Critique LinkedIn?

Anyone have advice for how I can better advertise myself on linkedin?
http://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettbleonard

Any feedback would be appreciated. I am a student now, and I do have experience setting up Routers, Switches, and star, and bus topologies. As well as TCP/IP and MAC Addressing.

Full experience building and troubleshooting desktop hardware and software. Experience with VMWare, Virtual Box, and a large assortment of Linux Operating Systems and Linux Servers.

I've set up and maintained servers with up to 20 users and 35 devices.

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Comments

LeBroke

I'm fairly new at LinkedIn stuff myself, but I'd change a few things:

- take out MCT from your title. It's tacky unless you're an MD/PhD. I don't even like CISSP's doing it, but at least they can kinda get away with it. I wouldn't even consider it for a lower cert.

- your certs seem to be all over the place, even in the context of an automotive technician. Consider listing relevant ones with bullet points, and putting all the irrelevant ones in a single line as acronyms.

- lose "what I can do".

- add a quick intro, like "I'm a mechanic with X years experience in mechanics and technical writing. Currently switching careers to IT for X reasons and with X success." You have one, but I think it belongs near the top of your summary rather than the bottom. Move troubleshooting and the like to the top. Parts like "install, operate and perform maintenance" belong in your job history, not summary.

- I personally didn't include irrelevant experience (i.e. retail) at all on my LinkedIn, or even my resume. However, I wasn't applying much to support positions, if you are, I'd keep it since it's semi-relevant.

anhtran35

Networking_Student wrote: »

Anyone have advice for how I can better advertise myself on linkedin?
http://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettbleonard

Any feedback would be appreciated. I am a student now, and I do have experience setting up Routers, Switches, and star, and bus topologies. As well as TCP/IP and MAC Addressing.

Full experience building and troubleshooting desktop hardware and software. Experience with VMWare, Virtual Box, and a large assortment of Linux Operating Systems and Linux Servers.

I've set up and maintained servers with up to 20 users and 35 devices.

Linkedin really hasn't done much for me except keep me in touch with my former co workers and friends. I would focus on a resume and apply to jobs on Dice; Careerbuilder; Monster etc...

You stated you have experience setting up Cisco routers/switches, Linux Servers, etc...where? whom?

Do you have a clearance? U mention military?

LeBroke

anhtran35 wrote: »

Linkedin really hasn't done much for me except keep me in touch with my former co workers and friends. I would focus on a resume and apply to jobs on Dice; Careerbuilder; Monster etc...

Depends on the area, I'd hazard to guess. It hasn't done much for me specifically, but I have a friend who got contacted for a job and only turned it down because it was too low pay. Plus, these days, you can bet that HR will look up your LinkedIn profile. I had a prospective employer mention something I had on my page during an interview, for example.

The way I see it, it probably won't land you a job by itself (anyone contacting you will be a recruiter, so they'll have an incentive to undercut your market value, or overstate your skills), but it'll help you look good for a job you actually want.

TheFORCE

I found my current job through LinkedIn, its another tool you can use for your potential opportunities not the only one. However, LinkedIn feels a bit more personal in my opinion and that can help you elevate your chances of getting the job.

OfWolfAndMan

A couple things, from top to bottom:

-The summary is too long. If you've applied to a job, there's almost always a summary at the top. It should be a brief one paragraph.
-Depending on your intentions, I would just include the certs geared toward IT i.e. meaning not using things like "plumbing trainee".
-Put only your spoken languages in the "languages" section. If you have experience with programming languages, move that to work experience, or if you took it in a course, say you covered it in the course. Put it in skills as well. If people know you learned it, they will be willing to endorse.
-Projects typically mean work-based projects (If you have any of those, I'd highly recommend you list them in explicit detail. Team projects are always better because it helps someone vouch for authenticity). Put the volunteer stuff in the "Volunteer" section.
-Under education, the college is fine. However, if any of the courses below that did not contribute towards a college degree (Meaning it counted as credits) or a certification, don't count it.
-Do NOT put your high school
-I HIGHLY recommend removing your facebook link. I know people can find you, but just take my advice on this one. Linkedin and Facebook are NOT the same.

That's my critique for now. I know others may have some input. Good luck! Also, don't get premium. It's a waste of money.

JamesKurtovich

Granite Falls? I went to Mountain Way and Monte Cristo Elementary as a kid.

Deathmage

My advice to you, make your profile less words and more refined in the description towards IT. I mean you do want to do IT right? - if so yes your past is impressive but to me it "screams" mechanic and not IT.

Use less words but more refined.

You can use my profile as an example of how to make it. I get head hunters emailing me daily to the point where sometimes it's annoying, they always say how good my profile is made.

www.linkedin.com/in/midhudsonit

Networking_Student

Taking all notes and suggestions. I'll be compiling information and better drafting my linkedin.

NovaHax

LeBroke wrote: »

- your certs seem to be all over the place, even in the context of an automotive technician. Consider listing relevant ones with bullet points, and putting all the irrelevant ones in a single line as acronyms.

This ^^^

Networking_Student

I made lots of changes, and have also created an resume website.

It is not finished, not by a long shot. Quite frankly it will never be finished as long as I keep learning new HTML, CSS, and JavaScript coding to alter it, and continually learn computer tasks.

Garrett B. Leonard's Professional Resume

and linkedin has be edited quite a bit, cut down substantially from where it was before.

chmod

It doesn't look good, a lot of room for improvement.

Start with a more professional picture, les facebook-esque, your experience and studies have to be more IT focused.

NetworkNewb

More professional picture, and remove "I" at the beginning of your sentences. Everyone knows it about you.

Look at Deathmage's link above. His is pretty much exactly what it should look like

ITHokie

LeBroke wrote: »

- take out MCT from your title. It's tacky unless you're an MD/PhD. I don't even like CISSP's doing it, but at least they can kinda get away with it. I wouldn't even consider it for a lower cert.

In principle, I agree that it's tacky. However, it's not about what we like or think that people can get away with - it's about what gets recruiters looking at our profiles.

I'm actually conducting an experiment on this right now. It's not scientific whatsoever, and it would be stretch to call it anything more than anecdotal, but I have noticed a significant uptick in traffic to my profile since adding certifications after my name. It could be just coincidental or due the simple fact that I made a profile change or some other factor, I don't know.

Whatever the case may be, removing trailing certs from your name on LinkedIn may or may not be the best choice. Signature blocks, on the other hand...

pinkydapimp

The best thing you can do once you have a strong resume/linkedin page is to start to contribute. Join groups, post relevant articles with your thoughts, interact with your peers and network. This is the best way to get your profile seen and to start getting noticed on Linkedin.