Showcasing your recognitions, honors, and awards on LinkedIn is essential to standing out from the crowd. These accolades are powerful endorsements of your skills, dedication, and achievements, helping you distinguish yourself from others.
Credibility
Recognitions will significantly enhance your credibility by serving as third-party validation of your expertise and accomplishments.
Since I have yet to share this, now is the time. I am humbled to be included on this distinguished list of the 2024 list of the Top 50 LinkedIn Experts worldwide with other LinkedIn peers, and I was also included on the 2022/2023 list. In addition, I was on the Philadelphia list of the top 15 in 2023. For someone who does not have a personal website and uses their LinkedIn profile as their “landing page,” this type of recognition for credibility is significant.
It also helps to build credibility when you decide to rebrand after thirty years in business and start a brand new LinkedIn company page (which is just blossoming) if you want to give it a follow.
Highlighting Your Achievements
Listing your honors and awards on LinkedIn provides a platform to highlight your most significant achievements. This includes industry awards, academic honors, certifications, and community recognitions. Each award tells a story of your hard work and commitment to excellence.
Boosting Visibility
LinkedIn’s algorithm favors profiles with more comprehensive and detailed information. Adding your recognitions and awards may increase your chances of appearing in search results, thus boosting your visibility to recruiters and industry peers.
Demonstrating Professional Growth
Your awards and recognitions reflect your journey and career growth. They show a timeline of your professional development, continuous strive for excellence, and a proven track record of success and progression.
Differentiating You from Competitors
Your awards and recognitions reflect your journey and career growth. They demonstrate a timeline of your professional development and continuous strive for excellence. They showcase a proven track record of success and progression, which can set you apart from professionals with similar qualifications.
Encouraging Networking Opportunities
Recognition from industry bodies or professional organizations can attract the attention of other professionals in your field. This can lead to new networking opportunities, collaborations, and even mentorship. For example, here is a recent interview by the American Marketing Association Philadelphia.
Showcasing Your Awards on LinkedIn
- Be Selective: Focus on the most prestigious and relevant awards to avoid overwhelming your profile.
- Provide Context: Explain the award’s significance and what it took to earn it, adding value and context to your accomplishments.
- Use Keywords: Incorporate industry-specific keywords to enhance your profile’s searchability.
- Keep It Updated: Regularly update your profile with new recognitions to keep it relevant and current.
What NOT to Do if You Have Earned a Terminal Degree as an Academic Achievement
LinkedIn is a database full of data fields, including first name, last name, phone number, email address, and more. On LinkedIn, your first name is not Dr. unless that is on your birth certificate. You may have worked damn hard to earn that degree, and you may wish to be addressed by that title, but use your first name in the first name field and your last name in the last name field followed by your credentials such as PhD, EdD, PsyD, etc. People may have difficulty finding you if you improperly use Dr. as your first name.
Conclusion
Including awards, honors, and recognitions on your LinkedIn profile is a strategic move that can significantly enhance your professional image. Correctly noting your academic achievement is also essential.
Showcase your achievements on LinkedIn to boost your credibility and visibility and, if you are a job seeker, this can differentiate you in the job market. Take the time to highlight these accolades and let your profile reflect the true extent of your professional journey.
Bonus Info for PhDs or Any Job Seeker Seeking to Change Careers
- Read The Great Reshuffle: How to Pivot to or from K-12 or Higher Education
- Read Tips to Make a Career Pivot or Reinvention on LinkedIn
Register for the July 25th & 26th 2-Day Boot Camp Landing Your Dream Job: Two Day Virtual Boot Camp with Top Subject Matter Experts
NEXT STEPS
- Subscribe to my newsletter on LinkedIn™ for bright ideas on how to manage your career.
- If you need a resume or LinkedIn™ profile to get you to your next step, book a call to chat!
- 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!
- To support our charity at KeepOnSharing.com and use the referral code Career
- Follow #GreatCareersPHL
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.
