Going on my 19th year at Vanguard, I have had some time to reflect on all of the wonderful challenges and opportunities Vanguard has provided for me since I started in 1999. When I tell others how long I have worked at Vanguard, many are surprised that I have stayed in one place for my entire career. What they don’t understand is that I have changed careers multiple times without having to leave a company whose mission continues to motivate me each and every day.

Vanguard is different than many other companies as we harness a rotational culture, where you continue to build on skills and stretch yourself to learn new areas of the business. In addition to business rotations, Vanguard also offers many opportunities to earn advanced degrees and credentials, building deeper expertise along the way.

The first ten years of my career were spent in our Institutional business, where we serve retirement plan sponsors. While learning about the world of 401(k)s and 403(b)s, I was able to gain so much experience. I’ve worked on projects with IT, building new technology for our plan sponsors and participants, I’ve developed an expertise in fund accounting, I’ve learned to interpret stable value contracts (not the most exciting reading material if you were wondering!), and lastly—I’ve dug into how mutual fund distribution takes place across the industry each day. But there’s more. Over that time, I also had the opportunity to further my personal development by taking my education a step further. I completed my MBA and earned a retirement industry credential.

At that point in my career, I was ready for a change and decided to post for a role in our Financial Advisor Services division, a completely new business area for me. I was offered a role as Chief of Staff to the Managing Director of the division, which enabled me to see how strategic decisions are made by leaders every day at Vanguard. I was exposed to new investment products, and was responsible for investment, technology and talent development projects. It was an incredible learning opportunity, which came with a lot of risk but also so much reward. I went on to a Quality Champion role for the same division, where I learned more about process improvement techniques. It was in this role that my career path would change unexpectedly again.

One of the senior leaders I met through the Quality Champion role approached me with a unique opportunity to lead a transformation of a large operation in a group that is now known as Personal Advisor Services (PAS). I had never run a business transformation before, let alone a large business unit. But I knew I could do it. A year and a half later, PAS was up and running, and everyone was in the right seats and with a defined role in the department! What an awesome and challenging experience. Did I mention that I also had to take four licensing exams?

Since I was back in “study mode,” and surrounded by other financial planners, I decided to pursue yet another learning opportunity, and enrolled in a program to obtain the Certified Financial Planner® designation. I was studying so much in those couple of years that my daughter wrote about it in my Mother’s Day card! It had not dawned on me that she saw me working hard and studying, and that even though I had graduated a while ago, I was never done learning. In fact, I am now back in a client facing role, leading one of our Personal Advisor teams in PA, and proud to be part of the 23% of Certified Financial Planner®s who are women.

One of my favorite quotes is from the hockey legend Wayne Gretzky: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Some of the moves I have made in my career scared the heck out of me, but were also some of the best experiences I have had, and came with opportunities to grow and enhance my skills and expertise. I’ve never regretted taking the initial leap to join Vanguard or any of the steps on my career journey that followed, and can’t wait to see how the rest of my path unfolds.

-Marissa B.

If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

In March of 2008, two months before my college graduation, I had the perfect five year plan. I was a Business Management major with a passion for the sports industry, working part time with a sports marketing agency while finishing college. I loved the work, and planned to sign on full time after graduation. But then, 2008 happened.

As the banking and housing markets collapsed, companies that seemed secure and booming started to crumble. My five year plan disappeared as the marketing agency closed their doors.

After a summer of re-imagining my five year plan, on October 6th, 2008 I walked in to Vanguard with no financial acumen and a plan to be back in the sports industry as soon as possible. Hopefully within five years.

I spent my first two years working with our 401k plan participants. My financial acumen grew and my customer service skills were refined. One day, three different people sent me a link to an internship opportunity in another division. Three different people said “you’d be perfect for this – you should apply”. So I did. And I got it. My five year plan started to get fuzzy.

My internship turned into a full time opportunity, and I spent my next three years supporting Sales Executives and Client Service teams who served international clients. It was a very different role and I learned so much and worked on things that five years prior I never knew existed.

