Canadian Newcomer 2

Make Your LinkedIn Profile Work for You

6 min readJun 11, 2020

Your LinkedIn profile is your avatar to the hiring world.

A great LinkedIn profile does not guarantee that you will get a job, but a bad profile will definitely hurt your chances.

In North America, the LinkedIn profile is where most hiring managers or HR will go first. It should not be a dry, fact-based summary like your resume; it is your chance to tell your story.

This is the first tool in your arsenal that shows who you are. It is your first opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

All entries in this series are available at the following links:

Today I will discuss how to set up your LinkedIn profile.

1) Fundamentals: What Does Your Profile Need?

Starting from the top:

A Background Photo. If you don’t have one you like a beginner, or that you don’t know what you are doing. Find one that is relevant to your industry or job. To find the correct sizing, search on Google “LinkedIn banner photo”. Avoid nature or artsy photos, unless they are relevant to your job search

A Professional Head-shot. Your portrait photo is the first chance for a potential employer to see you. Don’t cover your face, don’t wear sunglasses, don’t have someone else in the photo, don’t have a complicated background, don’t use your Facebook photo! Dress professionally, have your head and shoulders in the shot
A Headline that works for you. Either your current job/specialisation, or what you are looking for. Make it easy for recruiters and hiring managers to zero in on your strengths. Eg: Supply Chain Project Manager | Program Manager | Head of Operations. This is 150 characters to describe “what you are” professionally. If you are out of work, put ONO (Open to New Opportunities) after listing your job role/specialisation
Your About Me section is key. It is a story in 2000 characters to catch and keep the attention of the reader. Aim for 3 sections (Summary of Key Competencies, Key Achievements, Your Goals). It is ok to list technical skills and specialities at the end of the section
Your Job Description should describe your job. Simple. List 3 bullet points with ~ 50 words under each of your jobs. Tell the reader in a simple and understandable way what you did. This shows what you can do. Use numbers and be specific. E.g. Reduced 2018 OpEx costs by 20% vs 2017, saving $3m across 4 projects, Managed Team of 23 members to deliver $5m-budgeted project in 6 months using Agile approach…
Focus on recent history. If you are listing jobs more than 10–15yrs prior, it is ok to condense those entries and summarise in 1–2 points. Your most recent experience is where the reader will pay attention to
Don’t forget Education. Details here help too; don’t make the reader search for info! 2–3 bullet points about your subject, a graduation project, an association membership, or an award can add colour to your background and help the reader understand you better

2) The Little Extras that Help

Your profile will be in good shape if you followed the above steps. But you are not done yet! Make sure to cover these key areas to help you stand out from the crowd:

Volunteering is a big deal in Canada. If you have any past experience, be sure to list it. Again, 2–3 bullet points of what you did, or numbers/quantifiable results, will be helpful to add detail
Add your Skills. Tell people what you are good at. You can choose up to 50 skills here. Make sure you select those which are related to your work or education, and that you can back up with examples

Then ask others to agree with you! The skills you just listed can be Endorsed by others. The high scorers “float” to the top of the list (or you can select the top 5 you want to display there). This can help readers see what you are recognised for by others. Don’t be afraid to send your contacts a message asking them to endorse you for your key skills. Choose around 6–8 people that know you and have seen you use those skills, and message them
Fair is fair. If somebody endorses you, it is kind to return the favour and endorse them in return. But only do so if you have seen the skill performed at first-hand! Of course, you shouldn’t feel like you have to endorse anyone just because they endorsed you. Again, only endorse people for skills that you know they have
Start using recommendations. These are small but powerful tools at the bottom of your profile for your contacts (former coworkers, a manager, a volunteer co-ordinator…) to write something kind about you and your skills or performance.
You get what you give. But if you are new to LinkedIn, you may also have to ask for recommendations. To make this happen, you need to send an Recommendation Request. Make sure to personalize the default message! “I’m writing to ask if you would write a brief recommendation of my work…” is not going to kickstart your coworker or manager’s brain. Customized messages work better! When you’re requesting recommendations, be specific. The more details you share, the easier your connection’s job will be, e.g.:

Hi Steve, I hope everything’s going well in ABC Company! I’m writing to ask if you’d be willing to write a LinkedIn recommendation for me that highlights my operations management skills. Ideally, I’d love for you to write about my performance when I was in my warehouse GM position last year in New York. I’m working hard to move into a senior management role, and most of the employers I’m considering put a strong focus on Ops Management. Thanks!

If somebody does write a recommendation for you, remember to thank them! If someone has taken the time to recommend you, it is polite to express your appreciation. You can send a LinkedIn message to say thank you, or even write them a recommendation in return!

3) Summing Up

Having a great LinkedIn profile is a fundamental tool in boosting your appeal to potential hiring managers. Make sure it is working for you, not against you. Make sure your story is told well, simple to follow, and encourages the reader to want to get to know you more. If you can achieve that, then you’re on your way to clearing the first level of the job-hunt!

Who Am I?

Hello, I am Garry. Nice to meet you. Here is my LinkedIn profile. After 15yrs living in Japan, I moved to Canada in late 2019. Since I got here, I have learned a lot from friends, great mentors and advisors, pre- and post-arrival services, and good old-fashioned internet research! I would like to expand on those points and share more, through a series of posts/articles that can help you on your journey here in Canada.

Also earlier this year I talked about some of these things in a LinkedIn article, and in a webinar with NewCanadians, I discussed with some smart people about the newcomer’s job search and the impacts of COVID-19. Please check them out!