Instructions: Follow the step-by-step instructions below. • Everything you add to your LinkedIn profile becomes public record. • If you already have a Linked-In account, review the steps and complete required items as noted. 1. LinkedIn is a place to share your professional accomplishments, post an online resume, and make connections to other

professionals. You can request professional recommendations, and provide recommendations to other LinkedIn members. 2. LinkedIn also features a convenient way to search for jobs. 3. A basic account is free. Paid accounts provide features like InMail (more on InMail later). 4. Everything you include on your LinkedIn page should support your professional goals. Irrelevant things should not be included. 5. If you are applying for a job, it is highly likely that the employer will search for your name on LinkedIn.

• Today you’ll begin creating a professional LinkedIn portfolio. 6. Go to the following URL: https://www.linkedin.com 7. Enter your information in the box below. You may use your coe.edu email account, or a different email account. (If you pick your

coe.edu account you can change it after you graduate). Create a new password (don’t use a password that you already use). Passwords should include symbols (like: @ $ %), uppercase and lowercase letters. Write the password down so you don’t forget it.

8. Choose “Student” in the box below:

Social Media Applications in Business: Application Step-By-Step

Application: Due Date: Tuesday, March 28, Start of Class

9. Begin setting-up your profile. The ZIP code for Coe College is: 52402

10. Indicate that you are a student.

11. At this point I’d probably keep everything open, and select “Not sure yet…”

12. I recommend skipping the step that automatically imports your contacts from your private email account. It might be best to spend time fine-tuning your LinkedIn account profile before many other people get a chance to view it. You cannot hide your profile from other LinkedIn members while you are working on it. (Fine-tuning your profile may take weeks, and includes getting a professional-quality photograph.)

13. Check your email account and click on the link to confirm your email address.

14. Skip the step that requests that you add companies where you might want to work.

15. Skip the step that downloads the LinkedIn app. Most LinkedIn editing is done on a computer, and device apps are handy for only basic LinkedIn functions: You can always download it later.

16. Now it is time to begin adding information to your LinkedIn profile. Important: This is information that other LinkedIn members can see, so make sure you only include information you would like to make public. You’ll see several questions, and you may answer some and skip others, according to your personal preferences. Remember, anything you include becomes public information.

17. Look for the “Notify your Network?” switch on the profile page (scroll down, look on the right side). Set it to “No”.

18. Edit your name if needed. I recommend that you set your professional headline to “Student at Coe College”, or something similar

indicating that you are still a student. Click on the pencil icon to edit any feature.

19. Set the city, state, zip code, and industry. Choose something in the industry pull down menu that most closely matches what you what you are studying in college or what you want to do when you finish school.

20. Add any relevant professional experience (jobs, internships, volunteer work) that you have by selecting the “Add Experience” link.

21. Add your Coe College education information, including your anticipated graduation date. • Your education is one of the most significant professional assets that you have at this point in life. After you have

added your education information, drag it to the top of your profile by using the drag arrows:

22. It’s time to look at your portfolio from the perspective of LinkedIn connections (similar to Facebook friends) or the public. Click on the “View profile as” button near the top of the page:

23. Select “Connections” or “Public” to see how it appears for both groups:

24. Click on “Profile” to continue editing your profile:

25. One thing that is missing is a profile photograph. It is best to have a professional photograph. • Here is a link to a web page that explains the process for producing your own professional-looking LinkedIn profile

photograph: Link • Note: This is different than Facebook. The photographs should demonstrate your professionalism.

• However, for now, go ahead and include a placeholder photograph. There are links at the course website, and here (Example 1) (Example 2) (Example 3) , to three possible placeholder photographs (my favorite is “Example 3”). Download the image to your desktop, then upload it to your LinkedIn profile:

26. Next, add a background photograph. This can be especially useful in branding yourself. Branding is about identifying yourself in a

clear and memorable way – after a job interview, for example, the search committee should know what you are about. • By using software you can include key words in your background image that describe your skills and/or experience,

or include web domain names. • However, placement doesn’t seem to be fully controllable. When the browser changes size the background shifts.

• Here are links to some interesting background ideas: (Background 1) (Background 2) (Background 3) • To add a background photograph, click on the “add a background photo” button at the top of the page:

• For today, try using one of the following sample background images:

(Version 1) (Version 2) (Version 3) (Version 4) (Version 5) (Version 6) • Alternatively, you could make your own in Word, take a screen shot of it, and resize it in Paint (1400 X 425).

• If you finish early today, this is one of the things you could experiment with.

Who can see your profile photograph? Adjust the settings here according to your

preferences. I recommend setting it to “My Connections”.

This is how the 3rd example will appear

with different devices.

27. View your profile as Connections to see what the background photograph looks like:

28. Top Tip: When editing your profile, just put your cursor over certain areas to see the edit icon:

Click it to edit areas of your profile. 29. Select the View More button below your main profile area and add more information:

Remember, everything you include on your LinkedIn page should support your professional goals. It also becomes public record. Be careful what you add.

