LinkedIn Additional Profile Sections: Tell Me Why You Are Different

Your LinkedIn profile is all about keywords and telling your story in a way that will display your expertise, increase your credibility, and enhance your branding message. To help you do that LinkedIn added several optional sections for your profile, but I have noticed that most people still don’t know they exist, probably because LinkedIn didn’t really make it easy and/or intuitive to find them. 

You can add them by clicking the words “Add sections,” which appear just below the top box of your profile. 

Currently the additional profile sections you can add are:

• Volunteer Experience & Causes
• Certifications
• Languages
• Patents
• Publications
• Skills & Expertise
• Courses
• Honors and Awards
• Organizations
• Projects
• Test Scores

Most of these are self-explanatory, and I suggest adding the ones that are applicable in your situation. If you speak multiple languages or hold a patent, let the world know about it. Don’t underestimate how certifications can differentiate you from other candidates when someone is checking you out and deciding who to hire or contract with. Keep in mind the overall goal of your profile is simply to encourage a person to take the next step and contact you — preferably before contacting other potential candidates.

Some of these sections were obviously designed with students in mind, such as Courses and Test Scores. This is an easy way for students to tout their academic work — and hopefully it leads to a great job opportunity.

It’s all about differentiating yourself and increasing your credibility. Stand out from the crowd by adding these special sections and telling the world about your unique background or circumstances. 

Next week I will have some great tips for effectively using the Skills & Expertise section.