And then it happened again – the emails. Leaders and friends from my current and previous role forwarded me an opportunity back in the division I started in–supporting the teams who worked with the companies that used Vanguard as their 401k provider. Those words again – you’d be a perfect fit. So I applied, and again, I got it. Five years in to my Vanguard career I was on to role number three. It became time to officially throw out my five year plan, and build a career within a company and industry I have grown to love.

Two and a half years later it was like déjà vu and I found myself in our Retail division, where I am today. In two years I’ve held three very different roles that have stretched my potential.

In a few short months I will celebrate my ten year anniversary with Vanguard and purposely do not have a five year plan. Why? Because the last ten years have taken me in a direction I never would have planned – and I have loved every minute of it.

Although I’m not in the industry I thought I’d end up in, every role I’ve had has completely aligned with my skills and led me to new and exciting things (and people!). My leaders, mentors, and the genuine friends I have made continue to play an active part in my career and I imagine will do so for a long time.

As I plan my next five years, I’m not thinking about a destination – I’m thinking about how I can continue to grow and am always open to the possibility that my strengths could lead me down a path I never could have planned.

-Lauren T.

If you enjoyed this post, check out more from our #LifeatVanguard Blog. And if you’re ready for a more rewarding, engaging, meaningful career, search our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

“Data scientist” has become a top career choice, but with all the buzz surrounding this term, lots of questions arise such as: Who are they? What do they do?

Well, here’s your opportunity to hear my perspective as a Data Science Manager at Vanguard! To me, a Data Scientist is anyone who can solve business problems by:

• Translating business problems into mathematical, statistical, or machine learning tasks
• Making appropriate assumptions using business domain knowledge
• Building models using data
• Drawing insights from models and translate them into business solutions

You may have already done those tasks, but what differentiates a modern Data Scientist from a more traditional one? Increasingly, we seek candidates who can manage large volumes of unstructured data and navigate sophisticated mathematical structures while taking advantage of powerful technology.

Here are some common questions we’ve received from candidates:

1. What’s it like to work at Vanguard? Vanguard is an investment management company and our core purpose is “To take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success”. Vanguard’s unique ownership structure — the company is owned by its funds — means there are no conflicts of interest. So we always ask: “Are we doing the right thing for our investors?” whenever we make any decision, whether it’s about a product launch, sales, or marketing. Working at Vanguard is great because crew alignment to the mission naturally leads not only to success for our clients, but also to a great work culture.

2. What kind of problems do you usually solve? I work in the Center for Analytics and Insights at Vanguard. We help our internal business partners serve their clients better by providing analytics-driven insights to support the client life journey. This includes winning new clients, onboarding them, and deepening engagement in the relationship to retirement and beyond. My data science team uses mathematical, statistical, and machine learning approaches to answer business questions related to financial professionals, institutional investors, retirement plan participants, and investment products.

3. Will I have an opportunity to grow my career? I’ve been at Vanguard for 10 years, and I can confidently say that I have grown professionally as well as personally during my tenure. I didn’t start my career as a Data Scientist, yet many growth opportunities were given to me to be prepared for my current role. Vanguard provides various opportunities to grow professionally, with a range of Data Science roles at different levels, support for ongoing learning, and opportunities to rotate to different teams. Vanguard can help you reach your goals. You should continuously push your own limit — individuals who have growth mind-sets will thrive at Vanguard.

So, what differentiates us from others? The entire company works toward one simple and clear goal of doing what’s best for our clients. We solve some of the company’s most complex and challenging problems using a mix of math, stats, and computer science skills. We bring diverse and innovative ideas and share them in a fun and collaborative environment. What else could you ask for as a talented Data Scientist?

-Mirim L.

If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our Data & Analytics career our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

It was 1999. I was just finishing up my college degree, and was stuck at a crossroad, trying to decide where I wanted my career to go. I knew I wanted to be involved in a company with a rich culture, strong leaders, sound values, and growth opportunities galore – easy enough, right? When I came up dry with opportunities, my mentor recommended I look into Vanguard.

