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Did you know that LinkedIn gives you the ability to showcase your LinkedIn profile in multiple languages? This is a feature that I have been dying to try out, (on someone else of course because I’ve never mastered a language outside of English), and quite frankly, I haven’t mastered English either. A couple of months back, I was finally given the opportunity to create a Profile in another language and see the impact it has made firsthand. Today, I thought I’d share with you the steps toward creating a Profile in another language, a case study highlighting one individual’s success using multiple profiles, and 3 additional ways in which to showcase your proficiency in another language on LinkedIn.
How to Create a LinkedIn Profile in Another Language
When creating a Profile in another language on LinkedIn, the first thing I recommend doing is to download a PDF of your current profile. To do so you are going to want to head over to your Profile, hover over the arrow next to the “View profile as” button and select the option that says, “Save to PDF.”
Next, I would suggest that you take the PDF version of your Profile and use it as a guide to craft your new Profile in whatever language you choose. Currently, LinkedIn allows you to create Profiles in 40+ different languages. If you don’t see the language that you want listed, they even give you the option to select “Other.”
I would suggest creating a Word document outside of LinkedIn when creating this new version of your Profile, so that you can add in special characters and more easily proofread and prepare your new Profile.
As a guide, the following areas can be translated into another language:
- Headline
- Summary
- Experience
- Certifications
- Organizations
- Volunteer Experience & Causes
- Publications
- Education
- Test Scores
- Courses
- Patents
- Honors & Awards
- Interests
Once you have successfully translated your Profile, you’re going to want to go back to your Profile page on LinkedIn and hover over the the down arrow once again, but this time you will select, “Create profile in another language.”
Next, you’ll be taken to a page where you can choose the language that you want your Profile created in and begin to fill out your alternative Profile.
Once your translated Profile is created, you can most easily see it by heading back to your Profile and clicking on the box to the right (which typically says “English”) and then selecting the alternative language.
A Case Study for Success
As mentioned earlier, I’ve recently had the opportunity to work closely with someone who decided to create his LinkedIn profile in multiple languages. Alberto Aguilar-Sartori, consulted with Intero advisory to do a Profile refresh and, after meeting him, it immediately became apparent that he needed and would benefit from multiple LinkedIn profiles in different languages. In Alberto’s current role, he heads the sales and business development efforts in Latin America and is fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese.
Considering his role, he frequently reaches out to Connect with individuals whose native language is not English and felt as though there was a disconnect once those individuals went to his English LinkedIn profile. To bridge the gap, we created additional LinkedIn profiles in both Spanish and Portuguese.
Spanish
Portuguese
Alberto saw an immediate difference in his efforts to Connect on LinkedIn. “The translation of my LinkedIn profile into Spanish and Portuguese has allowed me to reach a much larger audience. Now my connections, and future new ones, can see my profile updates in their native tongues. Business in Latin America is so dependent on the relationships we forge, and these translations have definitely helped me to position myself as an authentic business partner in the Latin American community,” says Alberto.
Week-over-week, Alberto sends us updates on how well these Profiles are working for him.
Three Ways to Showcase Your Proficiency in Another Language
Here are three additional ways to show your multiple language proficiency on LinkedIn:
- Use your language specific URL – Once your Profile is complete in another language, there is a separate URL that you can use that will direct people specifically to that page. For example, Alberto’s spanish speaking URL is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albertoaguilarsartori/es.
- Send personalized Connection Requests in another language – When sending a request to Connect with individuals whose native language is not English, don’t be shy. If you’re fluent in their native language, send them a Connection request that shows you can connect in a way that is natural for them.
- Interact in another language – Furthermore, once you begin to have a network of people who speak a different language, cater to this new and unique audience by sharing status updates that are targeted directly to them, using their native language. Furthermore, comment on their activity using their native language.
I am often amazed at the breadth of opportunities that LinkedIn provides their users. The ability to create multiple Profiles in multiple languages is, in my eyes, unmatched by any other “social” or business platform. Has anyone else created their Profile in another language? If so, share with us your experience in the comments below.
