Now that you have your profile set up and that you have an understanding of the purpose and benefits of having a LinkedIn profile, you may be wondering what you should be doing on this platform. You are probably asking yourself questions such as “What should I post?” or “Is it okay to simply share content that other individuals have posted?” Expert Jessica Gohier, the founder of Profilia, has helped shed light on the type of activity that should be carried out by LinkedIn users.

If you have not read the first article of this series, click here.

What is the most important thing to do on LinkedIn?

This depends on your objective – the answer would be different for someone who is looking to build their network than for someone whose goal is to establish themselves as an expert in a specific field.

Before even worrying about the type of activity that you should take part in, though, you must ensure that you have a strong profile; this, rather than the content you share, will be an individual’s first impression of you.

What should I post?

Again, the answer depends on what you are trying to achieve. For instance, an individual wanting to build themselves as an expert in child care development should share content related to this topic. You can share posts from other individuals, or you can create your own.

Your posts should also always support the message that your profile is trying to convey.

Remember that everything that you like or comment on will be shared with your entire network. You should therefore be careful not to engage with inappropriate content.

Should I share content about my personal involvement in activities such as volunteering or participating in a school case competition?

Absolutely! One of the benefits of such posts is that one would obtain more response because individuals like personal stories. That said, the biggest benefit of such posts is that it shows that you are active in your community.

It is important to note that these posts should be relevant to your area of ‘expertise’

– one should not post about their weekend ski trip to Tremblant, for instance.

When posting such content, you can hyperlink the organization with which you engaged in the activity. This would allow you to get more engagement and thus, visibility.

About Jessica

Jessica Gohier is an AHSC graduate and has created her own company, called Profilia, in 2008. She specialises in resume and cover letter writing, LinkedIn profiles, job searches, and much more. Her philosophy is “centered on a professional yet personalized approach to fulfilling each client’s needs as individuals”. She offers many great tools and CV templates! To view them, go to: https://www.profilia.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicagohier/

*** This article was initially published by Concordia University’s AHSC Student Association. We thank them for their interest in such an important topic