Add your work experience to showcase what you do best - LinkedIn Tutorial

- Close your eyes for a second. You're sitting across the table from a curious 10-year-old, and they look up at you and ask, "What do you do?" Now, here's the challenge. You have to explain your job in a way they'd actually understand. No fancy jargon, no buzz buzzwords, just the simple truth of what you do. Even tougher, you have to show them why it matters. How does your work make a difference in the world? If that feels tricky, don't worry. You're not alone. When it comes to talking about our work experience, accomplishments, results, and impact, it can be difficult to articulate what we do and why what we do matters. Think this doesn't make a difference? Think again. Adding at least one position to your Experience section can get you up to two times as many profile views and connection requests. Additionally, it can also help you get up to four times more messages. So how would you break down what you do and why it matters in a way anyone could understand? Let's take Ari for example. Ari is an executive chef at a small French restaurant. Check out his most recent work experience, Executive Chef & Owner, Bistro Grill, Develop seasonal menus, Lead and manage kitchen staff, Maintain inventory and ordering of kitchen supplies, Oversee food preparation. Do you really get a sense for what Ari does? Maybe a little bit, but do you truly understand the results he's delivering, the impact he's making, or why you'd want him as your executive chef over any other experienced chef out there? Not so much. Now let's meet Tariq. Tariq, just like Ari, owns and operates a restaurant serving up Midwest American cuisine, but his work experience reads completely different. Let's take a look. We'll scroll down to his Work Experience section. Executive Chef & Owner, The Lake House Restaurant. I create memorable dining experiences that connect people to American Midwest culture through food. As owner and executive chef of The Lake House Restaurant, I aim to immerse guests in elevated Midwestern cuisine one bite at a time. As the winner of two James Beard Awards for Outstanding Chef and Best New Restaurant, we're just getting started. In under four years, I've built this business from the ground up, increasing profits by over 40%. From crafting sustainable menus to mentoring rising chefs, I'm reshaping the American Midwest dining experience. Can you feel the impact Tariq is making? Right away, his passion for crafting unforgettable dining experiences jumps out at you. His accomplishments speak for themselves, from winning prestigious awards to growing his restaurant and building it from the ground up, and it's clear where his focus lies as he talks about designing sustainable menus and mentoring the next generation of talent. Did you know that Tariq can even elevate his work experience by highlighting key skills and adding eye-catching visuals? Here's how he'll do it. First, he'll click on the pencil to the top right of his Executive Chef & Owner Experience. His Edit experience card will pop up. He'll scroll down to Skills and click the + Add skill button. He wants to highlight his business and menu creation skills, so he'll add Business strategy and planning, Menu development and design and Marketing and brand development. Next, he'll scroll down to the Media section and click on the + Add media button. He'll select Add media because he's going to be uploading a PDF doc. Tariq just completed a gorgeous style guide representing the brand guidelines for The Lake House Restaurant, so he wants to add that here. He'll find the PDF document that he saved to his computer and select it. The Add media window will pop up displaying an autogenerated thumbnail image for his style guide. First, Tariq can customize the title at the top. Let's call it Lakehouse Restaurant Brand Style Guide. Next, it's time for the description. He'll write something like, "Discover the brand "behind the restaurant I proudly own and operate." Then he'll click Apply. Now that PDF doc has been added to his Executive Chef & Owner Experience. Finally, he'll click Save and voila, his top skills and brand style guide appear right in his Experience section. Awesome job, Tariq. Here's what to keep in mind when adding your most recent position. Own it. Always speak in the first person narrative. Your results, accomplishments and impact are more genuine and powerful when they come from you. Keep it short and compelling. Use concise, engaging paragraphs to bring your career journey to life and leave a lasting impression. Remember, you don't have to do this alone. Tap into the people in your professional community who know you best. Oftentimes, they can help unlock insights you might miss on your own. By getting their perspective, you get a more holistic view of your accomplishments. And don't forget, you can always turn to your trusty AI friends, such as Microsoft Copilot or ChatGPT to expand on your current experience or spark new ideas. Every role you take is a step forward. Use your Work Experience section to show how far you've come, the impact you're making, and where you're headed next. Own it and make your mark.