Finding a core purpose at Vanguard

My first few years at Vanguard were spent solving investment puzzles for shareholders who had encountered account-related issues. Working as a Resolution Associate in the Service Recovery organization gave me the opportunity to support clients with account-related issues. I could see the purpose in my work, as well as the positive impact I made on each client. And, I learned to embody Vanguard’s core purpose: To take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success. It was fascinating to research each issue and get to the root of the problem. Even more thrilling was the opportunity to offer solutions for our clients.

While I loved working in Service Recovery, I decided to explore new horizons, and research different career options at Vanguard. One path I hadn’t expected to find myself in was leadership. When one of my leader’s noticed my passion for continuous improvement and knack for supporting professional development among my peers, they suggested I pursue a role in people leadership.  What a great opportunity this was – Vanguard was investing in me, so that I in turn could invest in others. If you are exploring a role at Vanguard, read on to learn what differentiates our people, and why I chose to spend nearly two decades as a Vanguard leader.

First, leadership at Vanguard isn’t something you do for a title or recognition. Rather, leadership is about serving the needs of investors and enriching the development of your team. While exploring career opportunities, delve deep into the values of the organization; their mission and purpose should align with your beliefs. At Vanguard, our core values are centered on ‘doing the right thing’ in every decision we make. It’s the primary reason why I am both a long-term investor and a long-time crew member.  Truly successful leaders nurture and develop a growth mindset to create value and continually improve the organization and their teams.  In my experience, these leadership elements enable you to leave a lasting legacy for the benefit of others.

A return to my roots

After spending 15 years working in a variety of leadership roles in our Retail, Financial Advisor Services, and Office of the General Counsel divisions, I have now returned to my roots as the leader of the Service Recovery organization in which I began my career. In my foundational years at Vanguard I learned how to embrace Vanguard’s core purpose. In my latter years, I learned how to lead and serve others within a global community that continually invests in the long-term value we bring to both shareholders and crew. These are the core reasons why I have dedicated my career to Vanguard. My hope is that you too find a role that enables you to grow and to leave a positive mark on the lives of those who come across your path.

-Célestine H.

If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

What is important to you? Is it your career? Your family? Personal hobbies? For me, my best days are when I am able to dedicate time to both work and home. With so much going on in my life, there’s a reason I’ve chosen to make Vanguard my (professional) home for more than a decade – balance. My role with Vanguard offers me the ability to balance my personal needs with professional expectations, because of the mutual understanding that there are priorities from both sides.

For example, my wife has been very understanding on the late nights when I have things to finish at the office. My supervisor is understanding when I have to call off work because my three year old is sick. There have also been occasions when both my supervisor and my wife are understanding that I requested a day off to play golf or go snowboarding. So, how am I able to feel productive and still have a personal life? It takes a blend of many different values…

Health

I remember going for a run around campus during my first summer at Vanguard. I was returning to my building when I came across a parking lot with a basketball court. As it turns out, Vanguard has recess! Every day that it’s warm and the court is dry, 8-20 crew members meet to play some pickup basketball. After that fateful run, I changed my lunchtime routine so I could join the others on the court. Every day, I feel like I’m in 3^rd grade heading out to play with my friends. It’s such a great way to relieve stress and clear my head, and it’s amazing how something as small as just having a basketball court on campus has an impact towards someone’s wellbeing. Vanguard understands that.

Flexibility

I was three years into my career when my wife gave birth to our first son. My supervisor at the time helped me plan to take a week of PTO starting the day that my wife went into labor. Not only was I encouraged to take the time, but everything went smoothly while I was out. Four years later, we had another son, and I took another week of PTO. Two years after that, things had changed – Vanguard was now offering paternity leave. I was able to take six weeks to spend with my family – a time that made a world of difference in getting my family settled.

In my experience, Vanguard is an extremely flexible company to work for. But first, you must learn how to do your job and do it well. Once you have established yourself as a productive crew member, then look to gain flexibility in the work place. Which brings us to…

Determination

I was lucky to get my first job with Vanguard. I was hired in 2008 during the economic recession and jobs in the financial industry were difficult to come by. It was a competitive time and I knew I had to work very hard to distinguish myself as a top performer. This feeling of constant focus on performance is something it took time to get used to. I had worked a few jobs since college, but none that had long term career possibilities. That was not the case.

