Prioritize Your Personal Brand Story On LinkedIn

Prioritize Your Personal Brand Story On LinkedIn:from Business 2 Community by Sima Dahl
Some time ago LinkedIn quietly released a small but mighty feature that many of my clients, colleagues and friends have yet to discover – the ability to reorder your current work experience according to priority. These days, many professionals wear more than one hat. For example, I’m on faculty at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, a columnist and community manager for the American Marketing Association, and I have a few small projects on the side. But the #1 hat I wear, the one I want you to think of first and foremost when you hear my name, is my role as consultant, speaker and trainer at my firm, Parlay Communications, Ltd.
Historically, LinkedIn force-ranked all your positions according to start date, meaning that my roles at Lake Forest GSM, AMA and my side projects would all appear above my listing for Parlay. Now you can drag and drop your current positions in order of your personal brand priority. Here’s how to do it:

1. Log into LinkedIn
2. Navigate to Profile > Edit Profile
3. Place your cursor on the Position you want to move
4. In a few seconds, you’ll see this message: Drag to rearrange current positions (see screen grab below)
5. Drag, drop and you’re done

I meet so many talented professionals who have side projects that show up first on LinkedIn. Be it a volunteer position in a professional association, a prestigious seat on a corporate board, or a contributing editor role with a magazine, these plum assignments can confused the casual LinkedIn user and detract from the role you want to highlight most. For example, my friend and fellow member of the Business Marketing Association, Randall Rozin, is the Global Director, Brand Management and Marketing Communication for Dow Corning. Not too shabby! But when I looked at his LinkedIn profile, what I saw first was a string of writing and editorial board positions. Don’t get me wrong, those positions are certainly noteworthy on their own. But Randall would rather you see his corporate position first, and now you do.
Remember that when it comes to your personal brand, you are your own Chief Marketing Officer. Make sure your digital footprint underscores your personal brand. It you want to be memorable, consistency and clarity of message is critical.
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