The Power of an Optimized LinkedIn Profile

Posted on by Drew Bonsu

When I joined LinkedIn 14 years ago, the platform was known as the place where you transferred your resume and work history into an online version. LinkedIn has evolved far beyond a platform for just placeholding your digital resume, as your profile is the first impression you will make to people in and outside your network.

But a LinkedIn profile isn’t your resume–it is static, searchable, and offers more features to showcase your expertise beyond just the history of your job experience.   I’m going to touch on the impact of an optimized LinkedIn profile for designers, exploring how it can attract job opportunities, foster connections, and enhance your reputation (aka personal brand). Let’s embark on a journey to unravel the secrets of LinkedIn success in the design arena.

Where to Start?

LinkedIn provides a variety of sections for you to input information.  As a recruiter who proactively uses LinkedIn to source and identify potential prospects for job opportunities, I’ll emphasize the areas and content I seek out when scanning a profile to assess the alignment for a role.

Headliner

Your headliner is the copy that is located right below your name on the LinkedIn profile and it will be the first thing people see (along with your name).  Not only does it show on your profile page, but also when you comment, send invitations, “Who Viewed your Profile“, and in the intro section of your profile. You have a 220-character limit. A shortened version of your headliner will be visible when commenting (75 characters), sent invitation (80 characters), and in search results (82 characters).

The words in the headliner do affect the search results.  Keeping this in mind, I advise to be clear about your expertise and use keywords that a recruiter may look for when sourcing.  This may include job title, skill sets, certifications, and companies.  A Unique Value Prop (USP) is a popular choice for a headliner, like “turning ideas into visual symphony,” but I urge people that it’s not the best (SEO) option if you are in an active search.  A USP can be ambiguous and a recruiter isn’t using those keywords when searching.

A simple format I suggest is:

Job title + Company + (skill sets, results/achievements, awards) + (fun add about personality or USP).

If your current job title is vague or you are making a career pivot, the headliner is an alternative field to sub in your target job title.  Example:  Your job title is “creative specialist” which doesn’t encompass your expertise in design.  Use “Graphic designer” in your headliner instead.

Photo

Is there a greater chance of receiving outreach when you include a photo on your profile? Discrimination is real, unfortunately, and I’ve talked to people who strategically omit or strengthen their privacy settings by design to hide their headshots on their profiles. Make decisions based on your comfort level.

If you opt for a photo, a DIY iphone session can quickly produce a credible headshot Here is an article with some helpful tips!

 

Location

If a company is looking to hire a local candidate within commuting distance,  they could be using a radius search by location.  Users can search by by Region or Postal Code. The latter option enables a nuanced radius search, allowing users to filter results within 5, 10, 25, 35, 50, 75, and 100 miles.

To enhance your discoverability, consider selecting a broader metro area rather than specifying your exact city. For instance, instead of “Baltimore,” use “Washington DC-Baltimore” to increase your inclusion in wider-radius searches.   If you are in the midst or open to relocation, set the targeted location as your geography so your visibility will be amplified in those geographical searches.

Industry

Companies could be prioritizing their search by industry experience.  While you can include vertical exposure in your About and Experience section, you can choose an industry sector in your account settings.  LinkedIn expanded their industry codes from 24 core functions to sub categories, likely expanding to over 400+ soon.  Pick one most important to you, and again–you can mention others in other areas.

Keywords

Before I cover the About and Experience section, I encourage everyone to conduct keyword research to identify what skills and keywords are associated with your current job and target.  Wordtracker and Google Keyword Planner are excellent tools, but what works on Google won’t be a replica on LinkedIn.   ChatGPT can generate a list of associated words too.

 

Review the words and think about how you can integrate these words into the content of your profile. For example, instead of listing out a bullet-pointed list of keywords like “Storyboarding,” “campaign development,” and “advertising,”  try weaving them into the story of your experience and about section.

 

Consider the keywords you prefer not to be associated with on your LinkedIn profile. While retaining your work history is advisable, it’s beneficial to eliminate skills or keywords that hold no relevance to your future career aspirations.  Unfortunately, some recruiters are lazy and will mass message anyone who possesses a keyword they are searching for–regardless of context.  Proactively removing skills or titles misaligned with your target job can potentially curtail unwarranted outreach.

 

Scope out your competition.  Run a keyword search on job titles (like “Art Director” or “Sr. Graphic Designer) and pay particular attention to the initial pages of search results.  How does the algorithm prioritize profiles related to content?

