How to Create a

LinkedIn Profile
Dr. Shaimaa Ibrahim
Table of Contents
What is LinkedIn? 3

Sign Up 4

Intro 6

About 9

Featured 10

Background 13

Skills and accomplishments 18

Build your professional community 21

Conclusion 25

Sources 26

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What is LinkedIn?
Whether you’re looking to find a new job, hire your next
employee, broaden your professional relationships, or learn
and become certified in a new skill, LinkedIn is a vital tool in
today’s professional landscape.

LinkedIn is a social networking platform specifically designed

to bring together all kinds of professionals, businesses, and
job seekers. The company describes itself as “the world’s
largest professional network with [over] 722 million users
worldwide.”1

To make the most out of LinkedIn, try following our tips to

help you get noticed in the professional world. In this reading,
you’ll learn how to set up an account on LinkedIn, create a
thoughtful profile, and make meaningful connections.
1
LinkedIn, 2021.

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Sign Up
Before you learn how to successfully navigate LinkedIn, you need to join the
website. You can do this by creating a personal account.

Follow the steps to create an account:

1. In order to join LinkedIn, you will need an email address and password.

2. When you first land on LinkedIn’s home page (http://www.linkedin.com), click

the Join Now button on the top right-hand corner of the website.

3. Enter your information and click Agree & Join.

4. You will be asked various questions to begin your profile, such as your full
name and location. This will help people identify who and where you are for
non-remote opportunities. Answer the prompts to the best of your ability but
don’t stress - you will have the option to change your information at any point
later on.

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Build your profile
Once you’ve created your account, it’s time
to complete the rest of your profile.

Think of LinkedIn as your virtual resume

Anything you’d add to your physical resume,
like past experiences, education, and skills, is
worth including on your LinkedIn profile.

Profile sections
Your profile consists of seven different
sections:

1. Intro. Include basic information such as

your name and your current
occupation.
2. About. Add a longer overview of your
background and your skills.
3. Featured. Highlight your proudest
projects.
4. Background. Include your work
experiences and education.
5. Skills. Showcase your expertise.
6. Accomplishments. Display your
awards and publications.
7. Additional information. Show any
hobbies, interests or affiliations.

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Intro
This is the first section people will see
when they come across your profile.
Use this space to establish basic
information such as your name, your
current employer, your educational
background and your location.

Get noticed with a

headline
Don’t forget to include a headline, a
one-line description that appears
when people search for you. You can
opt to write a one-liner that
describes your expertise in lieu of
your current position.

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Show your personality
with photos
Your Intro is also where people will be able
to see your cover banner and profile
picture. Statistics show that profiles with a
photo receive 21 times more profile views
and 9 times more connection requests.2
The background photo is a chance for you
to stand out from others and let your
personality shine.
2
Callahan, Sam. LinkedIn, 2018.

Add a picture
1. Choose a photo that’s entirely in
focus, has even lighting, and is free
of distracting elements.

2. Click on the camera icons to upload

a cover banner and profile picture.

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Get noticed by recruiters.
If you’re searching for new opportunities, here
are a few ways you can get noticed.

● Update your headline to show that

you’re looking for new opportunities.

● You can also set up your job

preferences to show recruiters you’re
actively searching.

To edit your intro:

You can always go back and update your Intro
if you’ve had a job or industry change. Here’s
how you can do it on mobile:

1. Click on the pencil icon underneath

your background photo.

2. Fill out whatever blocks you feel are

appropriate or relevant to you.

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 About
Use this section to include a summary about
yourself and make a lasting first impression.
Think about what can act as an extension of
your headline.

You can include:

● Your proudest achievements. Highlight
significant projects or meaningful
milestones.
● The story behind your career path.
Include the twists and turns people may
not see from your resume alone.
● Your principles and values. Show
people what drives your professional
ambition.
● Your goals on the platform. Whether
you’re looking for new opportunities or
connections to expand your network,
state that in your summary to attract the
right people.

Add a summary
To add a summary:

1. Click on the Add profile section button.

2. Click on the About section to expand options.

3. Click on Summary to edit.

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Featured
In this section, you can showcase work
you’d like people to see. Click Add
Featured to start adding items.

You can upload:

● Posts and Articles you published

on LinkedIn.
● Links to projects and other web
content that showcases your work.
● Media such as photos, documents
and presentations.

