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ARTICLE

LinkedIn as a Power Tool for Your Career

Donna Serdula

Summary

  • LinkedIn is an essential platform for legal professionals, helping you position yourself for long-term career success. It is for more than just job searches; it is for building your professional reputation, developing business, and expanding your network.
  • Five practical tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile include creating a standout background graphic; uploading a professional profile picture; and crafting compelling “Featured,” “About,” and “Experience” sections.
  • Consider investing in professional LinkedIn profile-optimization services. Law firms are increasingly recognizing the benefit of profile optimization and providing the service to their attorneys.
  • The free R.I.S.E. Personal Branding Assessment can help you define your personal brand and project the right image to move your career forward. It provides information to you in the Revelation, Image & Identity, Shine, and Evolution & Eminence categories.
LinkedIn as a Power Tool for Your Career
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You are a young associate at a large national law firm, and you are looking forward to applying the skills you learned in law school—perhaps in a firm or perhaps at a clerkship—to the day-to-day practicalities of the practice of law. One thing that you likely did not learn was how to create a personal brand and public profile.

Wherever you end up in the legal or business world, it's never too early start creating and cultivating that profile for many reasons, including investing in yourself for long-term success and branching out beyond job searches to business and professional development, networking, and building a reputation by showcasing your expertise. LinkedIn is the ideal tool to accomplish all of these goals.

In addition to discussing how LinkedIn impacts your long-term success and goals beyond job searches, this article covers tips to crank up your impact on LinkedIn, the value of professional help for crafting your LinkedIn profile, and the benefits of the free R.I.S.E. Personal Branding Assessment. Having a strong online presence is essential, especially in the legal profession today. LinkedIn stands out as more than just a social platform—it’s a comprehensive tool that can shape your career.

LinkedIn as an Investment in Yourself for Long-Term Success

LinkedIn isn’t just about what you’re doing now; it’s about where you’re headed. LinkedIn helps you share your trajectory by showcasing your achievements and highlighting the unique value that you bring to the legal profession, colleagues, clients, and potential employers. It’s about aligning your skills, actions, and personal brand to open doors and create new opportunities. Whether your goal is to make partner, go in-house, teach, start your own business, or something else entirely, LinkedIn is the tool that can set you up for future success.

The long play matters. Take action now by reviewing your current LinkedIn profile. Are you clearly showing where you want to go in your career? Make sure that your profile reflects your future, not just your past.

LinkedIn for More Than Just Job Searches

Many attorneys see LinkedIn as a platform for job seekers, but it’s much more. You can use it for the following:

  • Business Development: Attract clients and build relationships that can turn into referrals and opportunities.
  • Networking: Connect with professionals across industries, expanding your reach beyond your immediate circle.
  • Building a Reputation: Position yourself as an expert and thought leader in your practice area through posts, articles, and engagement.

LinkedIn allows you to develop a professional persona that goes beyond your resume. It’s about curating your image and expertise in a way that helps you grow and stand out.

Five Tips to Crank Up Your Impact on LinkedIn

Not sure where to start or wondering if your profile reflects your best self? Here are five practical tips to help you optimize your LinkedIn presence and make a stronger impact.

  1. Background Graphic: If you don’t have one, upload something that represents your personal brand or firm. It adds a visual touch to your profile and makes it stand out, giving visitors an immediate sense of your professionalism.
  2. Profile Picture: A professional headshot works best. First impressions are key, and a clean, polished image will convey the credibility and confidence that you want to project. Check out HeadshotCrew.com for a list of amazing photographers.
  3. Featured” Section: This is your showcase, so use it to highlight articles, cases, presentations, and media that spotlight your achievements. Think of it as a dynamic portfolio that goes beyond the written word.
  4. About” Section: This is your manifesto—the place where you tell your story. With 2,500 characters at your disposal, this section should be more personal than your resume, introducing who you are and providing the reader with enough insight to start building those important know, like, and trust points.