 

About Section

This is your canvas to craft a narrative of your career journey and an opportunity to reveal more information beyond the facts of your experience.  Did you make a career pivot or your path has been non-linear?  Has design been your passion since you were a child? How did this path become your “why”?

What’s your opening hook?  Keep the mobile user in mind, as they’ll likely encounter the initial 90 to 150 characters of this section before having to click down. Desktop viewers may extend to around 300 characters.

As you share your story, consider incorporating a call to action (CTA) to encourage recruiters to engage further. This could involve providing a link to your portfolio, sharing your email address, or including a phone number (consider using Google Voice for added privacy). Embrace the first-person perspective to infuse authenticity into your narrative (a third-person narrative may be more suitable for fields like legal or finance.)

Reinforce your expertise.  Don’t forget to enhance your visibility by strategically integrating those relevant keywords and skills into the narrative.  You also have the option to add your top 5 skills that will be promoted in this section.

 

Experience Section

I’ll argue that this section is the most significant in your profile. While other sections can represent your branding, the experience section unveils the application of your keyword skills and the outcomes achieved. It provides the crucial context to assess your qualification for a role.

In each job experience, include details on project work, tasks, results, industry exposure, management roles, certifications, specific software proficiency, training, and promotions. Adopting a format with bulleted points or well-structured sentences enhances readability.

Utilize LinkedIn’s feature to add skills to each experience entry, showcasing your expertise aligned with each job title and company.  If you used Adobe XD in your current job but only Indesign at your prior, you can distinguish how recent you were exposed to tools here.  In addition to hard skills, consider adding other tasks like project management, motion design, business development, etc

 

Featured Section:

Designers, do not overlook this section!  This space is your place to add content, from articles, videos, URLS, podcasts, photos, and presentations.  Most importantly, if you have an online portfolio, include the link.  This is the visual “highlight real” of your achievements.

Contact Information

Ensure your email is up to date to efficiently receive timely notifications. If anyone is using Inmails, messages, or general invitations, your notifications will go to this email. If you using your work email domain, keep this in mind (especially if you fear that your employer is monitoring your emails). This article will show you how to adjust the visibility of your email. Consider a pseudo email strictly for LinkedIn outreach and messaging.

Along with the Featured section, you can include your portfolio link here. If you were assigned a generic URL, you can explore custom options.  If there is a custom domain that is available and aligned with your personal branding, snatch it up.

What else should you consider?

A background photo, which is the large image behind your profile picture, is customizable.  I usually recommend Canva as a tool to create a unique banner that highlights your brand or expertise, however I recognize an audience of designers will have the skills and other tools to execute this task at a higher level.  The dimensions are 1584 x 396 pixels and accepts PNG, JPG, and GIF files.

Should you use the Open to Work Banner?  My opinion is mine alone, but I do not hold a bias against anyone who is actively in a job search and chooses the visual cue of the banner.  My objective, as a recruiter, is to identify a candidate who is motivated and qualified to make a job move.  Some others may discriminate against people unemployed, so you need to make the best choice for yourself.  If your job search is confidential, I would encourage you to use the Recruiters Only option.  The Recruiters Only option is limited to users who subscribe to the Premium Recruiter seat, so that isn’t limited to recruiters only but to those who pay for that level of service.

A LinkedIn Allstar Status increases your visibility. While the meter is no longer on display in your profile, reference this link on how to access your level. Hint: Look for the “Suggested for you” prompt.

What qualifies as an Allstar Status?  Complete all of the following sections.

  • Industry/Location
  • 3 positions (including current). If you don’t have 3 job experiences, consider volunteering, freelance, or gap options.
  • Education
  • Skills (3 minimum)
  • Profile Photo
  • 50 Connections

In today’s competitive job market, having a well-optimized LinkedIn profile is more important than ever. This is a passive, one-stop effort that can generate inbound leads and increase your chances of being discovered by recruiters and potential employers.

About the writer

Kelli Hrivnak

LinkedIn | Website

Kelli Hrivnak is a leader with over 15 years of experience in staffing and recruitment services.  Recognizing the limitations of quantity-driven staffing models, Kelli embarked on a mission to create a forward-thinking alternative.  She is founder of Knak Digital, a recruiting agency prioritizing strategy and quality over high-volume recruitment. Throughout her career, Kelli has partnered with various companies, from Fortune 500 corporations to start-ups.  Her extensive background in the technology and marketing industry has provided her with valuable insights and a deep understanding of client needs.