I embraced this pressure and strived to be a distinguished crew member at Vanguard. In order to do that, I had to hold myself to a high standard. Sometimes that includes working late or coming in early. Sometimes I have to skip basketball during lunch. Sometimes I can’t make it to yoga class in the morning. I have missed dinner at the in-laws (not the worst thing). I know that the more I put into my work, the more I achieve. Finding balance during both the busy times and lulls at work is my goal.

Patience

Flash back to 2012. I felt ready for a promotion after having spent a few years in my position and receiving positive feedback. I knew that I would get my chance if I was just patient. After discussing opportunities with my supervisor, I learned that management would not be backfilling the position that could lead to a promotion for me. After I had this information, I knew it was time to seek other opportunities at Vanguard.

I went from Vanguard’s Institutional Investor Group to Vanguard’s Financial Advisor Services. The new department was definitely a change of pace: I had to learn a whole new system, new processes, and different terms. Once I was up to speed, I used this as an opportunity to develop myself professionally. I took on extra responsibility. I established new connections and kept in touch with my current network.

Luckily my patience paid off. Not long after I left my old department, the management team opened the position that I wanted. I had been ready for this promotion for years, but I did not let that stop me from preparing for the interview process. I knew what people had done in the past in that role and knew what I wanted to change going forward. I am currently still working in that position and consistently find new challenges and ways to grow within the department.

So what do I want you to take away from my story? First off, good things come to those who work hard. Also, it is important to balance your hard work with times of relaxation. Balancing relaxation with hard work does not always go according to plan and it is important to be flexible when things are not going your way. Patience pays off: when the right opportunity comes along, it will feel like things were just meant to be.

-Andrew B.

If you enjoyed this post, check out more from our #LifeatVanguard Blog. And if you’re ready for a more rewarding, engaging, meaningful career, search our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

As more and more employers search for candidates online, it’s more essential than ever to have a strong brand on social media. In this step by step series on creating your brand, you’ll learn how to get started, glean tips from branding experts, and discover what really hooks an audience.

Kick start your social brand by…

1. Looking Your Best

Personal versus professional branding – it’s a blurred line. Information that can be found in a Google search (try it!) or on social media is part of your brand. Make sure what you send out into the social universe reflects the impression you want to make.

2. Growing Your Professional Network

Your profiles look great and you are ready to connect with others! But your current network only includes a smattering of co-workers, past and present. Let’s help you make some fresh and impactful connections.

3. Sharing Your Story

You’ve updated your profile and you’ve made more connections to enhance your network. Now it’s time to tell your story and shape your brand. LinkedIn is your digital business card – so how can you communicate your value and make a memorable impression across social media channels?

4. Staying Engaged

Your profile looks good, your network is waiting, and you’ve got a good strategy in place – now it’s time to get more engaged! In this blog, we share tips on finding content, staying organized, how to avoid common disengagement traps, and more.

For more career tips and advice follow us on LinkedIn and check out our careers blog. And if you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

Our new blog series will help kick start your personal and professional brand on social media. We’ll cover looking your best, growing your network, shaping your story, and staying engaged. Read our last blog about telling your story and shaping your brand.

Out of sight, out of mind. Don’t let that be you. You’ve worked hard to get to this point. Your profile looks good, your network is waiting, you’ve got a good strategy in place – now it’s time to get more engaged! But first, be careful of these disengagement traps:

• I get lost on all the platform changes
• I don’t have time to keep up with it
• I’m not taking full advantage so I quit
• I just don’t get it, it’s not for me

Staying engaged IS possible and we’ll make it easy for you with a few tips.

How do I find content that supports my brand strategy?

When thinking about what to write and share it’s always helpful to start by brainstorming a list. Based on the content you learned about in the previous blog, start to jot down a few ideas for each one. Here are some examples:

How do I get organized?

Curating content to read and share can be as organized or unorganized as you like. It all depends on what you are comfortable with and if you need extra help staying active on social. For example, you can use some of the tools and ideas below to streamline content that is meaningful to you.

