When I run training seminars on LinkedIn, I often get questions on how to maximize the power of the advanced tools like searches, applications, and introductions.  While helpful, those tools aren’t where the real value of LinkedIn is (or where most of the mistakes are made).  People don’t realize that the best time spent on LinkedIn is making sure that your profile is complete and looks professional! 

It’s like going to an interview or a networking event, you want to make sure that you are making a great first impression before worrying about the questions you might get asked.

Here are three simple things to do before you tackle the advanced tools on LinkedIn:

1. Get your Profile to 100%.  The LinkedIn system will tell you what you need to do to get your profile to 100% (see below).  This is the equivalent to getting ready to go to a professional meeting in person – you have to make sure that you look good, smell good, and offer the right image.  Before you do anything else, be sure to add:
   1. A current position.
   2. Two past positions.
   3. Education.
   4. Profile summary.
   5. A profile photo.
   6. Specialties.
   7. At least three recommendations.
2. Change your headline.  By default your headline is only your position and company.  It can be so much more than that!  The headline is a powerful communication tool because it is the information that pops up whenever a user on LinkedIn hovers over your name with their cursor.  Add some adjectives, or better yet, add the types of clients you work with or the types of projects you work on.
3. Tell your story in the Summary.  In many ways, your profile is like a resume, sharing the nuts and bolts of your career history.  If that’s the case – the Summary is like your cover letter.  The Summary section is the place to tell the story of your career.  Keep it short, but make sure that you give visitors to your profile an understanding of where you’ve been and where you are going.  A three paragraph structure works well  – the past, present, and future of your professional life.

Follow these three steps and you’ll create a great first impression on LinkedIn!