Book Review: Illustration that Works by Greg Houston

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

Hours disappear in minutes whenever I’m drawing, so it’s great having a sketchbook with me for dull pauses in my day. If I sketch for 20 minutes while sitting in the dentist’s office, it feels like I’d just sat down when my name is called. Seriously, it’s like time travel.

Whenever I sketch in public, there’s a chance someone might notice what I’m doing and we’ll start chatting about drawing and the sort of work I do. Often, that person will tell me they’ve always admired people who could draw but that they aren’t “naturally talented”, themselves. Maybe they have a relative who is good but, “I didn’t get those genes, I guess”. Or “some people are just born with it”.

Ah, the legendary “natural talent”. It’s what allows a select few to paint like Rembrandt from the time they open their gifted little eyes. It’s the extra bonus granted to only the chosen. It’s the elusive strand of midi-chlorians that keeps the rest of us from ever being a Jedi. It’s the Secret Ingredient.

While it’s probably a lot more interesting to think my hand is guided by genetics or The Force, I really just learned how to draw. Everyone who knows how to draw learned to do so. There’s no Secret Ingredient.

Greg Houston would agree. He’s a professional illustrator with an enviable portfolio spanning twenty-five-plus years of working with clients like The Village Voice and Marvel Comics. He’s taught illustration courses at MICA and the art of cartooning to kids. Currently, he can be found at the newly-opened Baltimore Academy of Illustration, where he is a co-founder and instructor. When it comes to commercial art, this is someone you’d want to listen to. So it’s fitting that he’s just published a book on the subject, Illustration That Works. As the title suggests, Houston’s blue-collared approach to a successful career in commercial art preaches a strong work ethic.

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In the preface, he writes,

“It’s a working art. It serves a purpose. Unlike ‘fine art’, illustration isn’t about navel-gazing or finding greater truths in a tube of paint. It’s not for dilettantes or bored socialites. Illustration is an art and a profession.”

And Houston definitely respects his profession. In the chapter “Your Taste Doesn’t Matter”, he writes,

“Once you agree to take on that job, your assignment is to make the best work you can for the client. Trying to railroad the client into seeing things your way isn’t very professional, and giving the client a finished piece that’s different from what you both agreed to is entirely unacceptable.”

As proof of loyalty to these words, he includes multiple examples of work where the client had ideas he didn’t agree with but still realized those ideas with the same level of attention he’d give to any other project.

Other chapters focus on the technical parts of the job: developing concepts, creating effective compositions, research, and style. He writes, “A successful illustration is the perfect combination of style and substance. If that balance is off, the illustration suffers.” Accompanying each lesson are works by classic and contemporary illustrators, as beautiful and inspirational, as they are fantastic examples.

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Written at a quick pace not usually found in vocational guides, Illustration That Works is certainly informative and it’s also entertaining as hell. For example, while stressing the importance of correctly rendering the human form, Houston writes about (and draws!) a guy he saw in college who looked like a living checklist of amateur mistakes. He mentions Dracula enough times to notice and he’s very excited to tell you about gouache.

Illustration That Works is available now to purchase. Check out Greg Houston’s portfolio at www.greghoustonillustration.com and see which courses are being offered at the Baltimore Academy of Illustration at www.baltimoreillustration.com

Greg Jericho spends an awful lot of time designing for clients that do not exist. Check out his work at jerichovinegarworks.com

BMORE Inspired by The Painted Ladies of Charles Village

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

When you hear the term “painted ladies”, do you think of Baltimore architecture? Inspired by the brightly colored homes of San Francisco, the Victorian style row homes of Baltimore’s own Charles Village neighborhood certainly live up to the name.

In the late 90s, the neighborhood of Charles Village had a contest, challenging residents to paint and decorate the fronts of their rowhomes in order to revitalize and show pride in their neighborhood. With cash prizes for best door, porch and front facade, residents took the challenge and ran with it. With an array of colors and styles ranging from vibrant pinks, greens, and yellows, stripes and solids, even almost 20 years later these rowhomes show how bold and spunky the city of Baltimore can be. Although the last contest took place in 2003, some of the houses have been repainted in the past few years, and there are efforts to bring back the competition. For a taste of some true Baltimore charm, the painted ladies of Charles Village are well worth driving—or walking—by to see.

Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/question_everything/">Let Ideas Compete</a>
Credit: Let Ideas Compete
Credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guilford.jpg">Wikipedia</a>
Credit: Wikipedia
Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sidereal/">Jack Lyons</a>
Credit: Jack Lyons
Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ms_sarahbgibson/">cinderellasg</a>
Credit: cinderellasg

This post is part 5 of our “Bmore Inspired in Baltimore” series. See part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4 here.

Image Credit: Zack Weinberg

Shannon Crabill is an HTML Email Developer at T. Rowe Price. Outside of the Internet you can find her riding her motorcycle and binge-watching home improvement shows on HGTV. Tweet her at @shannon_crabill.

An INside look at Baltimore magazine

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

Baltimore Magazine was first printed in 1907 by the Baltimore Chamber of Commerce. It is to this day, the oldest city magazine in the U.S. In 1994, Steve Geppi, owner of Rosebud Entertainment acquired the magazine with the goal of reviving the publication by rethinking its content as a channel to celebrate the great things that Charm City has to offer. With over 50,000 magazines in circulation, its in-house creative team collaborates diligently to keep the look and feel of the publication fresh and dynamic. Amanda White-Iseli has been Art Director for the publication for the last 16 years and shares insight on her in-house team.

How far in advance do you start working on your next issue?

Baltimore is a monthly publication designed on a 4- to 5-week production cycle. My team and I work closely with each other and with the editorial team throughout the cycle. Work begins even before the previous issue hits newsstands as art directors and designers meet with editors and writers to discuss the stories for the next issue. As a department, we all rely on each other for collaboration and critique at every step of the process. We’ve developed a strong, harmonious relationship with the editorial staff as well as with our digital and social media divisions, whom we also work closely with.

Special Editions and Marketing Art Director, Staci Lanham designs our quarterly Home section, our annual Baltimore Bride magazine, and all in-house promotional materials. Our Design and Print Division—headed up by Art Director Vicki Dodson and Senior Designer Michael Tranquillo—is creating fresh, new looks for businesses all over the region including print advertisements, stationary, media kits, newsletters, brochures, and more. Jon Timian is our Production Manager and is responsible for the top-notch production of the magazine—color correcting, along with the image, print, and paper quality. Production Artist, Marina Feeser designs ads and manages ad production for the monthly magazine as well as Baltimore Bride. Craig Forbes is our digital designer handling our web design and many of our online videos.

Understanding the broad strokes of the story and the writer’s tone influences the direction of the design and helps with the initial concept stage. Stephanie Shafer, the editorial design assistant, is responsible for part of the front of the book and all of the departments. Sophia Belitsos, the assistant AD, designs the rest of the front of the book, some features, and our Local Flavor section. I design the cover as well as features, provide direction to the assistant AD and design assistant, and manage the art department as a whole.

The three of us meet weekly to review progress, discussing design direction and potential illustrators and photographers that would be a good fit for the stories. Each person is responsible for creating art assignments for the stories they are working on.

October 2013 issue. Photography by Scott Suchman.
Baltimore’s Best Breakfast Spots. October 2013 issue. Photography by Scott Suchman.
Photography and Illustration have become a huge part of your publication, is all of this done in-house?

David Colwell, our Director of Photography, shoots a large part of the photography for any given issue. Front of the book sections such as “Charmed Life” are typically shot in our studio during the second week of the production cycle. The studio—which is a block away from our Lancaster Street offices in Harbor East—is a large, open space that provides an area where we can paint walls, build sets, and do whatever is necessary to shoot everything from fashion to portraits to product and detailed documentary photography for the monthly magazine as well as our annual Bride publication. (It was even used for a short scene in Season 2 of “House of Cards.”)

We also assign work to photographers in our extensive network of talented freelancers. We try to choose photographers whose style and aesthetic is a good fit for that particular project. We then send a detailed art assignment explaining the story and our design ideas, often including sample images that will help describe the look we are after. We try to give them two weeks to complete each assignment, although time is a luxury we don’t always have.

Baltimore magazine. September 2014. Photography by Mike Morgan. Hand lettering by Martin Schmetzer

We approach illustration projects in much the same way, providing art assignments and examples of illustrations that will help guide the illustrator’s concept and initial sketches. We have worked with renowned painters and illustrators from all over the world as well as those in our own backyard, including MICA graduates and even some professors. We find most of our illustrators either through artist reps or as a result of their own dogged determination to promote themselves via print mailings and email inquiries (yes, a well-written email or catchy postcard still works).

