The last day at my 8-to-5 job was Friday, so yesterday I decided to update my resume on LinkedIn. (Can you tell I’m excited for this new phase in my life?) I clicked on the “Add new position” link, which took me to a drop-down menu. I froze at that point, because I wasn’t sure what title to write. I immediately thought of late-night TV icon Jimmy Fallon, whose self-description on Twitter reads “astrophysicist.” Could I go there with my profile? Uh, no. Funny idea for Jimmy on Twitter, bad idea for me on LinkedIn.
So what exactly is my new position? I’m working on a novel, but I certainly can’t call myself a “Novelist.” I’ve always considered a novelist to be someone who has crossed the publishing threshold. I view the title “Author” the same way. Though I did read a compelling case for why you should call yourself a novelist, regardless.
Needless to say, I typed “Writer” as my new position. After that, it provided autofilled options, like “Freelance Writer” or “Independent Writer.” 
Nah, those didn’t seem quite right, either. They imply that I’m a contractor or freelancer, which isn’t the case. The next thing to complete was “Company.” I was at a loss there, too. I decided to go with “Self-Employed.” That could also be slightly misleading, but it was the best fit among the choices offered. Plus, LinkedIn wouldn’t let me save the entry until the “Company” field was completed.
Last but not least was the description. “Writing and blogging” was what I wrote. It looked pretty skimpy compared to my previous 8-to-5 position, which was chock-full of communications-manager goodness. After some noodling, here’s what I decided to go with:
Writer and Blogger
- Writing a fiction novel, currently a work-in-progress with 42,000 words written
- Writing weekly blog posts and managing the website, using the WordPress platform, for renepenn.wordpress.com
- Writing a romantic comedy screenplay, currently a work-in-progress with 45 pages written
I specified word and page counts to make the concept of fiction and screenwriting, which can be somewhat mysterious to non-writers, more tangible with hard-and-fast numbers. The blog and WordPress mentions indicate commitment to a weekly deadline and knowledge of a commonly used, widely respected website platform. I added my blog website for proof—plus, a little plug and cross-promotion never hurts.
Updating my LinkedIn profile was an important step. It shows that I’m no longer treating my writing as a hobby. It’s now a career path that I’m taking as seriously as any of my previous jobs. Any other ideas on how I can jazz up my profile even more? How have you updated your LinkedIn profile to reflect your writing?
Rene Penn 