Originally posted on June 25, 2013 by Dorothy Dalton for Project Eve
Why all women need a strong LinkedIn profile
Women are natural relationship builders. We excel at reaching out and building friendships. But reading research from the Boolean Black Belt Sourcing we seem to be falling behind on our use of LinkedIn. At one time there were fewer women on this professional platform than our male colleagues, but now this is one gender gap at least that has closed.
So why are there so few of us in the top 100 LinkedIn users, only 5 to be precise?
But does that even matter truthfully? Do we really have to get into a “mine is bigger than yours” spitting contest?
Perhaps more importantly we should ask what it tells us, if anything, about the way men and women network.
- Men are more willing to be transactional networkers than women and engage with people they don’t really know, or even know at all.
- Women tend to prefer fewer and more personal connections.
- Women are reluctant to self promote – in fact many don’t even know where to start.
- Women don’t like to network professionally with friends but men convert business contacts into friendships
- Women are embarrassed about their age and appearance. I know many women who won’t even put a photo on their profiles.
- In an era where 100% of recruiters tap into LinkedIn
at some stage in the hiring process and creating a personal brand and raising professional visibility is of paramount professional importance, all women should have a 100% complete LinkedIn profile. It shows we care about our professional selves.
We should have a powerful summary and professional headline. It shows we know our transferable skills.
We should have three success stories under each position. It shows we know what we have achieved and are willing to share.
We should know how to use this effective professional tool with over 200 million users worldwide. It shows we’re up to date.
So if:
Creating a LinkedIn profile scares you, or you are confused about navigating your way around all the bells and whistles of endorsements, recommendations and updates spins your head, or you just want to understand how to maximise the benefits of being in a global network, find out how! This is one of the best professional networking tools for busy women. You just need to know what it can offer.