Danielle Restivo is Head of Global Programs at LinkedIn. In short, if there’s something Danielle doesn’t know about getting yourself a sweet new job, then it’s probably not worth knowing. So naturally, when the opportunity came up to pick Danielle’s brains about how to spruce up your rather tired looking LinkedIn profile, we jumped at the chance.
LinkedIn is not just for stalking your ex and accidentally endorsing your boss for her "blogging skills", it's a great way to network and look for professional opportunities from the comfort of your desk (or bed, even.)
Here are Danielle’s insider hacks on how you can maximise your account in just nine minutes – the time it takes to make a brew and drink it.
Visit once a day
"There’s a misconception that you only need to visit LinkedIn when you’re hunting for a new job but you should think of it as a daily destination, because, even if you’re happy with your job, LinkedIn can help you be better at the job you have. There’s a few different way to do this."
Build your own brand
"For one, much like other social networks, we have a newsfeed. This is a great place to see what’s going on with your network; what news and interesting articles people are sharing. It’s also a place for you to do the same. You should think about LinkedIn as a place where you’re building your own professional brand. The more you share status updates, your own opinion, an article, a blog post, the better."
Be curious
"It allows you to see what’s going on in your Industry. We have an app called Pulse that will allow you to follow channels, i.e. marketing and industry. That will keep you up to date. That means you’re really getting it all in one place."
Expand your network
"If you don’t know where to start, start with anyone you went to uni with, anyone you’ve worked with in the past, anyone you’ve had a professional connection with or even family friends – anyone that you know in the working world. Maybe you met them at a conference, maybe you met them at a party. If you’re going to contact someone, I highly recommend you write a personal message before you send that request to connect. I get hundreds of connection requests with no context whatsoever.
"The minimum number of connections you need to actually start to notice what we call ‘network effect’ – where you notice that people you don’t know are seeing your updates – is 50. If you have less than that, you won’t be getting value from your profile."
Maintain your network
"Secondly, if you have a good network already, I think it’s good practice to pick one person a day and drop them a note, just for no reason at all. You never know when you might need to ask that person for advice, or a favour, or a job. Just say, 'I see you changed positions – that’s amazing – how are you?' A no-agenda check in is a great way to spend part of that nine minutes."
A well-lit selfie goes a long way
"One of the most important things about your LinkedIn account is your photo, so get a nice professional picture up. Members with photos are 15 times more likely to be involved. People don’t like the floating grey head. It doesn’t have to be professional, just a well-lit selfie will do."
Keep things looking lively
"Treat your profile as a living, breathing portfolio of your work. Post an article you’ve written, or a project you’ve worked on. Then, when you do want to look for a new job, you’re good to go."
Keep it short
"Don’t drop your whole resume in there, pick out three to four bullet points. The summary is the door opener. Writing a strong summary, avoiding the ‘buzzwords ’ is key. It should tell the story of you with concrete examples of your accomplishments."
Think big
"There was a story of this woman in the U.S. who was starting a charity for her daughter who was quite ill. The mother didn’t know anyone famous, but she reached out to people like Arianna Huffington and because she wrote a very compelling invite request that was accepted, she was able to do business with them.
"Be aspirational. When I’ve wanted to reach out to someone senior, even as a junior person you can always offer to do something for them. Our founder Reed Hoffman talks about how you always need to be looking for ways to help others because you never know when you’re going to need someone else’s help.
"I would suggest: 'Hi. I want to connect with you because I want to get into your industry and I really admire the work that you’ve done. If you have a chance at some point, I’d love to take you for a coffee – but at the very least, I’d like to connect with you.” Lay that groundwork. Be specific. Be yourself. Do your research."
Use LinkedIn to change jobs
"I recommend that people look at companies they’d like to work for and are inspired by. You can look at the company’s page and you can see their careers page. You can often see who the recruiter is and how you’re connected to the recruiter. You might have an in that you didn’t even realise you had. You may be connected to other employees too, so you can approach someone and say, 'I’ve seen this job and I’m very keen to apply, would you mind giving me an introduction?'
"Then, think about the skills you have that you have in your current job that you could transfer over, and highlight them in your work experience."
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Money Diary: 26-Year-Old Nurse In Newcastle Upon Tyne On 25k