Everything Your LinkedIn Should Have

No all event planners operate independent. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say the vast majority of event management professionals either work for a management firm or in a specialized department of an enterprise organization.  In truth, I’d actually recommend this as the starting point for novice event planners, as it helps them to learn the skills and experience they might eventually use to set off on their own.

Unfortunately, searching for a job carries its own pitfalls, particularly in the current market. In order to land yourself a spot anywhere noteworthy, you’re going to have to use every tool in your arsenal. LinkedIn is one such tool – and may well be the best social media job search platform on the market.

Of course, simply using LinkedIn isn’t enough. You’re going to need to optimize your LinkedIn profile. It needs to impress potential employers, drawing them in and making them see you as the best candidate for the job. Thankfully, achieving this level of optimization as an event manager isn’t actually that much different from optimizing your profile as a blogger, hairdresser, or doctor.

Completed Information With An Up-To-Date And Professional Photo/Headline

This is probably the most basic step, but you’d be surprised how many LinkedIn profiles are out there without a profile picture, and how many more only offer the most basic, effectively meaningless information to visitors. Worst, most of these pages also lack an interesting, unique headline, opting for boring tags like “Event Planner” or “Event Manager.”

Fill out every last scrap of information in your profile you possibly can – including and especially those segments to which you can add a personal touch. Employers are going to be drawn to you because of your merits, of course, but one of the things that’ll set you apart from the competition is personality. If your profile is a boring collection of facts and figures and it’s pitted against someone who’s very clearly willing to let who they are shine through, well…

You’re probably not getting that job.

Use a professional, up-to-date profile picture along with a unique headline. This is a great way to catch a future employers attention. 

Decent Optimization, Including A Customized URL

Make sure your profile includes at least a few keywords related to event management (but as always with SEO, don’t go overboard). This’ll make you likelier to appear in search, meaning you’re likelier to catch the attention of employers. Part of this process, of course, involves customizing the URL of your profile – somehow, Nicholas_Greene1203-149584534 doesn’t really have a nice ring to it, does it?

Professional Recommendations From Past Clients

Now we’re getting into the truly important stuff.  If you have a gallery of satisfied clients you’ve run events for in the past, now is the time to tap into that network.  Get in touch with every one of your past clients you can contact, and ask them if they can put together a recommendation for you on LinkedIn.  Make sure they’re specific in what they write; otherwise, you’ve just got a generic collection of recommendations that could apply to virtually every other candidate. 

A Link To Your Event Management Portfolio

Again, this is a pretty basic one – but no less important for it. If you’ve an event management portfolio hosted online (you should), include a link to it in your profile, either immediately under your Summary or under “websites” in Contact Info. This will allow prospective employers (and clients) to browse an established cross-section of your work before hiring you. 

Links To your Other Social Media Profiles

Have a Twitter, Facebook or Google +? Go for it. Connecting your LinkedIn profile to your larger online presence (particularly other social networks) is more or less guaranteed to get your profile more attention than it would otherwise receive. It is also other ways for possible future employers or clients to get a feel for your work and personality.

An Active (And Positive) Track Record

The most important component of your LinkedIn profile isn’t necessarily even part of the profile itself. You need to be active, helpful, and knowledgeable within the community. If you demonstrate that you’re generally a pleasant person to be around online (and that you know your stuff), you’ll begin making more connections and thus making yourself appear as a more valuable candidate.