Module 6: Improving your LinkedIn Profile 

Objective: To create and/or improve your LinkedIn profile so that it effectively highlights your skills and experience! 

Individual Activities 

  1. Sign up for LinkedIn, if you haven’t done so!
  2. Build out your profile, filling in your education, experiences, skills, and all other relevant sections.  Some useful resources with advice on making your profile stronger include:
    1. OCS Guide for creating your LinkedIn profile 
    2. Presentation from Spring Develop your LinkedIn Profile workshop by OCS and GSL
    3. LinkedIn Student Portal and LinkedIn’s student profile checklist.
    4. Here’s an example of the perfect LinkedIn profile summary, according to Harvard career experts
    5. Connecting on LinkedIn (from Inside HigherEd)
    6. 20 steps to a better LinkedIn profile in 2020
    7. LinkedIn profiles that get noticed (American Psychological Association)
  3. Write your headline and summary keeping in mind these tips.
  4. Find 3 LinkedIn-user headlines and summaries that you think are effective to share with your group. 

Group Activities 

  1. Share your favorite headlines from step 4 with your groupmates – What do you like about them? Why do they seem effective? 
  2. Now share your headlines with each other and provide feedback. Return to these tips and see how you can improve each other’s headlines. Be creative!
  3. Share your favorite summaries from step 4 with your groupmates – Again, what strikes you about each summary? Why is it impactful? 
  4. Share the summary that you wrote for step 4. What does it tell us about you and your experiences/skills and career interests? Workshop your summary with your group!

Optional Activities 

  1. Discuss your next steps with your new LinkedIn profile.
  2. Start making connections! Connect with each other and invite 10 people to connect with you.
  3. Visit the Yale alumni LinkedIn page and identify candidates for informational interviews.
  4. Identify and sign up for 5 LinkedIn Groups.