30. Add a summary. It should be available in the “View More” pull down menu (as indicated above). The summary should include a few sentences about yourself and your professional goals (keep it professional). Here are some links to sample LinkedIn summaries: 3 Stunningly Good LinkedIn Profile Summaries Two Awesome LinkedIn Summary Examples Additional Link 2 (Scroll down to #3)

31. Review and edit your contact information. Businesses should include phone numbers and addresses here, but I don’t recommend that you include that information at this stage, unless you have a PO Box.

32. You can add a link to your Twitter account, and to your private website (like a Tumblr blog, for example).

Only link to these pages if it supports your professional goals:

33. Modify your public URL (web address). This is an important web address – you can place it on other social media sites, business

cards, and your resume. First, select “Profile”:

Then scroll down a little and look for the web address. Put your cursor over it so you can click on the gear icon:

Look on the right side of the screen. Select the pencil next to the public profile URL web address to change it. Make it your name, if possible, or your name with your middle initial. After you change it to something intuitive, click “Save”.

Choose who can see your public profile.

You need to decide what the public can see (non-LinkedIn members, or members that are not logged-in). If you don’t want the public to see anything, select “Make my public profile visible to no one”. However, for this activity I would like you to designate a public URL and make at least the picture, headline, summary, and education visible. I will visit your public URL to make sure you were able to complete these steps. Notes:

• Beginning 4/10, feel free to turn off the public URL by selecting “Make my public profile visible to no one”. You can also delete your LinkedIn account after 4/10 if you don’t want it. Ask me for help doing this if you want.

• Apparently there is no way to hide your LinkedIn information from LinkedIn members. Any LinkedIn member can search for your name and see your whole profile.

Assign a URL for your public profile. This is a great feature – you can include this on resumes. Make sure you email it to yourself or write it down – you will need to email it to me.

34. Let’s edit some important privacy and notification settings. Go to “Privacy and Settings, Manage”:

(You’ll need to sign in again to confirm your identity.)

35. In the Profile area, turn off your news broadcasts by unchecking “Yes! Let them know”. Save changes. This can be undone later if you wish.

36. In the Profile area, turn off sharing your profile edits by unchecking “Let people know…”. Save changes. This can be undone later if you wish.

37. In the Profile area, configure your activity feed by setting it to “Only you”. Save changes. This can be undone later if you wish.

38. In the Profile area, configure the trail you leave when viewing other profiles by checking “You will be in complete private mode.”

Save changes. This can be undone later if you wish.

39. In the Profile area, turn off the ranking by unchecking “Let others see how you rank”. Save changes. This can be undone later if you wish.

40. In the Profile area, select who can see your connections. Set it to “Only you”. Save changes. This can be undone later if you wish.

41. In the Profile area, choose who can follow your updates. Set it to “Your connections” Save Changes. This can be undone later if you wish.

42. In the Profile area, turn off the feature “Viewers of this profile also viewed…”. Save Changes. This can be undone later if you wish.

43. In the Profile area, adjust the “Meet the team” privacy setting”. Hide your picture and profile by checking the box. Save Changes. This can be undone later if you wish.

44. You can also browse the other settings to adjust email frequency, advertising, etc.:

45. It is time to make some connections (similar to Facebook friends, but for professional contacts only). In the search area at the top, search for a couple classmates in this class. Then select “Connect”. Tell them that you connected to them so that they can accept your invitation.

Go through the invitation process.

46. Your goal is to make at least 2 connections during class today.

What do you turn in after you have completed the steps? Go to the next page to find out.

47. Things to be emailed to me for today’s LinkedIn activity (due at the start of class on Tuesday, 3/28): • In an email to me ( jhall@coe.edu ) send the following:

• Attach a JPEG image of the “above the fold” part of your LinkedIn page. “Above the fold” means the area visible before any downward scrolling. This will show me that you have completed the activities and have at least 2 connections.

• Use the Snipping Tool or follow these instructions: • Maximize the browser view. • Press the Print Screen key on your keyboard. (Front row computers must use the on-screen

keyboard – search for “on screen” and then select “On-Screen Keyboard”.)

• Open Paint. • Press CTRL V to past the screen shot into Paint. • Go to “File / Save as”. • Select “JPEG”. • Save it to the desktop.

• Attach a LinkedIn Profile PDF. This is a great feature of LinkedIn – you can make a printable resume out of

the information you have added to LinkedIn. • On your profile page, go to the arrow next to the button View Profile As:

• Select “Save to PDF”:

• Save the PDF (Portable Document Format) to your desktop. • Attach it to the email.

• Your public profile URL. (Created earlier.)

• It is visible in your profile:

• Just paste the public profile URL in your email.

Note: If you have time left over today please continue to work on your summary and other areas of your LinkedIn page. You can also download the LinkedIn app for your device.