In honor of Women’s History Month, it’s an opportune time to remind women to be visible on LinkedIn™ and share their impact in the professional world.
Women can celebrate their contributions and impact, and support other women who are making a difference.
Here are several strategies that women can employ to enhance their presence and influence on LinkedIn:
1. Optimize Your Profile
- Professional Photo: Your profile picture is your first impression. Ensure it’s professional, high-quality, and represents you authentically.
- Build a Custom Banner: Your banner is your billboard, so customize it to showcase your professional brand.
- Compelling Headline: Instead of just listing your job title, use the headline to showcase your expertise with keywords and what makes you unique by adding on a unique selling proposition (USP). Think of it as your professional tagline.
- About Section: The About section is a place to tell your story. Highlight your accomplishments, skills, and what drives you. Use keywords related to your industry to improve your search visibility, but make sure this section is skimmable, scannable, and easy to read on a mobile device.
2. Showcase Your Achievements
- Highlight Projects and Accomplishments: Use the featured section and experience to showcase successful projects, achievements, awards, and endorsements. This provides tangible evidence of your skills and impact.
- Publish Articles and Posts: Share your insights, experiences, and thought leadership on topics relevant to your industry to elevate your profile, attract followers, and encourage professional discussions.
3. Build and Engage with Your Network
- Connect Strategically: Connect with peers, mentors, industry leaders, and alums. Personalize your connection requests to make a memorable introduction.
- Engage Actively: Comment on, share, and like content within your network to increase your visibility and demonstrate your engagement with your industry and network.
4. Seek and Provide Recommendations and Endorsements
- Recommendations and endorsements from colleagues and clients provide social proof of your expertise and professional demeanor. Don’t hesitate to ask for them, and offer genuine endorsements to your connections equally.
5. Leverage LinkedIn Learning
- Women on LinkedIn™ can engage in continuous learning through LinkedIn Learning courses to enhance skills. Share certificates of completion on your profile to demonstrate your commitment to professional development.
6. Participate in or Create LinkedIn Groups
- Join groups relevant to your industry and participate in discussions. You can also create a group based on your expertise, which can help in establishing you as a thought leader and connector in your field. Join the Great Careers Group!
7. Utilize LinkedIn Features and Tools
- Use LinkedIn™ features like “Open to Work” (if applicable) or “Providing Services” to indicate your professional aspirations. Take advantage of LinkedIn™ Analytics to understand the reach and engagement of your content.
8. Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, Accessibility, and Justice
- Advocate for DEIBAJ within your industry through your posts, articles, and the content you engage with. Highlight initiatives, share stories, and support the work of other women and underrepresented groups.
Conclusion
In celebrating Women’s History Month, it’s vital to recognize the importance of creating a diverse and inclusive professional network where women are empowered to stand out and succeed.
Women on LinkedIn™ can significantly enhance their visibility and impact in their professional spheres by optimizing their profiles, showcasing achievements, engaging with their network, and continuously learning.
Let’s use this platform to celebrate achievements, foster connections, and advocate for equality and inclusion in all industries.
Bonus for Women’s History Month
I have tickets valued at $150 to give away to the March 14, 20204 National Conference for Women. It is available for members of the Great Careers Group who have paid the $49 or $59 annual fee and followed instructions before 3 PM on Friday, March 8, 2024. I have a total of eight tickets to give away!
NEXT STEPS
- Subscribe to my newsletter on LinkedIn™ for bright ideas to manage your career.
- Join as a member at https://greatcareers.org/membership of the #1 business networking association on the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Book of Lists four years in a row!
- If you need a resume or LinkedIn™ profile to get you to your next step, book a call to chat!
- Follow #GreatCareersPHL
AUTHOR BIO
Lynne M. Williams is the Executive Director of the Great Careers Groups, a volunteer-run 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides career development and networking connections for 1) job seekers in career transition, including veterans, and 2) employed and self-employed for career management.
Aside from writing keyword-focused content for ATS resumes and LinkedIn™ profiles, Lynne is currently writing her doctoral dissertation on LinkedIn™ for Job Seekers. She is a contributing author on “Applying to Positions” in Find Your Fit: A Practical Guide to Landing the Job You Love, along with the late Dick Bolles, the author of What Color is Your Parachute?, and is also a speaker on career topics.
This article is also published on: vista.today, montco.today, delco.today, bucksco.today, philadelphia.today and in the author’s LinkedIn newsletter. A list of articles can also be found in a Google doc.