Think of this section like a portfolio. Add

projects that have defined your career
and showcase your strongest skill sets.

Source: TikTok

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Make your header
stand out
Your header section consists of the Intro,
About and Featured sections. Try the tips
below to make a lasting first impression.

Capture attention with your profile picture.

● Select a recent, high-resolution

professional picture in which your face
is clearly visible, you are smiling, and
the background is not distracting.

● Try to avoid using selfies, images with

other people, or photos that obscure
your face.

● Crop the photo to focus on your face.

Add a background photo for a personal

touch.

● Use your background photo to

showcase something about yourself,
such as an interest, a significant
professional moment, or visual work
you would like to highlight.

● Keep your background photo

professional and relevant to what you
do.

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Tell your story with an
About section.
● Don’t just regurgitate your resume!
Instead, reflect on how you have grown
or what you have learned throughout
each step of your career.

● Show your passion for your job in

addition to your values, most
significant accomplishments, and
professional goals.

Highlight your work in

Featured
● Highlight your passion for your job in
addition to your values, most
significant accomplishments, and
professional goals.

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Background
The next section down is where you will fill
out any work experience, education,
licenses/certifications, and volunteer
experience you may have.

To add a new section for the

first time:
1. Click on the Add profile section
button in your header.

2. Scroll down to the appropriate

subsection you want to fill out, such as
Work experience.

3. A box will pop up, prompting you to fill

out details on the experience you want
to add. You don’t have to fill out every
single subsection; pick ones that are
most relevant to you.

4. Fill out these sections with the most

complete and accurate information
possible, as this will allow other users to
get a fuller picture of who you are as a
professional.

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Tips for writing
your background
section
Use your resume as a
starting point.
● Work smarter (not harder) and use
your resume to write your
background section. As resumes are
usually limited in length, you can add
more detailed descriptions of your
roles and responsibilities. Creating a
detailed profile can help people find
you when they’re searching on
LinkedIn.

● Remember, quality over quantity. It’s

better to include only relevant roles
rather than overload your
Experience section with every job
you have had.

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Provide examples of relevant work
● Highlight examples of work that you’re proud of in your
background section. Examples let people immediately see
what you’re able to accomplish!

● Provide a link or upload files to any presentations, projects,

blogs, or websites you have worked on or developed.

Check out how this person integrated their relevant work into
their Experience section:

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Make your profile easy to
read.
● Avoid using jargon or buzzwords that
are overused. Stick to accessible
language that people can understand.

● Write clearly and concisely. As people

will be skimming through your profile,
ensure that they can easily grasp what
you have accomplished.

● Check for typos and grammatical

errors before publishing your
background section.

Determine your profile

strength.
● Use the Profile Strength Meter to get a
sense of how strong your profile is.
Stronger profiles receive more relevant
job recommendations, connection
suggestions, feed updates, and a
greater number of profile views.

● To make your profile strong, make sure

to include your education, work
experience, licenses and certifications,
and volunteer experiences.

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How to edit a section
Once a new section has been added, you will have the
opportunity to add more to it or edit your current information.

To modify a section:

1. Click on the + icon to add new information.

2. Click on the pencil icon to edit the information you’ve

already entered.

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 Skills and
Accomplishments
This is the section where you will highlight unique skills and
achievements, such as awards you have received or
languages you speak. While this section is not mandatory,
listing more than 5 skills will make you 27 times more likely to
be discovered by recruiters.3
3
Srinivasan, Hari. LinkedIn, 2020.

Highlight your skillset

Skills can range from broad topics of
knowledge such as “Engineering,” specific
programs such as “Microsoft Office,” or
soft skills such as “leadership.”

Once you have connections, people from

your network will also be able to endorse
you for specific skills they believe you excel
in.

To add skills or accomplishments:

1. Click on the blue Add profile

section button on your header.

2. Go down to where it says Skills or

Accomplishments to expand.

3. Click on the subsection you want to

add, such as Publications.

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Consider highlighting these
marketing skills:
● Marketing
● Digital Marketing
● Social Media Marketing
● Content Marketing
● Content Development
● Brand Management
● Project Management
● Online Advertising

Accomplishments
Accomplishments can be anything you are
proud to share, such as any interesting or
relevant courses you may have taken or
projects you worked on.

Remember that you are trying to paint the

fullest picture of who you are to other
members. You can edit any of these sections
at any time by clicking on the pencil icon on
the right-hand side that corresponds to the
subsection of information.

