A professional LinkedIn profile is an online resume that allows your prospective clients to learn more about you and your skills. A profile starts with the headline section, which includes a job title and company name, followed by a paragraph describing who you are in 160 words or less. The summary section is typically two sentences long. The next section in the LinkedIn profile is usually labeled “Skills” or “Experience” where you detail what makes you qualified to do this work. Then comes the education section, with all of your past jobs listed under each degree earned date.
Most people think that their LinkedIn profile is complete after they have completed all of these sections with information about themselves, but there are many ways to go beyond this standard guideline for a professional resume online. For example, most people