step-by-step playbook for using LinkedIn as a business and career-growth tool. It focuses on profile optimization to improve discoverability, credibility, and networking results. The speaker frames LinkedIn as a lead-generation and talent-marketing channel where first impressions and keyword optimization matter.

7-step LinkedIn profile playbook

1. Profile picture (trust signal / conversion)

   • Use a professional headshot: smiling, appropriately dressed, looking at the camera.
   • Purpose: first impression and conversion driver for profile views and connection requests.

2. Headline (SEO / discovery)

   • Customize the default job title to a catchy, industry-specific headline that uses keywords and your specialty.
   • Space: 120 characters.

3. Summary (positioning / value proposition)

   • State who you are, who you help, how you help them, career interests, areas of expertise, volunteer work, awards, and a bit of personality.
   • Structure with headers, subheaders, and bullet points; include contact email at the end.
   • Space: 2,000 characters.

4. Work experience (proof / credibility)

   • Add roles with descriptive titles; select the company from the dropdown to link to the company page.
   • Write in first person; highlight key achievements using keywords and quantified results (%, numbers, $).
   • Mirror your resume but don’t copy-paste.

5. Education (signals & network connection)

   • Add school, degree, field of study, dates, activities/societies, awards; include GPA only if you’re a student or recent grad.
   • Tip: if you are more than 5 years out from undergrad, omit high school.
   • Use media to showcase presentations and reports.

6. Volunteer experience (values / soft-skill signal)

   • Add organization, role, and cause — especially useful if you have limited paid experience.
   • Research note: 41% of companies consider volunteer work as valuable as paid work.

7. Skills & endorsements (keyword tags / social proof)

   • Add and prioritize skills in the Featured Skills & Endorsements area; keep them keyword-specific.

Bonus optimizations

• Background photo: customize (keep simple, follow recommended size); can include a professional title or brand.
• Custom URL: edit your public profile URL to your name or business name for easier sharing and more professionalism.
• Call-to-action (video’s offer): free “LinkedIn Liftoff” — a 5-day email course with a workbook to further optimize other LinkedIn sections.

Searchability, positioning & content tactics

• Treat headline and skills as SEO keywords to improve inbound discovery.
• Quantify achievements in work experience to show impact (use % growth, revenue figures, headcount, cost savings).
• Use a first-person voice and readable formatting (headers, bullets) to guide readers.
• Link company names to their LinkedIn pages to surface mutual networks and employer branding.
• Include contact info (email) to reduce friction for outreach.

Concrete examples & audience-specific tips

• Recent grads:
  • Include GPA and activities.
  • Use the volunteer section heavily if paid experience is limited.
• Experienced professionals:
  • Omit high school after 5+ years.
  • Focus on quantified achievements and linking to company pages.
• Use media attachments (presentations, reports) in education and experience to showcase work.

Key metrics, limits and claims to track

• Platform growth claim: “Two new users join LinkedIn every second.”
• Profile-picture impact: profiles with a photo reportedly get 21x more profile views and 9x more connection requests.
• Summary character limit: 2,000 characters.
• Headline character limit: 120 characters.
• Employer sentiment: 41% of companies value volunteer work as much as paid work.

Actionable checklist (quick implementation)

• Upload a professional headshot.
• Write a 120-character keyword-rich headline.
• Draft a 2,000-character summary that covers who you are, who you help, and how you help them; add your email.
• Add work roles; quantify accomplishments and link to company pages.
• Populate education (GPA if a recent grad), activities, and media.
• Add volunteer roles and causes.
• Add and prioritize skills; seek endorsements.
• Customize background photo and public profile URL.

Presenter / source

• Heather Austin — ProfessorAustin.com and The Career Club (Facebook / YouTube)