When all you have is a hammer, all the jobs look like nails. 

Welcome to your next level! We’re thrilled to introduce the Empowerment Toolkit, your guide to navigating today’s competitive job market with confidence. Whether you’re aiming to amplify your LinkedIn presence, craft a resume that commands attention, or gain the strategic edge you need to land your dream job, this Toolkit will be your indispensable resource. Inside you’ll find actionable strategies, expert tips, and practical tools to amplify your professional brand and unlock your full potential. 

Have something to add? Help us help our fellow members by emailing marketing@apmpnca.org with your insights and tips and we’ll continue to evolve this resource. Let’s get started!

Free Resume Resources

Optimize your LinkedIn Profile

The key to being found on LinkedIn includes optimizing your profile using industry best practices.  

  • Use a professional headshot. A clear and friendly headshot will attract attention and make your profile more appealing.
  • Headline: Briefly summarize your expertise and target audience. Include relevant keywords early on. It’s more important to use keywords and descriptive of your expertise than job title.
  • Edit Profile: Add up to 3 websites so visitors can learn more about you.
  • About: Turn into a story, expanding on your expertise, skills, and experience. Avoid jargon and buzzwords. You have 2600 characters to really engage your reader, let them know you understand them, their challenges, and showcase how you (and your product or service) is the solution to their problem. And add a call to action!
  • Experience: Briefly describe each role, highlighting achievements and quantifiable results. Include relevant keywords.
  • Skills & Endorsements: Add relevant skills and match with endorsements. This helps with keyword rankings.
  • Publications & Projects: Build your brand! Add any authored articles, presentations, or white papers (mention keywords in titles and descriptions).
  • Interests: Select influencers and groups to show how you stay up-to-date with your industry.
  • Expand your Endorsements. Be proactive. Endorsements from other members substantiate your skills and increase your credibility.
  • Turn on Creator Mode. Transforms your profile into a thought leadership destination. Has seen a near 50% increase in followers!
  • NEW! Profile Video. Add a 30-second profile video. Can drive 5x higher interaction!
  • Edit Public Profile & URL: Can help search engines index your profile and make it easier for people to find you on the network.
  • Complete all sections: Fill out as many sections as possible to increase profile visibility and search ranking.

How to ID Keywords

Strategically incorporate industry-specific terms and phrases throughout your profile to improve your visibility in LinkedIn searches and job postings.

  • Understand your target audience: Identify the specific job titles and companies you’re aiming for to determine relevant keywords. 
  • Research industry trends: Explore current industry news, reports, and publications to discover trending keywords. 
  • Use LinkedIn’s search bar: Type in relevant job titles, skills, or company names to see suggested keywords that LinkedIn automatically generates. 
  • Analyze job postings: Look at recent job descriptions in your field to see which keywords employers frequently use. 
  • Check competitor profiles: Review the profiles of individuals in similar roles at your target companies to see which keywords they highlight. 
  • Consider your skills and experience: Identify the most important skills and achievements that differentiate you and incorporate relevant keywords that describe them. 
  • Focus on specific keywords: Prioritize keywords that accurately reflect your expertise and desired career path, avoiding overly broad or generic terms. 

Where to include keywords on your LinkedIn profile:

  • Headline: Use a concise and keyword-rich headline that captures your core skills and job title. 
  • Summary: Incorporate relevant keywords naturally throughout your summary to describe your experience and qualifications. 
  • Work experience descriptions: Highlight key skills and accomplishments using relevant keywords in your job descriptions. 
  • Skills section: List all relevant skills from your field, including both technical and soft skills. 

How to Ask for an Endorsement on LinkedIn

Navigate to your connection’s profile, click “More” or the More icon, select “Request a recommendation,” fill out the relationship and position details, personalize your message, and then click “Send”.

Focus on asking colleagues, former supervisors, and clients who have seen your work and can provide specific examples of your skills.

Here is a sample request to get you started:

“Hi [Name],

I’ve really appreciated working with you on [project/initiative] and wanted to reach out to see if you’d be willing to endorse my skills in [specific skill area] on LinkedIn. Your insights would be valuable to my profile.

