How to instantly improve your LinkedIn profile headline

How to instantly improve your LinkedIn profile headlineHow to instantly improve your LinkedIn profile headlineThere is a proven LinkedIn profile headline formula that isnt about catchy taglines (The pro youve been looking for) or meaningless buzzwords (Innovator, Influencer, Omnipotent) - but ACTUALLY increases the number of searches you appear in and leads to more profile clicks. When I changed my headline to this format, my profile appeared in 130% more searches per month than it did beforeSo lets jump into it. The purpose of a headline for your LinkedIn profile is the same purpose as a headline for an article, it is toConvey value to the readerEntice them to read moreAppear in relevant searchesSo here is the formulaYour Role Your Industry/Area of Expertise Your Unique ValueI did this for my headline and I have gotten so much more inbound since the change. Here is what it looks like on my profileYour roleNotice it just says People Operations at Gem, my official title is Director of People Operations at Gem, but since titles mean different things at different companies, I eliminated the Director of and just focused on my specialty area People Operations. And of course if they want to see my title its right there on my profile. But what I notice is that people will write their full title in their headline, such as Senior Associate Vice President of blah blah. The title takes up so much room on your headline and doesnt convey the most relevant information.Your industry/area of expertiseThen I put my industry or area of expertise - industry experience is so important and people with a specific industry in their headline get more profile clicks and connection requests.Your unique valueAnd then your unique value - I put my YouTube Channel because it is what I have become known for, but before I had the channel I did not have a unique value in my headline. Thats because I didnt want to put something bogus up there and sound like a poser. So dont force it, but a lso dont sell yourself short. Youve probably accomplished incredible things. Such as if you are a virtual assistant your unique value could be Assisted over 250 executives Wow thats impressive, Id want to hire someone as experienced as you So take a moment to think about how incredible you are and see if you can uncover your unique value.Here are some additional ideas for your unique valueFeatured in (any media podcast, website, so on)Creator of (*side project*)*Award* such as Woman of the Year for Asian Pacific Professionals Society* achievement* such as Built 10+ apps in the App StoreHow does this formula change for students?The short answer is It doesnt. The longer answer is, while it is perfectly acceptable to put Student at X University as your headline, if classes are all you are focused on currently, youll want to get additional experience. That could be a leadership role in a student organization, volunteering for a cause, building a side project - anything It doesnt have to be a job in the traditional sense.Such as, if we were to flash back to my freshman year of college, I worked on the campus newspaper, so my LinkedIn headline would be (if I followed this formula) Writer at UCSD Guardian Journalism 1 Biweekly College Newspaper in the US. Now, freshman year I hadnt accomplished much, so I would make my unique value how prestigious award winning the newspaper I worked on was. Id suggest watching this if youd like some inspiration of how to create your own opportunities for experience without getting hired for a full-time job.What do you do if you are between positions?If we are using my headline as an example I would change the beginning part of the headline from People Operations at Gem to only People Operations. If you dont have a current title you can also follow your specialty with professional or leader, such as People Operations Professional.There are more tips in the video How to Give Your LinkedIn Profile a Makeover, or check out my YouTu be Channel for the inside sensationsmeldung on hiring for a tech company.This post first appeared on Quora.

5 Networking Connections That Can Help You Land a Job

5 Networking Connections That Can Help You Land a Job5 Networking Connections That Can Help You Land a JobSmart job seekers of every age have heard that who you know is important when trying to land a job. But people just starting out often worry that their networking connections lack the quantity and quality needed to truly impact their search.Not so Plenty of possibilities exist- if you make the effort.Consider these five networking connections that can assist you in launching your career1. School ContactsHappily employed graduates reflect well on a school, so your alma mater will try to help you however it can. Start by staying in touch with the career office, which can alert you to job postings it receives and area hiring events. Keep professors and other mentors with whom youve closely worked updated on your goals so they can keep their eyes open for leads in your industry.And become an active alum. The fellow Tiger you chat with at the Homecoming picnic may be delighted to pay it forward with an introduction or an informational interview.2. Past SupervisorsPeople who have witnessed your skills through internships, summer jobs, or volunteer experience may be excited at the prospect of adding you to the regular staff. Even if no openings exist at the place where you worked, these leaders may know of other opportunities and be proud to vouch for your abilities.3. PeersYour college roommates, old high school pals, summer camp buddies, and traveling baseball squad teammates are likely in a similar job-seeking situation.See if you can help out one another by passing along leads or offering introductions. Also tap those in your age group already happily employed. Many companies conduct employee-referral programs that offer a bonus when someone you recommend gets hired- a win-win for both of you.4. Virtual AcquaintancesOnline communities tear down boundaries and enable connections previous generations never could have imagined. Look for groups, blogs, and forums that speak to you- ones that youre excited to follow and contribute to on a regular basis.Youll make a name for yourself, and other members may be in positions to help with your career aspirations. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete and up to date so that people trying to connect with you have appropriate information.5. FamilyEmbrace the followingIt is perfectly acceptable for your dad to mention to his golf partner that youre looking for a job, and that neighbor Aunt Mabel wants you to meet because he does what you do could turn out to be a godsend.Your family wants to help, so let them. What do you have to lose other than your unemployed status?Start Your Job Search

