With news that school leavers and university graduates are facing a challenging employment market, how can they make their LinkedIn profiles sparkle? Fortunately, RGS parent, Rebecca Schnauffer, Head of LinkedIn Sales Solutions UK&I, is on hand to advise!

We often get asked, “How do I build the perfect LinkedIn profile?”.
The short answer is: there is no one magic formula.
The long answer is: YOU are the magic formula!

Everyone defines opportunity and their journey differently, and there is no one linear path to communicate that. Your path is yours and just as you travel it independently, you must also express that in your own way. Your profile is all about your voice and your experiences.

So, as you follow these tips, never lose sight of telling your authentic story and showcasing your unique brand. Stay true to that and you’re sure to create a compelling profile that others will understand and connect with.

You can also view the RockYourProfile course, which is free and available for anyone to watch.

1. Write an informative profile headline

Your headline is a short, memorable, professional slogan. For example, “Honours student seeking marketing position.” Check out the profiles of other students and recent graduates you admire to get ideas.

2. Pick an appropriate photo

LinkedIn isn’t Facebook. Upload a high-quality photo (your profile will be 7x more likely to be viewed) of you alone, professionally dressed. No party shots, cartoon avatars, or puppy pics!

3. Show off your education

Include all schools attended, courses, and study abroad or summer programmes. Don’t be shy — LinkedIn is an appropriate place to show off any special responsibilities held, awards achieved, etc.

4. Develop a professional Summary

Your Summary statement is like the first few paragraphs of your best-written cover letter — concise and confident about your qualifications and goals. Include relevant work and extra-curricular information.

5. Fill ‘Skills & Expertise’ with keywords

This section is the place to include keywords and phrases that recruiters might search for. Find relevant ones in job listings that appeal to you and profiles of people who have the kinds of roles you want.

6. Update your status regularly

Posting updates helps you stay on your network’s radar and build your professional image. Mention your projects, professional books or articles, or events you’re attending. Many recruiters read your feed!

7. Show your connectedness

Groups you join appear at the bottom of your profile. Joining some shows that you want to engage in professional communities and learn the lingo. Start with the Reigate Grammar School Professionals group, your university and industry groups.

8. Collect diverse recommendations

The best profiles have at least one recommendation for each position a person has held. Recruiters are most impressed by recommendations from people who have directly managed you.

9. Claim your unique LinkedIn URL

To increase the professional results that appear when people search for you online, set your LinkedIn profile to ‘public’ and create a unique URL (e.g. linkedin.com/in/JohnSmith).

10. Share your work

You can also add actual examples of your writing, design work, or other accomplishments on your profile, where you can share rich media or documents. What better way to sell your skills than to show employers exactly what you can produce?

About Rebecca Schnauffer

As Head of LinkedIn Sales Solutions UK&I, Rebecca leads a business that is responsible for transforming the sales profession. She does this by helping clients focus on the digitalisation of sales and enables them to tackle the ever-changing world of selling by optimising the use of technology and data. Her love of technology stems from working for IBM, where she was responsible for the transformation across both hardware and software businesses before moving into the world of cognitive and AI. A fierce supporter of the mission to bring more women and girls into technology, Rebecca is an avid mentor, enjoying the opportunity to develop future talent.