LinkedIn is a powerful social media platform when it comes to professional communication. Over the past year, LinkedIn has made changes that have made it even more attractive to professionals and job seekers. One of those changes was the introduction of online portfolios to LinkedIn profiles that include images, PDFs, presentations, and websites.
This tutorial will take you through the steps to create an online portfolio of your LinkedIn profile
- First you will want to go to Edit Profile
- In your profile setting settings you will notice a compilation box in certain sections of your profile. This option allows you to add photos, PDFs, presentations, and websites to create an online portfolio for that particular section of your profile. LinkedIn lets you choose live content or files stored on your device.
- Click the compilation box to start adding content.
Contents
TIP: Check out Google Drive if you need a place to handle photos, PDFs, etc
- After adding your content, you will be able to edit your title and description. Your title will appear as captions and your description will be visible when someone clicks on that particular content. You will also be able to select the category to which the content is filtered — this comes in handy if you decide to move the content to another category.
- As you create your portfolio, LinkedIn will add each piece of content to your profile with a preview image and title. I went on to create a portfolio with different types of content and posted the results below.
- When someone clicks on each piece of content the gallery will appear with a preview, link, title, and description.
Additional tips
- You can edit, delete and rearrange content in your portfolio. By moving up the icons, you will be able to click and drag to order the content as you wish.
- If you choose to use Google Drive, I would suggest sharing PDFs. While doing this course, I learned that sharing an actual document will give anyone access to your document in Google Drive.
- I have not always been impressed with the gallery preview, especially when I shared the links. Make sure the content you share, sets you up as an artist. When you share a web page, consider taking a screenshot and including the site link in your description.
- Your portfolio is only visible to your contacts.
Your LinkedIn profile is more than just a boring online resume.
What if you translated it into an online portfolio?
Corporate and marketing websites contain customer testimonials, product demonstrations, and visual evidence of their products. You can too!
It only takes a little ingenuity – but you can do it! Your challenge is to think like a marketing department and find ways to use video, presentations, and photos to highlight your skills, knowledge, and talent!
What Media Can You Add?
LinkedIn claims to officially support photos, video, audio, presentations, and documents by some providers listed here but others are also active.
Word doc, Excel files, PowerPoint presentations, images, screenshots, videos, pdfs, and more!
Where to Add Media / Files to Your Profile
You can add files and links to your Featured section, under each category listed in your category, and your education category. Just go to edit your profile and view file upload information or media link.
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What You Can Show
You have work samples. But think of the problems you have in the workplace, not your daily routine. What sets you apart from hundreds of thousands of other people with the same work title as you?
Is there a picture of you receiving a medal?
Have you ever made a presentation or spoken at a conference?
Have you written newspaper articles for a company or a foreign organization?
Here are some ideas for physical evidence that you can add.
Ideas for Demonstrating Your Work
Recreate or modify the presentation you provided or created and send it to Slideshare.
Create a sample or sample report, summary, or flow chart to ensure you are competent.
Show your research framework or map the process used to create a research project.
Create a mind map to show your thinking.
Compile a list of your favorite research sources.
Display a timeline for a project, a Gantt chart, or a diagram showing the movement of people, resources, and activities.
Volunteer with a non-profit organization, family, friend, or neighbor to submit a project that you can use to write.
Psst: if you have not considered writing or speaking, these are great ways to improve honesty and awareness about yourself!
Think of your LinkedIn profile as a book of pride and please, start collecting screenshots and links today.
I have nothing if you do not have it, create it! You can create a PowerPoint that highlights your accomplishments and publish it on SlideShare. Here are some examples: 3 Promotional Visual Resumes on SlideShare.
Search next to SlideShare and get ideas from other people who have set up online resumes or personal profiles. If you would like to create something with a smaller jacket than PowerPoint, you may want to check out Prezi.com.
Hold These Ideas
Letters of recommendation: You may have received letters of recommendation or testimonials from past customers. Why not create a presentation that contains these quotes? Just make sure you ask permission to use quotes or testimonials from the people you have written. And of course, this is a good opportunity to re-establish your connection with these people.
Sample work: You may have created reports, work instructions, workflow diagrams, and other content as a result of projects you have worked on. Although you can’t use real documents, you can create a joke to share. You can upload and publish documents under work in your work experience section.
Video: Everyone may feel uncomfortable in front of the camera, but the video does not have to be your face. It could be a “road” video. Example: You can create a video of how to create pivot tables, how to create project plans, or how to edit your email. Use on-screen streaming tools to record your shows and upload them to YouTube. Just remember to keep it short. Most ads play in less than three minutes. Some video ideas may include showing pictures or pictures.
A resume is not the only way to show what you have done. Today, there are many more options for publishing content and creating a strong, interactive representation of who you are. LinkedIn has become a source for employers looking for new talent. Make sure they get more than just a boring profile.
