Communications Training: Writing an effective online profile

I recently received the following question from a Fellow:

In updating my profile, I was wondering if Lauren offers any advice to Fellows on how to present themselves and their work. I feel like my profile could use a bit more polish.

I find it's most effective (and easiest) to write one online professional profile and use it for everything from LinkedIn to conferences... to the Switzer website! It should include the following to make it searchable by search engines and quick to read:

• Employment (current and past), education and industry
• Keywords and skills
• Contact information
• Links to any relevant sites

I know it's tempting to include more, but resist the urge!  It shouldn't be more than a paragraph (no matter how far along you are in your career), because people just won't read more than that on a computer screen.

One way to go about writing a great online professional profile is to fill out your profile on LinkedIn, then take the highlights and write them in paragraph form. Then you'd have every possible format for an online profile covered, and could be sure that they all contain the same key professional information about you. You can also read more about writing an effective LinkedIn profile on the About.com Job Search website.

If you need help logging in or updating your Switzer website profile, please contact Don Brackett.