Here are nine signs that you might be an ambivert

Here are nine signs that you might be an ambivertHere are nine signs that you might be an ambivertIm sure youve been asked many times whether youre an introvert or an extrovert. For some people, its an easy choice, but for most of us, its difficult to choose one way or the other.Its hard to choose because the introvert/extrovert dichotomy reflects a tired and outdated view of personality. Personality traits exist along a continuum, and the vast majority of us arent introverts or extroverts - we kiste somewhere in the middle.Personality consists of a stable set of preferences and tendencies through which we approach the world. Personality traits form at an early age and are fixed by early adulthood. Many important things about you change over the course of your lifetime, but your personality isnt one of them.Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it. Bruce LeeThe continuum between introversion a nd extroversion captures one of the most important personality traits. Its troubling that were encouraged to categorize ourselves one way or the other because there are critical strengths and weaknesses commonly associated with each type.Adam Grant at Wharton set out to study this phenomenon, and his findings are fascinating. First, he found that two-thirds of people dont strongly identify as introverts or extroverts. These people (aka, the vast majority of us) are called ambiverts, who have both introverted and extroverted tendencies. The direction ambiverts lean toward varies greatly, depending on the situation.Think of introversion and extroversion as a spectrum, with ambiversion lying somewhere in the middleAmbiverts have a distinct advantage over true introverts and extroverts. Because their personality doesnt lean too heavily in either direction, they have a much easier time adjusting their approach to people based on the situation. This enables them to connect mora easily, an d more deeply, with a wider variety of people.Grants research also disproved the powerful and widely held notion that the best-performing salespeople are extroverts. He found that ambiverts greater social flexibility enabled them to outsell all other groups, moving 51 percent more product per hour than the average salesperson. Notice how sales increased as extroversion increased, peaking with those who were just moderately extroverted.Grant explained the finding this wayBecause they naturally engage in a flexible pattern of talking and listening, ambiverts are likely to express sufficient assertiveness and enthusiasm to persuade and close a sale, but are more inclined to listen to customers interests and less vulnerable to appearing too excited or overconfident.How ambiversion works in the brainHow social you are is largely driven by dopamine, the brains feel-good hormone. We all have different levels of dopamine-fueled stimulation in the neocortex (the area of the brain that is res ponsible for higher mental functions such as language and conscious thought). Those who naturally have high levels of stimulation tend to be introverts - they try and avoid any extra social stimulation that might make them feel anxious or overwhelmed. Those with low levels of stimulation tend to be extroverts. Under-stimulation leaves extroverts feeling bored, so they seek social stimulation to feel good.Most peoples levels of natural stimulation dont reach great extremes, though it does fluctuate. Sometimes you may feel the need to seek out stimulation, while other times, you may avoid it.Finding out whether youre an ambivertIts important to pin down where you fall in the introversion/extroversion scale. By increasing your awareness of your type, you can develop a better sense of your tendencies and play to your strengths.If you think that you might be an ambivert, but arent certain, see how many of the following statements apply to you. If most of them apply, youre most likely an ambivert.I can perform tasks alone or in a group. I dont have much preference either way.Social settings dont make me uncomfortable, but I tire of being around people too much.Being the center of attention is fun for me, but I dont like it to last.Some people think Im quiet, while others think Im highly social.I dont always need to be moving, but too much downtime leaves me feeling bored.I can get lost in my own thoughts just as easily as I can lose myself in a conversation.Small talk doesnt make me uncomfortable, but it does get boring.When it comes to trusting other people, sometimes Im skeptical, and other times, I dive right in.If I spend too much time alone, I get bored, yet too much time around other people leaves me feeling drained.The trick to being an ambivert is knowing when to force yourself to lean toward one side of the spectrum when it isnt happening naturally. Ambiverts with low self-awareness struggle with this. For example, at a networking event, a self-aware ambiv ert will lean toward the extroverted side of the scale, even when it has been a long day and he or she has had enough of people. Mismatching your approach to the situation can be frustrating, ineffective, and demoralizing for ambiverts.Bringing it all togetherTalentSmart has conducted research with over a million people and found that those in the upper echelon of performance at work also tend to be highly self-aware (90 percent of them, in fact). By gaining a better sense of where you fall on the introversion/extroversion scale, you can build insight into your tendencies and preferences, which increases your self-awareness and emotional intelligence. This will help you improve your performance.This article first appeared on LinkedIn.