What’s the best way to make sure that you stand out from the crowd? It’s by having a stellar profile. But what’s the difference between just a good profile and an amazing profile that can help you grip the attention of the admission committee or an employer? Let’s take a look.

A good profile and an excellent profile have many subtle differences.  Creating a stellar student profile requires going beyond just listing academic achievements and extracurricular activities. Here are some key differences between a good profile and a truly stellar one:

A Good Profile:

- Lists grades, test scores, and courses taken

- Outlines extracurricular activities like clubs, sports, and volunteering

- Provides basic details about accomplishments and roles

A Stellar Profile:

- Highlights a clear passion, talent or area of deep interest through specific examples and anecdotes

- Demonstrates intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and a love of learning

- Shows initiative, leadership and impact made through activities and projects

- Reveals well-rounded personal qualities like creativity, resilience, and empathy

- Paints a vivid picture of the student as a unique individual through powerful storytelling

- Articulates specific goals and how experiences have shaped their aspirations

A good profile simply checks the boxes, while a stellar one uses vivid examples to showcase the student's authentic voice, values, and journey of growth. It doesn't just list what he has done, but why it matters and how he has developed meaningful skills. A stellar profile makes admissions officers say, "I'd love to have this student in our community." It leaves a lasting, multi-dimensional impression.

But you may be wondering, Why is profile building even important?

Profile building is important for several key reasons:

1. College Admissions

A well-crafted profile can make a student's application stand out in the highly competitive college admissions process. It helps admission officers get a holistic understanding of the student beyond just grades and test scores.

2. Scholarship Opportunities

Many scholarships require students to submit profiles or resumes highlighting their accomplishments, activities, and goals. A strong profile increases the chances of earning financial aid.

3. Career Preparation

Creating a compelling profile helps students identify their strengths, interests and experiences - valuable preparation for applying to internships, jobs and further educational opportunities.

4. Personal Branding

In today's digital age, a polished online profile acts as a personal brand that can open doors and create positive impressions with potential mentors, employers, and so on.

5. Self-Reflection

The process of profile building encourages students to thoughtfully evaluate their journeys, discoveries and aspirations - promoting greater self-awareness.

6. Differentiation  

An impressive, unique profile helps students differentiate themselves and showcase what makes them remarkable candidates compared to others with similar academics.

By dedicating time to crafting an impactful profile, students gain a competitive advantage, become proactive about their futures, and learn to articulate their value proposition effectively. It's an important investment in their personal/professional development. 

Lesli’s profile-building services lead to eventually crafting a compelling resume that introduces you to the admission committee or employer. Therefore your stellar profile translated into a brilliant resume brings guaranteed results! Just look at Neeharika’s testimonial. 

“I wanted to share that I had applied for Deloitte USI through college and I got placed there. Thank you so much for helping me with building my resume and guiding me,”  

She bagged a full time job at Deloitte in her final year of college placements with the resume that our mentors at Lesli helped her build! The profile building exercise for her, an undergrad college student involved: 

1. Ensuring that LinkedIn profile highlighted noteworthy qualifications and certifications

2. Training for job search through LinkedIn by use of keywords 

3. Tailoring each application to meet prospective company requirements

4. Preparing for the job interview 

In the next article, we will share our secrets as to how our profile building exercise at Lesli gives a boost to your career! Stay tuned for part 2!