- LinkedIn is undoubtedly the go to source for job seekers, employers and networkers.
- To that point, individuals from all walks of life use the online source to advance their careers.
- As a lawyer, you more than likely use LinkedIn as well.
- If so, use this article as a guide for the 5 reasons you need to enhance your legal profile.
It’s difficult to imagine life without LinkedIn. The online source has become invaluable to anyone who is serious about the working world.
The issue with LinkedIn is a person’s profile on the site has to be maintained, particularly if that person is part of a professional society such as law.
In the “About” section of a LinkedIn user’s profile, the information must be fresh, their photo should be professional, and their recommendations as well as their accomplishments in the legal field should be up to date.
No employer, be it in law or any other profession, will look at a drab LinkedIn profile and announce, “I’ve got to hire this guy!”
No, it doesn’t work that way.
If you want prospective legal employers to take you seriously, you may need to put some serious work into your profile, starting first with these 5 reasons, which was featured on Above The Law.
- What does your photo say about you?
The first thing employers see when opening your LinkedIn page is your headshot. Keep in mind that LinkedIn is not Facebook or Instagram. Make sure your photo is similar to what you would look like the day you walk in for the in-person interview. Also, right below the photo, is your current title. Keep it short and right to the point. Save the detailed information about yourself for the “About” section.
- Tell your story in under 200 words.
The “About” section is what you want people to know about you. Are you a CEO? If so, a CEO of what? What does your current position mean? This section should have a short write-up of you, what you currently do, and how people can reach you. Sell yourself and make yourself easily reachable.
- Where have you worked?
This section has the potential to separate you from all other applicants. It is vital that your experience is up-to-date and accurate. List all former employers, the correct duration you were at each job and a brief description of what you did while working those jobs. You might find yourself repeating some of the tasks, but that’s fine; some repetition is fine as long as it isn’t overbearing.
- Do you come with a recommendation?
LinkedIn has a feature that allows others to give you compliments. Self-admiration isn’t credible to most employers, especially legal employers; someone other than yourself has to give you credit.
Letters of recommendation are still important to employers, and LinkedIn makes that process easy. The website has a section at the bottom of your page that displays reviews and recommendations about you and your job skills from credible sources (which requires you to know credible sources).
- How about your accomplishments?
This part might not help everyone, but if you are a member of interesting organizations and have other accomplishments, then list them. Not everyone belongs to country clubs and wine societies, yet these kinds of memberships nonetheless say a lot about a person. For example, within any legal group, there can be more than a few chairmen of firms and prominent lawyers in which sharing membership to this society creates a bond.
This same philosophy applies to non-profits, social organizations, and the like. If you are aiming for that certain legal position, you can separate yourself from other candidates by listing your outside legal activities and advocacies. Doing so can make others feel closer to you which can create a warm union.
Conclusion
Social media has become and will continue to be a large part of our lives. Social media has also become a large part of our work lives. If you’re in the legal profession and searching for a new job as a lawyer, don’t hesitate to bolster your LinkedIn profile in accord with the 5 steps listed here.
