We've adapted LinkedIn's Profile Optimization Protocol (POP) into a tutorial that transforms your LinkedIn profile into a canvas where your changemaker story and our new mission of framework change can shine. Where we can go beyond bullet points towards genuine narratives and compelling teasers -- in other words, an invitation for deeper engagement.

1. Purpose
• Showcase personal brand
– Control what others discover about you
• Expand your company’s reach
– Make company’s brand more accessible
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2. Facts
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3. Talent Brand
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4. Talent Brand Index
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5. Impressions
Pick a partner, and pull up [his/her/their/hir] LinkedIn
profile on your computer or mobile phone.
Pretend you don’t know your partner or the
company, and answer these questions based on the
profile:
1. What is your first impression of [him/her/them/hir]?
2. What is your impression of the person’s company?

6. Impressions
Question for you:
Did your partner’s impression of you based
on your LinkedIn profile align with how you
want to come across to others?

7. POP Checklist
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1. Profile photo
2. Summary
3. Visual content
4. Work experience
5. Skills
6. Endorsements
7. Headline
8. Education
9. Recommendations

8. Profile Photo
8Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn

9. Profile Photo Tips
First thing people notice about you
• Use a current photo.
• Keep the background simple.
• Snap your picture in color.
– These receive more clicks and better responses than B&W photos.
• If you want to use a B&W photo, though, stick to a black or white
background.
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10. Profile Photo Tips
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First thing people notice about you
• Exude warmth with your smile.
– Smiling with teeth is the most impactful characteristic.
– A closed-mouth smile cuts half of your likeability impression.
• Dress like you are going to work.
• Only show your torso and up.
• Make sure your image fits the 200 x 200 pixels display.

11. Summary
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A proud third culture kid, I grew up moving from country to country, learning about the Indian,
European, and American cultures, connecting with people from different walks of life, and
finding out truly motivates people. I went to school to learn about how these motivations drive
health and how that impacts mankind.
After a few years of working in healthcare in the private and federal sector, I spent a summer in
Pune, India, to learn about how under-resourced communities are served on the ground. I
learned of an organization that was tackling domestic violence and discrimination against
women by helping men believe in and practice gender equitable behavior.
Here’s what I learned: Some of the most impactful, systems-changing ideas in health and
wellness use hypothesis-based problem solving to change mindsets for whole communities.
I came to Ashoka to learn about these systems-changing ideas. At Ashoka, I map out the
world’s market of impact-focused innovators in health, education, civic engagement, economic
development, and human rights. Using our “Total Addressable Market” approach, I connect
with these entrepreneurs to see how they can engage with Ashoka!
Interested in engaging with Ashoka? Want to share ideas on the future of health and wellness?
Email me at schunduri@ashoka.org.

12. Summary
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A 1.5 generation Filipino American, I lived half of my life in the Philippines and the
second half in the US. My moment of awakening came at the convergence of those two
narratives: a visit back to my hometown in 2003 that reintroduced me to the starkness of
inequality in the land of my youth - and the power of people and communities to shape a
new future.
I believe that the root causes of our problems lie at the level of systems and
consciousness - and that our solutions need to play at the same level of change. At the
same time, I am pulled to models of change that are anchored in identities, lived
narratives, and personal agency.
All of this has led me to Ashoka, the world's pioneer network of system-changing social
entrepreneurs, and its mission to catalyze a future in which everyone can make change. I
also lead my own venture, Kaya Collaborative, to transform the young Filipino diaspora
into a support network for Philippine innovation.
I’m most excited by challenges that allow me to mobilize community, listen boldly,
imagine together, and build. I am inspired by individuals and institutions fighting for
change, for the flourishing of their own potential, for a better life and for a world in which
(in the words of Paulo Freire) "it is easier to love.”

13. Summary Tips
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• Personalization is key.
– Show your backstory—the arc of your career.
– Connect how your past fits or doesn’t fit into your present.
• Write in first-person.
– This mimics having a conversation with the reader.
• Keep content in short paragraphs (3-4 lines).
• Use verbs to drive your summary.
– Keywords are for the Skills section.
• Be short and sweet with the allotted 2,000 characters.
Most important space of your profile

14. Where have you
been?
Take 3 minutes to brainstorm these questions:
1.Professionally, what is your most valued accomplishment?
2.What is the story behind the turning point that led you towards
social innovation? Do you have a “mind shift” moment that
challenged your assumptions about social change?
3.What attracted you to work at your company?

15. Who are you now?
Take another 3 minutes to brainstorm these questions:
1.What are your superpowers? What do you do better than anyone else?
2.How do you see yourself as a changemaker in society?
3.What is the “level of impact” that you aim for, and why?
4.(Employees) What do you do at your company? What major project(s) are you
working on?
5.(Interns) What do you study at school? And how do you customize your studies to
relate with interest in social innovation?

16. Where do you want to
go?
Take another 3 minutes to brainstorm these questions:
1.How has working/interning at your company shaped your
career aspirations?
2.What kind of challenges do you see yourself being driven to in
the future?
3.What kind of world are you building towards?

17. Visual Content
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18. Visual Content Tips
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• LinkedIn is more than an online résumé;
It is a storybook.
• Affirm your expertise with tangible
content.
– Display your talents whether you
are in Search, IT, or Global Comms.
– 90% of what we process is visual.
• Create dialogue with viewers.
Visual enhancement

19. Work Experience Tips
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• Consider this section as a timeline of your growth as a professional.
– Tie your past experience into where you are today.
• Overview each company in 2-3 sentences.
• Emphasize accomplishments, not responsibilities.
– Use bullet points to increase skim value.
• *Include a quote about your performance from a client or letter of
recommendation.
Interest and credibility to your story

20. Groups
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21. 21
Networking with like-minded individuals
• Participate in 5-10 quality groups to show depth and gain the most benefit.
• Make sure the groups are well-managed.
– Are the group managers engaged and visible?
– Do the majority of discussions revolve around questions and dialogue?
– Are there many promotional links, updates, or spam in general?
• EACH: Position yourself as a thought leader and an influencer.
• You can message other members without a first-degree connection.
• You can view other members’ profiles even if they are out of your network.
Groups Tips

22. Skills & Endorsements Tips
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Keywords you want to be found for
• Think like a recruiter.
– This section was created for talent
acquisition.
• Only list true qualifications and skills.
– Do not merely list them for the search.
• Scroll through the Skills &
Expertise function to gain inspiration
for keywords.
– Pick skills with a smaller size and a
positive growth rate.
• Endorsements are a grid of competency.
– They are not a substitute for

23. Acknowledgement
Take a moment to complete this endorsement activity:
Either with a colleague in the room or for a person on
your team, endorse someone for 1-3 specific skills you
can vouch for.

24. Headline
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25. Headline Tips
• Sell yourself even before the hello.
– Convince others to open your profile.
– Stand out from your competitors in a search.
• Invent your own headline.
– You are more than the job title bestowed upon you.
• Uniquely describe yourself and what you do in 6-8 words.
– What is your value proposition?
– What do you want people to hire you for?
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Directly under your name

26. Thank you for
coming!
Q & A
Feedback:
1.Is there anything you wanted to learn that we missed?
2.What worked in our presentation?
3.What do you think we can do better in our next presentation?

27. Sources
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