Are You A Writer? – How To Profile Yourself On LinkedIn

If you’re a writer, setting up a great LinkedIn profile will help you get work. It’s a great way to get your name out there. You can use it to show the world what you can do and how awesome you are.

A strong page will also help when someone is searching for a writer or editor that suits their needs. 

You want to make it as easy as possible for them to find you and hire you! Consider what makes your profile and yourself stand out from other writers’ pages on LinkedIn. Here are some tips:

How to write your LinkedIn Profile – YouTube
Takeaways
1. Crafting a compelling LinkedIn profile is crucial for writers to showcase their skills and experiences in a professional manner.
2. Utilize the summary section effectively to provide a snapshot of your writing journey, achievements, and what sets you apart.
3. Incorporate relevant keywords in your profile to enhance visibility in search results and attract connections in the writing industry.
4. Highlight your writing portfolio and accomplishments to demonstrate your expertise and credibility to potential employers and collaborators.
5. Engage with relevant groups and communities on LinkedIn to expand your network, share insights, and stay updated on industry trends.

Every Writer Needs A Linkedin Profile

The answer is yes, and you should be using LinkedIn to improve your writing career. Here’s why:

You need a LinkedIn profile if you want to network. And who doesn’t? But more specifically, you need one if you want to network with other writers who have similar skill sets as yours. 

This could mean finding potential collaborators or even clients the whole point of networking is connecting with people who will help your career grow in some way!

Your profile lets recruiters know what kind of writer (or whatever profession) they’re dealing with when they come across your profile while browsing through their candidates’ profiles on the site. 

It allows them to see what type of skills and experiences make up this person’s background, which makes it much easier for them when screening out applicants for positions at their company or organization.

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A Photo Is So Important

If you’re going to have a profile on LinkedIn, then a photo is essential. It’s one of the ways that people will be able to get a sense of who you are and what you look like. 

And it also helps them remember you because they can use that image when they think back on meeting or interacting with you at some point in the future.

A picture is worth 1,000 words and more importantly, when someone is scrolling through dozens or hundreds of profiles every day online (which happens), seeing your face could be enough for them to stop for even just a moment before moving on.

What’s Your Headline?

Your headline is the first thing that people see when they click on your profile. You should use a descriptive headline so that LinkedIn can show it in their search results, which means it needs to be unique and relevant to the job you’re applying for.

You should also keep these tips in mind:

Keep it short. There’s no point in trying to write something catchy or clever here because nobody will read it if they don’t have time! Make sure you keep this short and sweet while still getting across what you want people to know about your writing skillset.

Stay away from generic words like “writer” or “editor”. If someone was looking for a writer/editor then they’d just search for those terms instead of clicking-through every single profile page on LinkedIn until they found one with those words in the headline!

The Details Of Your Contact Information

Your email address. If you have one, what is it?

Your phone number. Is your phone number available for people to contact you? If so, what is the best way to reach you?

Your social media links. Do you want them on your profile? If so, which ones would you like people to see when they click through from your LinkedIn profile and how should they be displayed (i.e., in a box or as an icon)?

Your website address(es). How can others find out more about who you are and what services/products/workshops/etc., that give them access to at this point? 

In addition to providing links below each type of information listed above (e-mail), consider adding links beneath the following sections: “Skills”, “Experience” and “Education”.

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Your Summary Section – Five Tips

Here are five tips for writing your Summary section:

Be concise. Don’t waste space telling us what you don’t have to tell us, like your job title and years of experience. 

That kind of stuff should be in the Experience section. Instead, try to focus on what makes you unique the abilities, skills, and qualities that are most relevant to the position you want at a company.

Be specific about your accomplishments and accomplishments only (no fluff). Don’t just say “I have professional experience in XYZ industry” or “I am experienced with software XYZ because I used it on my last job” (or any other vague statement). 

Instead, talk about how YOU contributed to those successes by describing exactly what achievements YOU made during YOUR tenure at that business/organization/etc. For example instead of saying: “I worked as an Associate Producer for ABC Network News.” 

Say something like this instead: “While working as an Associate Producer at ABC Network News I managed two successful news specials reporting on retail industry trends with a combined viewership of over 50 million viewers.” 

This is more direct than just saying “I managed two special news programs…” And notice how we’re using specifics here–the number of viewers alone tells us quite a lot about these projects without us having any other info about them!

Experience – What Are You Most Proud Of?

Experience is a major part of your profile, so you’ll want to make sure that it’s well-written and tells a compelling story about your career. There are two parts to this section:

Include your most impressive achievements (accomplishments or successes) in reverse chronological order so the most recent are at the bottom and the oldest at the top. This makes it easy for recruiters and hiring managers to see what has happened most recently.

Make sure that each item on your list is relevant to either your career or the role you’re applying for. 

For example, if you were an accountant at a bank, but now want to work as an accountant in finance, then don’t include information about how many clients you served at one branch what’s important here is how many total clients did you handle over all branches?