Let me know if you’re able to do so!

Best,

[Your Name]

Key points to include:

  • Personalize the message: Mention a specific project or skill you worked on together to show you’re not just sending a generic request.
  • Be clear about what you’re asking for: State that you’d like an endorsement for a particular skill area.
  • Express appreciation: Acknowledge their expertise and why their endorsement would be meaningful.
  • Keep it concise: A short, polite message is best.

LinkedIn Posting Best Practices

  • Post at least twice a week. (If you stop posting for more than one month, your first 4-5 posts will get 30% less reach.)
  • Limit your posts to 2 a day unless it’s fresh and crucial.
  • 50-100 characters for regular Posts.
  • Share personal experiences and stories. Prioritize stories “from the trenches”.
  •  Adding an image to a LinkedIn Post will boost Comment rates twice (LinkedIn Marketing Solutions).
  • Selfies can give 3X better engagement and 2.5X better reach.
  • Include links. Posts with links tend to see 45% higher engagement. Use link less Posts sparingly.
  • The first 60 minutes after you post is key. If there is no immediate engagement, your post is unlikely to do well thereafter.

Caution: There are penalties for editing posts. Posting/reposting 18 hours after a Post reduces the reach of both posts by 15%. Editing a Post for the first 10 minutes after posting it reduces range by 10 to 40%. 

Comment on LinkedIn Posts:

  • Comment = 4% increased network reach, 3% in commenter network.
  • Comments > 12 words have a better effect.
  • Adding a new Post Comment 24 hours after posting elevates your Post into the feed of everyone who interacted with the post for a 25% additional reach.
  • Immediately Commenting on at least 3 network posts after posting = 20% better range.
  •  Reply to Comments on your Posts. Tag people in your network who can add insights.

Caution: Commenting on your Post first slows the range by 20%.

Like LinkedIn Posts

  •  Immediately liking and commenting on at least 3 other Posts from your network after you post can provide up to 20% better range.
  •  Immediately Commenting on at least 3 network Posts after posting = 20% better range.

Caution: Colleague Post likes give 15% less reach compared to non-colleagues.

Use Video on LinkedIn

  • Users see 7x more reactions and 24 times more Comments with videos (You should be in the video)
  •  Choose a well-lighted place. Natural light is often best, but artificial light can work in a pinch—just look out for shadows.
  • Do a test for positioning. No one wants to see up your nose. Keep it interesting, vary the shot.
  • Maintain a relaxed presence by rehearsing your script. Look directly at the camera, smile, and breathe naturally.
  • Up to 85 percent of social media videos are played with no sound. Include closed captions.
  • General: 20-60 seconds, subtitled, square format. Add a thumbnail.
  • Brand awareness: 30 seconds.
  • Upper funnel: 30-90 seconds..
  • Don’t exceed 10 minutes.

Caution: Avoid a cluttered or distracting background. Make sure confidential materials and other brand logos are tucked away. 

LinkedIn Rule of Thumb

The 4-1-1 rule says that for every single piece of content you share about yourself (or your organization), you should share an update from another source and, most importantly, share four pieces of content written by others.

Mindfulness, Distressing and Sanity

Mindfulness

Distress Management

Maintaining Sanity

  • Social Connections: Stay connected with friends and family. Regular social interactions can provide support and reduce feelings of isolation. Try Words with Friends https://wordswithfriends.com/
  • Healthy Routine: Establish a daily routine that includes time for work, relaxation, and hobbies. Consistency can provide a sense of stability.
  • Quality sleep: Maintain a consistent sleep schedule and create a relaxing bedtime routine. 
  • Prioritize self-time: Schedule dedicated time for activities that nourish you. 
  • Learn Something New: Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains the Universe While Eating Spicy Wings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da8-QfGemgo

Questions Answered

Other Resources

  • Inspiring read and podcast: Never Search Alone is https://www.phyl.org/

Next Steps

Be sure to:

Have something to add? Help us help our fellow members by emailing marketing@apmpnca.org with your insights and tips and we’ll continue to evolve this resource. 

Coming Soon

  • Prepping for Interviews
  • Networking
  • Your contribution!

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