• Bookmark your favorite sources of content in a folder on your browser
• Set up RSS feeds from your favorite blogs
• Use Feedly to combine your RSS feeds
• Try Flipboard to aggregate news and social
• Set up Google Alerts to find recent press and content based on relevant keywords
• Create a Twitter list for a group of people that specialize in a certain field
• Conduct keyword searches in LinkedIn for relevant posts
• Use tools like Hootsuite and Buffer to schedule your posts

Don’t feel you need to do all of these things. If you are already very active on social media, you may not need an organized approach and can try one or two of the ideas above.

What should I write when I introduce content in my post?

We are all lazy sometimes when it comes to sharing content, but remember, it’s your honesty, generosity, and authenticity that gets the attention of your network. Talk like a real person.

If you are struggling to come up with an original introduction for your post, try some of these approaches:

How often should I post?

With the variety of content we discussed in a previous blog post there are plenty of options to differentiate your posts. Here are some guidelines broken down by channel:

LinkedIn, 1-2 times a day

Facebook, 2-3 times per day

Twitter, 5 times per day

Instagram, 1-2 times per day

Pinterest, 5 times per day

Snapchat, constantly (just kidding)

If LinkedIn is the only channel you use for your professional network, once a day should not be too hard.

“On LinkedIn, you may not have control over how often your content or profile is viewed, but you can increase the chances of your brand getting noticed by being more visible to your network.  And that starts by increasing your activity. The more active you are on LinkedIn, the more “known” you will become to your network who will potentially like and share your content, reaching a much broader audience.

So stay engaged, and don’t forget that passion is personal branding fuel, so post and share content that you are passionate about. Always make sure to introduce the content you share. Your network is more likely to read your post if it has your personal touch.”

-Kendall W., Recruiter

Set a goal!

Schedule time on your calendar each day to review content (similar to the way professionals used to open up the newspaper with their morning coffee). When you like, comment, and share others’ posts, that is an act of engagement. LinkedIn is a professional networking channel, so it’s not only about your content. Talk to others!

Schedule your social posts for the week if that works best for you or set aside 5 minutes every day to post. Staying engaged doesn’t have to be impossible. Figure out what methods work for you and be consistent.

We hope you enjoyed this series about kick-starting your personal brand on social. With these tips you can move forward to make a positive impact and lasting impression. Don’t forget to own who you are and how you make people feel. It’s the reputation you’ve built, your story, and your image on social that makes you unique.

For more career tips and advice from Vanguard follow us on LinkedIn and check out our careers blog. Want to read more from this series? Check them out here: looking your best, growing your network, and shaping your story.

Our new blog series will help kick start your personal and professional brand on social media.  Read the last blog to learn how to make connections and build your network.

You’ve updated your profile and you’ve made some more connections to enhance your network. Now it’s time to tell your story and shape your brand. LinkedIn is your digital business card – so how can you communicate your value and make a memorable impression across social media channels?

1. How do you want to be perceived on social media? Do you want to be known as a reliable source of information on a certain topic, an expert in a particular field, a thought leader for your company, a proponent for your profession, or are you someone new to your career or field who can offer insights and advice? There are many different perspectives from which you can begin to brand yourself.

Try asking yourself some of these questions to find topics that feel right for you.

• What do you enjoy reading about?
• What are you passionate about and interested in?
• What do other people tell you that you are good at?
• How long have you been interested in this topic and will it last?

2. Create a content strategy. This is not as hard as it sounds. It’s important to figure out what you want to focus on that will help you achieve the brand you want. Start by outlining some content ideas for social that support the brand you are creating and will be valuable to the audience you are trying to build. The key is to post a variety and be more generous than selfish.

When sharing content consider these ideas:

3. Visual content stands out. Have you ever heard the phrase, “people hear what they see”? Most articles you share will pull over the image along with it. Some of the most popular and engaging posts on social media are your own photos with authentic content. Photos and videos get the most attention. Challenge yourself to think of ways to tell your story through pictures. But check out your company’s social media rules before you start taking photos at work and at work events.

4. Be human. Be yourself. Let your personality shine through. Emotions are contagious. Remember that people are not usually impressed by titles, network size, years of experience, big words and professional speak, or name dropping. What grabs attention is kindness, generosity, humility, optimism, integrity, and trust.