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Your Work History – All The Facts And Figures

Job titles and company names are always a good place to start, as they help you list your jobs in chronological order. If you’re not sure what job title to use, ask yourself: what did I do at each of my previous employers? 

You may want to write down the responsibilities of your position on a piece of paper and then look at it to see whether that’s how you want to describe yourself on LinkedIn. Remember that this is about what kind of work experience you’ve had.

So if there were two different roles within your job title (for example, “Manager” and “Team Leader”), list both roles separately instead of combining them into one listing (“Manager/Team Leader”).

To make the most out of each entry in this section, try adding at least one bullet point describing something specific about your role (the same goes for education). For example:

  • Worked with cross-functional team members across departments to improve processes and increase efficiency
  • Led projects resulting in increased sales by 15% over three quarters
  • Designed new product packaging based on customer feedback

Add Some Media – Your Portfolio And Showcase Pages. And A Blog!

If you’re a writer, here are some of the things you could showcase on your LinkedIn profile:

  • Your portfolio your writing samples, awards and accolades, and testimonials from clients or colleagues.
  • Showcase pages on your blog and other sites where people can find examples of your work (like Quora).
  • Skills what do you consider to be your most important skills? Maybe it’s time management or copywriting. Maybe it’s the fact that you have 15 years of experience in the technology industry and know what IT buyers want to hear about new products. 

Whatever it is, use this section as an opportunity to brag about yourself!

Skills – Publicise, Publicise, Publicise!

You can use the skills section to show you are good at writing and editing by including two or three of your skills in each job role. For example, say you have been working as a copywriter for two years. 

You could include “writing” and “copywriting” in your LinkedIn profile under one of your current jobs, then put them both again under another job from five years ago where you worked as an editor. 

This way it looks like you have been doing lots of different things over the years without having to mention all of them individually, so if someone is looking at your profile they will see that they don’t need to hire anyone else because “you” already know how to write!

When it comes down to it though, employers aren’t interested in what we think we’re good at – they want proof that we can do what we say (and more). So once again – publicize!

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More About You In The Accomplishments Section

You also have the option to include more about yourself in the Achievements section. This is where you’re going to talk about what you’ve done and what you’ve achieved. 

You can talk about your skills, but it’s even better if you show them through examples of things that you have accomplished. Showcase what makes you proud, good at, and proud of whether that be helping out others or protecting the environment.

The Education Tab And Recommendations Round It Off

The education tab should be a no-brainer. You don’t want to leave off your degree, or forget to add your GPA.

If you have recommendations, don’t forget that you can ask for them on LinkedIn! It’s a great opportunity to share your accomplishments and gain credibility in the eyes of potential employers and clients.

It also wouldn’t hurt to add a link to your website in the profile as well this way people who look at your profile can find out more about you without leaving LinkedIn (and this means more eyeballs on whatever content is on that site).

You’ll Have A Great Profile That Will Help You Get Work

If you’re not sure what to say in your profile, just keep it simple. The main thing is, to be honest, and reflect on your skills and experience accurately. You can always add more information later, so don’t worry if it’s not perfect right away! 

This is an opportunity for LinkedIn users who write (or want to write) professionally to show off their skills by creating profiles that promote themselves as writers rather than just having their names on the site alone.

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Conclusion

LinkedIn is a great resource for writers looking to network and build their portfolios. It’s important, though, that you profile yourself correctly. You want employers to be able to see your skills and experiences so that you can find the right opportunity for you! 

To profile yourself as a “writer” on LinkedIn: Start by adding your work experience; Include keywords about writing in your headline; Give details about any projects or papers written during school; 

Showcase relevant samples of writing from past jobs or internships; Share links to publications where your work has been published online (but don’t just post everything – make sure they’re relevant).

Further Reading

LinkedIn Summary Examples: Discover compelling LinkedIn summary examples to effectively showcase your professional identity and engage your network.

How to Write a LinkedIn Summary: Learn step-by-step guidelines for crafting an impactful LinkedIn summary that highlights your skills and experiences.

LinkedIn for Writers: Tips and Tools: Explore essential tips and tools for writers to optimize their LinkedIn profiles, connect with peers, and promote their work.

FAQs

Q: What should I include in my LinkedIn summary?

A: Your LinkedIn summary should include a concise overview of your professional background, key skills, accomplishments, and a glimpse of your personality.

Q: How can a well-written LinkedIn summary benefit me?

A: A well-crafted LinkedIn summary can help you make a strong first impression, establish your expertise, and attract potential employers or collaborators.

Q: Are there any LinkedIn summary examples to inspire me?

A: Yes, you can find various LinkedIn summary examples that showcase effective ways to present your skills and experiences to potential connections.

Q: How do I optimize my LinkedIn profile for writing-related endeavors?

A: To optimize your LinkedIn profile for writing, emphasize your writing experience, publications, and any relevant skills such as content creation or storytelling.

Q: Can LinkedIn help writers connect with fellow professionals in the industry?

A: Absolutely, LinkedIn provides a platform for writers to connect with peers, editors, publishers, and other professionals in the writing and publishing world.