First Impressions Matter

You know a positive first impression matters, especially in business and your career. Make sure you make a positive first impression with you LinkedIn profile.

The top section of your LinkedIn profile is highlighted in blue. This is your profile headline.

Let’s compare your profile to a newspaper article. When you scan the newspaper, you read the headlines to decide if an article content is worth reading. If the headline looks interesting, you go on to read the rest of the article.

In LinkedIn, readers use the same process to decide whether your profile is worth reading.

Take a few minutes to review your profile header to see if you entice other LinkedIn members to view your profile. Can they tell what your profile is about from reading your headline?

Are you making a positive first impression?

Leave a reply below and let us know what your LinkedIn profile header says and give us a link to your profile.

14 thoughts on “First Impressions Matter”

  1. Hi April… Thanks for the interesting blog post this morning. I see what you mean.

    MY LinkedIn profile header says I’m a Writing and Editing Professional, but I am SO MUCH MORE! After seeing what you have on YOUR header, I’m thinking an edit of my header is in order. I’ll just have to find a creative way to highlight my best points in the 120-character long field.

    Thanks for the tip!

    1. Carol,

      Based on the work you have done for me, I can attest you are more than a Writer & Editor. Your critical thinking skills and perspective made you a valuable resource on my project team. Not to mention your on time delivery, articulate responses and team oriented attitude. While 120 characters just wont tell the whole story, give your reader a taste of what they will find.

      Update your LinkedIn profile headed and leave a link to your profile URL so we can check it out. My profile URL is http://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilmwilliams

      April

      1. Wow April!
        Thank you SO MUCH! It’s an honor to be able to work with you, and thank you for that opportunity!

        Look at this… Just when you THINK nobody’s paying attention, here you go and write such amazing things about me. I am humbled.

        NOW I’m wondering how to condense what you just wrote into 120 characters. :0D
        Carol

          1. Carol,

            Wow, your header is much more descriptive. Comments or suggestions from other readers?

            I think you need to build the number of your LinkedIn connections. Are you to accepting invitations from our readers?
            April

    1. Kevin,

      Hello fellow speaker. Thanks for your note and your kind words. It is rewarding to know that I inspired you to take action and update your LinkedIn profile.
      April

  2. Personally, I find all that posturing to be ridiculous. When I read in someone’s profile that they’re a “speaker – author – coach – blogger – video podcaster” with a link to more grandstanding materials, I ignore them. Choose one thing and be good at it, rather thand doing 50 things poorly.

    But that’s just my $0.02

    1. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Interested to see how your job search approach works out. It is said “You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”

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