“When I’m writing posts for social media about my field of work, I ask myself “how would I describe this concept to my 10-year-old?” This exercise helps me balance the desire to be credible and professional with the need to be clear and compelling.”

Beth H., Communications Manager

Set a goal!

Take a few minutes to outline focus areas for what types of content you will write and share.  This will help keep your story, and brand, consistent and easier to manage.

Remember, the content you write and share is your voice on social. Branding yourself doesn’t happen overnight. But once you try a few of the suggestions above, your audience will grow and perception will become reality. We’ll talk about staying engaged in Part 4 of our series.

For more career tips and advice from Vanguard follow us on LinkedIn and check out our careers blog. If you are looking for additional tips to create a content marketing strategy for yourself check out Neil Patel’s helpful blog.

Our new blog series will help kick start your personal and professional brand on social media. We’ll cover looking your best, growing your network, sharing your story, and staying engaged. Read the last blog to learn how to improve your LinkedIn profile.

Your profiles look great and you are ready to connect with others! But your current network only includes a smattering of co-workers, past and present. Let’s help you make some fresh and impactful connections.

Who is in your bubble that would make a good professional connection?

• Colleagues in other departments
• Peers within volunteer groups you belong to
• Friends and neighbors outside of work

Who is not in your immediate circle, but would be a good connection?

• Alumni of schools or organizations you’ve belonged to
• Peers in similar roles at other companies
• People you meet at conferences
• Influencers in your field
• Authors of books, blogs, and articles
• Members of larger professional organizations you belong to

Connecting gets easier the more you do it. Here are a few ideas on how to reach out. Keep it short and to the point. In fact, LinkedIn has a character limit for their connection notes, so you’ll have to keep it brief.

You can always hit the connect button without an additional note, but the chances of someone accepting your invitation greatly increase if you reach out to them in a more personal way. Don’t take it personally if they don’t accept or never respond. It happens. People are busy. And since people can be reached a variety of ways nowadays, they are wary of spam, so be careful of phrases that sound too “salesy” or too self-serving.

Don’t forget about Facebook. Yes, Facebook!

Another good way to gather professional connections is through Facebook.  More and more people are starting to use Facebook groups professionally. To find these groups all you have to do is ask either on your own newsfeed, in a community group, an alumni group, school group, or even neighborhood group. For example, “Hi everyone. Does anyone within this group work in the XYZ space? If so I’d like to connect and pick your brain about something. I work for XYZ company in ABC department.” You can reply to any respondents, connect with them on LinkedIn, and possibly message them to schedule time to chat. Respondents might also refer you to other groups on Facebook that are applicable to your profession. The most active and targeted professional discussions sometimes take place within private Facebook groups.

There is also Twitter!

If you already use Twitter you might consider creating a separate work related handle. Once you do, you can start to follow influencers in your professional niche, leaders you admire, peers at other companies, and news and professional outlets that publish relevant content. It’s a great way to stay updated. If you choose to tweet, share useful professional content and retweet valuable content that you’ve found by following others.

“As professionals, building a network of other talented individuals gives you the support we all too often lack in both our personal and professional lives. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to move up in your career, or if you’re perfectly happy in your current role. Having a network of other professionals will make your work life richer, more interesting, and may just help you grow your talents.”

– Allen P., Department Head, Editorial & Creative Operations

Set a goal!

Try to make 1-2 new connections a week. Block time on your calendar to do this. Remember, the quality of your network is more important than the size. When you open up tabs in your browser every morning make LinkedIn one of them. Read some updates from your network, conduct a search or two, and send a connection request if you find someone of interest.

Networking isn’t always easy and it doesn’t come naturally for many people. But once you try a few of the suggestions above, and have a few new connections under your belt, you’ll be well on your way to building a great network. We’ll talk about sharing and shaping your story in Part 3 of our series.

For more career tips and advice from Vanguard follow us on LinkedIn and check out our careers blog. If you are interested in learning more about personal marketing and branding check out this Harvard Business Review Article, How to make the right connections when you don’t already have an in by branding expert Dorie Clark.

Our new blog series will help kick start your personal and professional brand on social media. We’ll cover looking your best, growing your network, sharing your story, and staying engaged.

