Leveraging LinkedIn for Career Advancemet

Be strategic about professional growth

On Thursday, I was invited to present to the Haile Graduate Student Association on how to leverage LinkedIn for career advancement. This session was part of a larger effort on professional development and career growth for our students and community.

I’m sharing a summary of the discussion here in case you find it useful. You can also watch the full workshop in the video attached at the end. After all, a big part of your personal economy is maximizing your income and career opportunities, and LinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools to do that. My career has been positively impacted by having a strong social presence. I have learned a lot about building a professional brand that can help others avoid mistakes and leverage best practices.

Through Decode Econ, I’m happy to provide this kind of support more broadly. If you’re interested in bringing this webinar to your team, students, or faculty (yes, faculty should be using LinkedIn more!), I’d be glad to conduct a virtual or in-person session. It is my philosophy that being intentional about how you add value to the world will help you improve the position of your personal brand. You can switch from an outbound job search to inbound job opportunities.

Now, here’s the step-by-step playbook we covered. However, first, please ensure you are connected with me on LinkedIn.

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My presentation focused on four elements

1. Optimizing your settings

2. Building your network

3. Sharing Content

4. Dos and Don’ts

I provide steps below and some action items. I also share a 30-day action plan. I look forward to connecting with you on LinkedIn, if we aren’t already. For visual learners, the video below provides examples of my own profile and posts.

Let’s get started

Step 1: Optimize Your Profile

You can think of your profile as the foundation for your online presence. Recruiters decide in seconds whether to keep reading.

• Photo: Clear, professional headshot. No wedding photos or vacation selfies.

• Banner: This is prime real estate. Use an image that represents your industry, personal brand, or city.

• Custom URL: Change it to linkedin.com/in/YourName. I show you how in the video below.

• Headline: Don’t just list your job title. Show your value.

  • Example: “MBA | Data Analytics | Turning Numbers Into Strategy”

• About Section: Short, first-person, conversational. Share who you are, what you do, and where you’re headed.

Quick exercise: Look at your headline and About section. Do they clearly communicate what you want people to know about you?

Step 2: Showcase Achievements

Your experience isn’t a job description, it’s a highlight reel.