    To create a powerful “About” section, consider these core questions:

    • Who are you?

    • What do you do?

    • Why does it matter?

    • What do you stand for?


    One of my clients, for example, struggled to get noticed for board positions. After reshaping his “About” section to focus on his leadership philosophy and how he solves complex business challenges, he started receiving inquiries within weeks.

    The “About” section sets the tone for the rest of your profile and helps people connect with you on a more personal and professional level.
  5. Experience” Section: Don’t just list your job titles—tell the story of your achievements. Use this section to highlight your impact, focusing on what matters most to your future career. As your career progresses, you’ll need to prune and update this section, focusing on the experiences that align with your current and future goals.

    Take a moment this week to review your “Experience” section. Are you showcasing the achievements that reflect where you want your career to go next? If not, consider updating your “Experience” section today.

Guidance via the R.I.S.E Personal Branding Assessment

If you’re struggling to write your LinkedIn profile or finding it hard to articulate who you are and what sets you apart, it’s likely because you haven’t fully clarified your personal brand. Defining your brand is crucial to building a strong, cohesive online presence, and that’s where the R.I.S.E. Personal Branding Assessment comes in. The R.I.S.E. Assessment is a free tool designed to help you discover and refine your personal brand. It guides you through key questions whose answers reveal information about you in the following categories:

  • Revelation: Uncover your hidden strengths and turn them into career assets that get noticed.
  • Image & Identity: Fine-tune your professional image so that you’re projecting the right message every time.
  • Shine: Amplify your brand and get in front of the right people, not just anyone.
  • Evolution & Eminence: Build a future-proof plan that keeps you moving forward, not stuck, achieving growth and renowned status in your domain.

By taking this quick, free assessment, you’ll get a score that reflects where you stand with your personal brand, as well as insights on how to improve. The R.I.S.E. Assessment can help uncover what’s holding you back from solidifying your brand and provide a road map for moving forward.

Professional Help for Your LinkedIn Profile

Writing about yourself is hard. Many attorneys find it challenging to capture the right tone, highlight their strengths, and present themselves in a way that resonates with their target audience. Even with AI tools, it’s difficult to know how your message is being received and whether it accurately reflects your brand. Whether you’re an individual attorney looking to boost your profile or a firm wanting to ensure that your team’s online presence is aligned and optimized, investing in professional help can make all the difference.

More and more law firms are recognizing this and providing their associates and attorneys with professional LinkedIn profile-optimization services. Why? Because they understand the value of having their attorneys look polished, professional, and aligned with the firm’s brand. A strong LinkedIn profile isn’t just beneficial for the individual attorney—it’s a reflection of the firm as a whole. Firms are investing in LinkedIn optimization as a way to help their employees build their careers and grow their professional networks, ensuring that they are well positioned in the industry. Your law firm brought you in for a reason, and LinkedIn lets you share that value with a broader audience.

For firms and individuals alike, services like LinkedIn-Makeover.com provide the expertise needed to create profiles that stand out and get results. By working with professionals, you can be sure that your profile not only lists your experience but also tells the story of your career and projects your unique value.

Conclusion: Your Brand Is Your Future

As someone who has worked with thousands of professionals over the years, I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of a strong LinkedIn presence. Your LinkedIn profile is so much more than a digital resume—it’s the place where your career story comes to life and where opportunities find you. Whether your goal is to develop business, grow your network, or position yourself for career progression, your profile can either open doors or keep them closed.

Investing in your personal brand is one of the most valuable things that you can do for your career. It’s not just about looking good online—it’s about making sure that the right people see the value that you bring to the table. With a powerful LinkedIn presence, you’re not just telling people what you do—you’re showing them who you are and why they should want to work with you.

At the end of the day, it’s about taking control of your narrative. The legal world is competitive, and you deserve to be seen for the unique skills, achievements, and value that you bring. Don’t bemoan your lack of opportunities—use LinkedIn to build the brand that inspires opportunities to come knocking.

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