Personal versus professional branding. It’s a blurred line. Any information about you that can be found in a Google search (try it!) or on social media is a part of your brand. Make sure that what you are sending out into the social universe reflects how you want to be perceived. Personal branding is the image you portray and the lasting impression you make.

Speaking of your image, do you look like this on LinkedIn?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered below.

Is your LinkedIn profile stale? Maybe you set up your profile when you were job hunting, but haven’t updated it since. LinkedIn offers more than just jobs. It’s a legitimate professional networking site and your image on it is important. It’s also a good starting place to create a professional persona that can carry over onto other channels.

Your story on LinkedIn begins with your profile. Here are five things you can do to start building your brand.

1. Start with a professional headshot and background image/cover photo. Profiles with photos generate 21-times more profile views*. Profiles without both of these images look incomplete. Don’t have easy access to a professional photographer? The new smart phones have great cameras. Grab a friend to help. Avoid wearing white or too much of a pattern, look for good lighting, and pick a plain or pleasant background for your headshot.  For the cover photo/background image, choose something that is personal to you. The most widely used background images are landscapes. Don’t use family photos and make sure the image isn’t stretched or blurry.

2. Include the basics: the location where you are based, the industry in which you work, your education and interests. These essentials are key and should be fairly easy to update.
3. Draft a headline and a personal summary: Your headline can be a more straight forward or fun version of your job title. Your summary is your elevator pitch. If you already have a bio, start there and change it to the 1^st person. Include keywords in both.
4. List your experience over the past 10 years, at least. Describe your major wins or projects, and the value you brought to your team in two or three sentences (updated experiences will get you 8 times more profile views*). This is not a resume with a bullet list, it’s a summary of each role. If this step is overwhelming, start by listing the position titles and add in the details later.
5. Provide work samples: use photos, videos, presentations, blogs, and other media to make your story jump off the page.

*Source: LinkedIn

Once you look good on LinkedIn, take a look at yourself on other social platforms.

• Do you want those channels to be open to the public or private and for personal use only?
• If your Facebook settings are not “friends only” it’s likely that anyone in the world can see your profile and posts. Even if you have it locked down, your profile picture and cover image are still visible to others who search for your name. Be wary of putting anything inappropriate or controversial in those photos.
• The same goes for Instagram and other channels. If they are open to the public then recruiters, colleagues, peers at other companies, and employers can all see that you were out until 2am last night at the bar. That’s not viewed as professional in most workplaces!
• If you participate on multiple channels for professional reasons, make sure your look is consistent and consider using the same profile and cover photos so that you are easily recognized.
• Be careful of comments and content you share on LinkedIn and other channels. If you get into a debate on a public forum it could reflect poorly on your image.

Looking at other people’s profiles is the #1 activity on LinkedIn. Job seekers now behave like consumers, but they trust people more than brands. Job seekers research people currently in roles they are interviewing for and follow leaders at companies they are interested in. When networking, LinkedIn users search for peers at other companies in similar roles to connect with and follow influencers and experts working in their space. People will find you. And on LinkedIn especially, you not only represent yourself, but also your company and your company’s brand, so make sure you represent it well.

“The one thing you can control in today’s war for talent is having a completed LinkedIn profile. Think of your LinkedIn profile as your online business card. It’s the first thing someone will see when they’re researching you about your next potential job, or when you’re recruiting someone to come to work at your company. This is your chance to build your personal brand and be visible to your network. When you have a completed profile you build authenticity and credibility. Brand or be branded.”

– Brian U., Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant

Set a goal!

Work on one section of LinkedIn at a time – sitting down and doing it all at once can be overwhelming. If you schedule 10-20 minutes every day for one week, you’ll have it updated by the weekend!

If you follow through with the tips above, you will look great and be ready for the next step in building your brand on social media– growing your network. We’ll talk about what you can do to build your own community in part two of our series.

For more career tips and advice from Vanguard follow us on LinkedIn and check out our careers blog. If you are interested in this niche of personal marketing and branding check out some great LinkedIn advice from J.T. O’Donnell on the WorkItDaily YouTube channel.