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Show off your skills and
accomplishments

Add endorsements and recommendations.

● Stand out from the crowd with authentic

endorsements and recommendations from your
colleagues.

● Use the Request a recommendation form to ask connections

for a recommendation. Pick people who know you and can speak to
the quality of your work. If there are any specific skills you would like
them to mention, you send them a message in your request.

● Include only relevant skills and endorsements on your profile. While

there are many skills and endorsements that you can include, it is
better to stick to ones that add value.

Show off what you know with a skills assessment.

● Verify that you’re proficient in the programs and tools mentioned on

your profile by passing a skill assessment. You can take a skill quiz
and add the badge to your profile when you pass.

© 2021. All rights reserved.

Build your professional
community
Congratulations! By this point, your LinkedIn profile should really be taking shape.

Now that you have a profile set up, it’s time to start building your professional
community on LinkedIn. Get the most out of your experience by engaging with others
to learn more about the different industries, companies, and careers that interest you.

Tips to start using LinkedIn

Be professional.

● Conduct yourself the way you would at a workplace.

● Use professional language when sending messages or writing a comment.

Start making connections.

● Make connections by linking

your address book or
contact list to connect with
people you already know.

● Personalize your message

when sending connection
requests and don’t send
multiple requests if you do
not receive an immediate
response.

© 2021 Aptly. All rights reserved.

Grow your network
● Use the search function to grow your network beyond your
current connections. For example, search your dream company
or role to connect with new people and learn more about what
they do. If you have a second-degree connection with someone
you would like to meet, you can ask your mutual connection to
introduce you.

● Search for and join groups specific to your interests and

industry. By joining groups, you can get to know people who
share your passions and stay on top of the latest trends in your
field.

Engage your community

● Nurture genuine connections; don’t spam
or forcefully solicit.

● Leave substantive comments on others’

updates, posts, and articles. For example,
ask questions to spark discussion with
others.

● Reply to direct messages and comments

you receive to build relationships with
your connections.

● Support people in your network by

providing endorsements and
recommendations for others. You can also
ask others to do the same for you.

Reach people across different

industries that interest you by joining
groups and sending invitations to
connect.

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Share and create content on
your LinkedIn feed.
● Post content about your industry that
you find helpful or interesting. Along with
whatever you share, try posing a
question to generate discussion about
the topic.

● Stay active in your community by

posting a few times a week. However,
don’t clog people’s feeds by posting
more than once a day.

● Share your viewpoints through long-form

posts by writing articles on topics that
matter to you.

Follow leaders and hashtags

● Try following thought leaders in your
industry that you would like to learn
from. You’ll receive updates of their
posts on your LinkedIn feed.

● Stay up-to-date with the latest

discussions by following relevant
hashtags on LinkedIn. For example, if
you’re interested in entrepreneurship,
you can follow the #innovation hashtag.

Source: LinkedIn

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Keep your profile current
and updated
● As your resume changes with each
new experience you accumulate,
your LinkedIn profile should also be
fluid and reflect your current state.

● Update your background section

every few months to reflect your
latest projects and
accomplishments.

● Improve your profile by removing old

and irrelevant experiences,
recommendations, and
endorsements as you advance in
your career.

● Add keywords specific to your

industry or role to help you get
noticed by others in your field.

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Conclusion
LinkedIn is becoming an increasingly important social platform
for professionals, whether you are a business owner wanting to
attract quality talent or a job seeker looking for your first job.

By joining this community, you are positioning yourself for

greater success in your future and career. Good luck!

© 2021. All rights reserved.

Sources
Callahan, S. (2018, December 28). Picture Perfect: Make A Great
First Impression with Your LinkedIn Profile Photo.
https://www.linkedin.com/business/sales/blog/b2b-sales/pi
cture-perfect--make-a-great-first-impression-with-your-li
nkedi.

LinkedIn. (n.d.). About LinkedIn. https://about.linkedin.com/

Srinivasan, H. (2020, July 20). Four Ways to Grow Your Skills and
Stand Out on LinkedIn.
https://blog.linkedin.com/2020/july/28/four-ways-to-grow-
your-skills-and-stand-out-on-linkedin.

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 ALSAWAN
alsawan.co

Director, Shaimaa Ibrahim

Designer, Joesph Dunleavy
Photographer, Zihan Yang
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