Yada yada yada! You are a solopreneur and are into titles and want to call yourself President or CEO. You want to embellish that title. But, President or CEO of what? Perhaps you are a VP Sales … but a VP Sales of what?
Don’t you want to be the first chair of the first violins, otherwise known as the concertmaster? Don’t you want to be that leader?
Why not embellish your job titles on LinkedIn so you can play the first violinist role on your LinkedIn profile to command the best seat in your own online orchestra to create your own branded song? You have 100 characters to embellish your job title, so why not take advantage of using keywords after your real title?
Here are three examples of attorneys who have very different skill sets and areas of expertise. I would certainly want to hire the right person to vigorously defend my specific interests as a client. Wouldn’t you?
Attorney | Consultant | Commercial Transactions | Healthcare | Compliance Agreements | Negotiations
Attorney | Family Law | Divorce | Child Custody | Child Support | Separation | Property Settlement
Attorney | Personal Injury | Car Accident | Medical Malpractice | Wrongful Death | Slip and Fall
LinkedIn is a database and people can do Boolean searches using AND, OR, or NOT in order to find people. So why not embellish your titles to potentially be found?
Don’t believe me? Listen to a story of the LinkedIn journey of a independent sales representative for promotional products. The day after he optimized his LinkedIn profile with keywords, he got a call for a job … and he wasn’t even looking for a job! In fact, you will learn many additional LinkedIn tips and tricks when you watch Getting Concrete Results from Social Media video starting at 1:27 on this website.
Just know that some HR professionals are purists and don’t believe you should embellish your title on LinkedIn. A recent poll from HR organizations like CCHRA, GVHRA, PSPS, and others resulted in 80% of HR professionals felt it was acceptable to embellish the titles. So now all you Client Happiness Representatives can now better explain what it is that you do!
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AUTHOR BIO
Lynne M. Williams is the Executive Director of the Great Careers Network, 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 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.
