Voice is important in your LinkedIn profile.
Your profile should sound professional yet conversational and accessible. That’s obvious.
But what’s less clear to LinkedIn users is whether to use first person (I, me) or third person (first name, he, she). I’ve completed dozens of LinkedIn makeovers for clients, and here’s what I recommend and why.
1. Use third person in your About section
Your About section is your chance to do some storytelling – to create a memorable career narrative. You want to use your name in your About, because your name is your brand – just like Oprah or Coca-Cola. You want recruiters, prospective bosses and future clients to associate your name with your story.
There are more than half a billion LinkedIn users. Imagine you’re a recruiter or hiring manager and you read profile after profile that begins with “I.” “I did this” and “then I did that.” How would you remember who’s who?
It’s also easier to tell a story that sounds less boastful when you tell it from the objective-sounding third person. That’s why when I’m writing someone’s About section for LinkedIn, I imagine I’m introducing that person to speak at a public event or that I’m writing a mini profile for a newspaper.
If you’re writing your own story, try thinking of how you’d want someone else to introduce you or what you would want that person to write about you.
There’s an added bonus to having an About story written in the third person: You’re ready with your professional bio when someone asks for one. Professional bios – like About the Author sections at the end of books — are not written in first person.
Bottom line: You want recruiters, would-be bosses and prospective clients to remember you. Your name is your brand. Don’t be afraid to use it.
2. Use first person in your Experience section and everywhere else
The rest of your LinkedIn profile is like your resume. Use first person for your Experience section, Volunteer section and anywhere else.
Of course, the actual word “I” doesn’t need to appear all that often. It’s an implied “I” as you use bullet points starting with active verbs to list your accomplishments, experiences, certifications and more. Don’t forget to put your achievements in perspective, too. What did your role with a certain line of business or project mean for your firm?
For example:
• Established new call center procedure, leading to increased call volume of 25% year over year.
• Worked across departments to create and lead the firm’s diversity and inclusion council, earning the company accolades in the industry and positive media coverage.
• Led cross-functional team that launched the company’s best-selling product to date.
Bottom line: From the Experience section on down, you want your LinkedIn profile to mirror your resume. But one advantage of LinkedIn is that space isn’t an issue. So long as you are organized about it, feel free to add more details than what might fit on a resume, which should be one page — or two pages, tops.
3 TIPS FOR FINDING YOUR LINKEDIN VOICE
Tell your story. The About section is not a chronological listing of your career achievements. That’s what the Experience section is for. Tell a story that connects all your jobs and experiences.Be organized. Use bullet points to succinctly highlight your role and achievements.
Details matter. Typos and poor grammar will detract from your voice. Be a keen editor. Enlist a friend or loved one to look over your profile, too.
