Setting Up

1. Solo Headshot

• Should look professional, high quality
• Plain background so there are no distractions
• Selfies are acceptable, as long as they look appropriate
• Smile!!

Headshot Examples

Click here for more examples

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DON’T:

DO:

2. Headline

• Create a “slogan” for yourself, should be memorable and professional
• 1-2 sentences about what you are doing currently and what you hope to achieve for your future career
• Ex. Honors student seeking Marketing position
• Ex. Sociology student and aspiring policy maker in Education
• Avoid words like “strategic”, “creative”, and “responsible” because they sound cliché and overused.

3. Summary

• Think 3-4 sentences--concise and to the point
• A majority of it should be professional, but it’s okay to include a bit of personal information
• What school you are currently attending and what you’re studying (you can develop this as you enter college and pick a major)
• Brief overview of your qualifications, skills, and leadership experience that you’ve previously had or currently have (i.e. clubs, extracurricular activities, sports, honors)
• What sets you apart from others? What makes you unique?
• What you hope to achieve in the future (career wise) and what you think you can contribute to potential jobs and internships

Summary Example

4. Experience

• List any jobs, internships, apprenticeships (both part time and full time) you’ve had in the past or currently have
• List name(s) of company/companies and time periods in which you’ve worked there
• Ex. Intern at Launch U; October 2017-present
• Ex. Sales Associate at Gap; November 2012-2014
• Provide a brief overview of skills gained or achieved for each position
• Include work samples or documents from each position if possible to share examples of work you have previously done or are familiar with
• If you don’t have a ton of work experience but you have more volunteer experience, put more emphasis on that particular section of your profile--any experience is great experience!

5. Education

• Where you are attending high school (name of school and location, and the years you attended, cumulative GPA; activities/clubs/sports you are/were involved in
• Ex. Deerfield High School; Deerfield, IL; 2011-2015. 3.75 GPA. Activities: Cheerleading, Human Rights Club, Senior Executive Board

Education (cont.)

• Provide a brief description of your involvement and positions/leadership experience you’ve gained in your activities

Example:

6. Volunteer Experience

• If you have more volunteer experience than work experience, this is the section you should be emphasizing!
• List all volunteer experiences you’ve previously had or currently have, include the timeframe, and include a brief description for each if you want

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Example:

7. Skills and Endorsements

• List all skills and strengths you have--any skills are great to include
• Ex. computer programs, such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Photoshop, Public Speaking, Event Planning, Research, Customer Service
• As you add connections, other people can endorse you for your skills (and write recommendations), and you will be able to develop this section overtime as you gain more experience

Skills and Endorsements Example

8. Accomplishments

• Courses you’ve taken (AP’s Honors, etc.) in school and will take in college and include grades if you so choose
• Ex. AP Spanish, Algebra, Geometry, U.S. History, Honors English/Literature
• Organizations/activities you were/are involved in (positions held, timeframe of involvement, brief description of responsibilities, etc.)
• Ex. Chi Omega Fraternity, September 2015-present, Active Member; Alumnae Relations Chair -- 2017-2018.

Accomplishments (cont.)

• Honors, scholarships, accolades, and awards you’ve received (the more the merrier!)
• Ex. Honor Roll, Dean’s List, President’s Award, National Merit Award, etc.
• Certifications such as CPR, CNA
• Languages you’re fluent in (i.e. Spanish, English, Polish, Chinese, etc.)
• Previous projects you have completed that could be noteworthy in sharing with others
• Ex. class assignments, major research projects, etc.

9. Interests

• You can follow companies, organizations, and people that you are interested in or inspired by

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Examples:

DePaul University

Peace Corps

ASPCA

Some Noteworthy Influencers to Follow

Nancy Lublin, CEO of dosomething.org

Laszlo Bock, Head of People Operations at Google

Gretchen Rubin, author of NY Times bestseller The Happiness Project

Interests (cont.)

• Include causes you personally care about or are passionate about
• Examples include:
• Animal welfare
• Civil rights and social action
• Disaster and humanitarian relief
• Education
• Human rights

Additional Tips and Information

• Update your profile regularly so all of your information is accurate for potential employers and colleagues to see
• Joining groups shows interest in engagement with professional communities
• Ask teachers or peers with whom you’ve worked to endorse you for skills or write you recommendations--this adds to your strengths and skills
• Your profile is never complete--you should be constantly adding to it with every opportunity or experience you gain
• Connect with your mentor and panelists who have spoken at Launch U events