Can you give an example of a recent concept for a cover that you really enjoyed working on? What was the process?
October 2014 issue. Photography by Scott Suchman. Hand lettering by Lauren Hom.

We recently produced our October 2014 Cheap Eats cover which was a lot of work–but really fun to do. The food stylists who I usually work with were unavailable, so I tried my hand at styling the dogs myself. I worked with photographer Scott Suchman who is gifted at shooting food. It was a long process that involved lots of buns, lots of toothpicks, and a soldering iron! I was really happy with the results. I also worked with illustrator Lauren Hom who is amazing! She did the hand lettering for the piece. I provided sketches of what I wanted to include and where—and she worked her magic.

How do you coordinate what goes into your print publication vs. digital?

We meet monthly with digital team to maximize the capabilities of digital media and make the content fresh and dynamic. This can include everything from redesigning charts and incorporating infographics to shooting behind-the-scenes footage from photo shoots as a supplement to the editorial content. We are active on Pinterest and Facebook, posting contests, polls, and generally maintaining an online presence that further nurtures our relationship with existing readers and helps develop new ones. That relationship, and the resulting communication, helps us deliver designs that complement and support the stories and enhance the reader’s experience.

Follow Baltimore Magazine: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Jennifer Marin is co-president of AIGA Baltimore, you can follow her on Twitter: @hungry4design

Nominate your favorite Baltimore Logo Designer!

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

This November, to highlight the contributions made by the many designers in Charm City, Edwin Gold, professor of Communications Design and director of Ampersand Institute for Words & Images, is curating a special exhibition featuring the very best logo designs by Baltimore creatives to be displayed in the UB Student Center Gallery.

The exhibit, which is to be on display for three months, opens with a reception for the designers and friends. Further information, including the panel of judges and instructions for mounting are to be finalized in coming weeks.

To nominate your favorite local designer (or yourself), contact Ed: egold@ubalt.edu and include name, contact information, and samples of your favorite logo designs.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: September 20, 2013.

25 Ways to Rejuvenate Your Creativity

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore
To celebrate AIGA Baltimore’s 25th year, Jon Barnes, Director of Communications at ADG Creative, has a to-do list for you that’ll motivate your imagination.

Dig out some of your old work or go through an earlier portfolio to see how far you’ve come.

Go to a museum you’ve never been to but always wanted to visit.

Watch a documentary on an artist or visionary who inspires you.

Have your best friends bring their favorite inspirational documentaries over for a movie night.

Focus on 1 artistic project you’ve had brewing in your head and get started on it. Not for work, just for you.

Volunteer at a career fair for local students or visit your high school art teacher just to say hi.

Rearrange your home office or studio for a fresh look and feel. Throw some junk out.

Start a file on your computer called “dreams” and start putting thoughts, notes, and ideas into it of your artistic visions.

Go the bookstore and browse through the art or design section. Buy something motivational for your coffee table.

Create a guerrilla art project somewhere secretive in public. Tell no one.

Make a really stylish homemade card for the next family member of yours who has a birthday. Work so hard on it that the card itself becomes the gift.

Post some of your favorite motivational quotes on sticky notes and put them in your car/bathroom/kitchen.

Create a motivational quote wall at your home or office and ask your friends to contribute their favorite inspirational quotes to it.

Take a day off from work and go to the beach. There is something deep and real about the ocean that connects with the artistic process. Schedule it now.

Spoof something famous (Mona Lisa, Abbey Road album cover) and post your subversive work around the office.

Take a new route or mode of transportation to work for a week.

Change your schedule drastically for a month, prioritizing your “personal creative time” above everything else.

Start a Facebook group asking your friends to post links to their favorite art and design websites. Call your group “Design Motivations” or something with the word “-licious” in it.

Get in touch with a local non-profit and offer to do a free piece of design work for them.

Commission a piece of artwork from a child you know. Pay them handsomely for it and hang the artwork in your house or office.

Repaint one of your rooms. Single color or mural.

Have an art show for all your friends and family at your house. Call it an “art party” and post up your work on all the walls. Even better: Rent a few cheap hotel rooms and have your show there.

Volunteer at a senior center or hospital to give some free art lessons or do a fun collaborative design project.

Pick an obscure holiday and plan a celebratory office party around it (Potato Day, Thomas Crapper Day, etc.). Go overboard with decorating, contests, activities and food. Pull in your co-workers to conspire with you in the planning.

Take a look at your personal website or online portfolio. Overhaul the content, get it updated, refresh the look. Barter with someone if you need help.