If you like this post, please share:

If you liked this post, please share:

LinkedIn profileHave you updated your LinkedIn profile recently? Or even fully built it out yet?

Then, this is my annual reminder that it's probably time to do it.  And there are lots of good reasons for doing so.

With more than 467 million users, LinkedIn is the largest and fastest growing professional social media platform in the world. People are joining at a rate of two per second. People in the healthcare design industry.

For example, as I write this, here's how many LinkedIn members in the U.S. have these words in their titles:

  • Healthcare facility manager - 8,122
  • Healthcare architect - 79,229
  • Healthcare designer - 91,997
  • Healthcare engineer construction - 28,536
  • Healthcare planner - 1,624
  • Hospital CEO - 149,221

Not Just for Job Seekers

Maybe you're thinking, "I don't have time to do this. I'm not looking for a job."

Okay, I get it. You're busy.  We're all busy.

But, LinkedIn is not only for job seekers. LinkedIn has become a place to find information -- about colleagues, clients, potential clients, industry trends, how to do your job better, and so much more.

It's also a place to represent yourself and the company you work for. In that sense, your profile is part of your company's brand.

Also, in case you didn't know it, Microsoft just completed its acquisition of LinkedIn. Read how the company plans to integrate the platform into its products.

6 Things to Do Right Now

What information about yourself do you want the professional world to know?  Here's six things you can do right now:

  1. Include a professional-looking headshot that frames your face and has a neutral background. If the one you have is more than three years old, consider replacing it.
  2. Don’t simply list your title; write a headline that includes keywords that describe what you do. Go back and tweak it every once and a while.
  3. Write a Summary that tells who you are and why are doing what you do. It should be conversational and reflect your personality. Revisit this often to make sure it's still what you want to say.
  4. Fill out your Experience with your responsibilities, accomplishments, and what you learned on the job. Again, make it conversational. Don't just post a resume. And don't forget to update it when you change jobs or positions.
  5. Fill out as many of the other areas as you can – Publications, Projects, Credentials, Skills & Endorsements (pick 10 that are most relevant), Education. Periodically add new things.
  6. Get recommendations (different than endorsements) from colleagues. A good time to do this is just after you've completed a project that involved other individuals.

TIP:  Turn off Sharing Profile Edits in the Settings panel while you're updating your profile so all your connections don't get notices of every change you've made.  That's annoying. (To do this, click on your picture in the upper right hand corner, then on Privacy & Settings>Privacy>Sharing profile edits.) 

Want More?

Check out this "7 Step Checklist to Refresh Your LinkedIn Profile" from LinkedIn expert Viveka von Rosen.

Want get a critique of your LinkedIn profile? Contact me, and if you're among the first 10 people to do this, I'll take a quick look and give you some free pointers.

P.S.  Please do me a favor -- if you liked this post and like this blog, please share it with others by sending them the link and/or post it on your Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook, etc.  Also, don't forget to subscribe so you'll get emails when new content is posted.  Thanks!

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Sara Marberry_013-Retouched-New copy

What's my story? I'm a healthcare and senior living design knowledge expert who writes and speaks frequently about trends and issues affecting these two industries. I'm also a strategic marketing consultant and content creator, working with companies and organizations who want to improve the quality of healthcare and senior living through the design of the physical environment. You can reach me at .

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