LinkedIn and Branding: Get to Know Yourself....In a Professional Manner

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       Have you been looking for a social network site dedicated to professionalism and careers? Unless you have been living under a rock or in an uninhabited island with Tom Hanks and his buddy Wilson, you may know the website, LinkedIn. LinkedIn has emerged as one of the top networking websites today with about more than 175 million members from all over the world. If LinkedIn were to be a person, it would be like Facebook’s older brother except it dresses up and does not tag its fellow viewers with that “Look at me being silly” moment picture.

I see LinkedIn as a mobile resume, where you get to express to the public your strengths and goals as a way of marketing yourself. There is so much you can do other than just finishing your profile and hoping you get noticed by your ideal employers. You can join or start groups, follow news that are related to your career goals, and stay connected to people that have similar interests as you. I admit when I first made my LinkedIn account, I did not really bother to fill up my profile or have a profile picture. If anything it looked like a ghost profile with nothing important or impressive to display. It might as well have scared some potential employers in thinking I was not the right man for the job with the lack of information shown on my profile. I am changing that attitude and trying to sell myself for potential internships in the near future.

Unlike Facebook, you should not put down everything that you would not mind leaving public for everyone to see. Having a picture of you and your friends pillow jousting might sound appealing to other people, but can be deemed unprofessional and immature to companies and businesses if you decide to put that as your profile picture. Be wary about what you put down as your interests as well. As much as you love watching the hit TV show, “Breaking Bad” or going online shopping on Sunday afternoons, LinkedIn is perhaps not the place to display such hobbies. Instead, put down interests that are related to your skills as a professional or help appeal to other businesses that you stand out from the rest of the candidates. Also have a decent profile picture with a simple background in the back. No need to dress up like James Bond or the Queen of England, but at least something that you would wear at a real interview. Also remember to smile in your profile picture. If you look like a grouch, there is a good chance that unless you display skills that only a few have shown, no company would hire you because they think you would offer negative feedback to the company and/or its employees.

            The one crucial thing about maintaining a LinkedIn profile is to keep updating it with any new information or skills earned. It is one thing if you are a young computer scientist that learned the basics of Java programming and another thing when in five years later you have learned only the basics of Java programming. Another thing is to stay connected with other people in the same career field. The more people you stay connected with, the better the chances are that you get noticed or they help you get noticed. Remember LinkedIn is suppose to help you get a job, not be detrimental unless you truly do not put the time and effort in selling yourself as a brand. Be professional, be active, and stay in front of the competition.