If you are an active job seeker and don’t have an interesting and detailed LinkedIn profile - now is the time to create one!
Why?
LinkedIn is the largest business-oriented networking website in the world, with over a billion users. It is a terrific way to get ahead of the competition when you are searching for a new job. It gives you the ability to showcase your skills, experience, education, and key achievements that recruiters look for when seeking for the best candidate for a specific job.
However,
Making your profile stand out on LinkedIn is crucial if you want to get noticed by recruiters or hiring managers.
Here’s how:
Create an eye-catching headline
Your headline is displayed directly under your name and is the first thing recruiters see when they search for you.
Things to consider when creating a headline:
Tell people who you are
What are your skills and qualifications?Use strong and direct language
Don’t overload with information in this part. Keep it direct and specific (i.e. Outline if you're a Graduate, Have a certification or Training)Make your headline relevant with your experience and what type of job you are looking for.
Make a LinkedIn banner of a photo that relates to your experience and related to the industry you are interested in.
For example:
Tom Rapley is a National Client Director at Kennedy Reid with a strong interest in recruitment and the Insurance industry.
Tom’s headline is strong and direct – immediately visitors are informed that he works within recruitment and focused on the Insurance Industry which is backed up by his LinkedIn banner photo.
Although, if you are a graduate and just completed a course but don’t have much experience, don’t worry! You can still create a headline that demonstrates your passion for a particular industry and what role it is that you are searching for.
For example:
You just completed a Marketing Course, and you wish to find a job in Digital Marketing, your headline could be:
Make your profile more appealing
Setting up your profile correctly is just as crucial as writing your resume. Ensure that you are incorporating key words that fit your qualifications or the jobs you are looking for, and that you’re using them consistently throughout your profile.
Not sure what key words to use? No problem!
You can base this off the job ad that you are wanting to apply for and aligning it with the skills that are required.Write a bio in your about section. This allows recruiters to dive a little deeper to gain a better understanding of what motivates you, what are your career goals are and your background. - If you are unsure of how to write one, LinkedIn provides suggestions on how to write this section for you once you have your experiences and skills sections filled out on your profile. You can use this template as a guide to begin with and as you progress in your career, you can alter this, so it matches your current job situation.
Ensure that you are adding your skills into your skill section and aim to list at least 5 to begin with.
Engage yourself in group discussions on LinkedIn by liking, sharing and commenting on posts that you find interesting or that relates to your experience and career goals – visitors can view your activity. This reinforces your reputation and personal brand on LinkedIn.
Add a Picture to your profile
Include a professional photo - I know this sometimes can be daunting for people to try and take one, but it doesn’t have to be over the top where you need to hire a professional photographer.
This can be done by a colleague, friend or even a family member. All you need to do is wear professional attire and stand in front of a clear background – Simple!
Your professional picture should be an image that represents your personal brand.
Not having a photo on your LinkedIn means that your profile isn’t fully complete. You may have all the information on your profile of your background, experiences, skills and qualifications – but there is no face to match that.
It can give off the impression that you are not an active user on the platform and even make recruiters think that it is a fake profile, preventing them from clicking onto your profile.
Turn on ‘Open to Job Opportunities’
Make your online profile shine and let recruiters know that you are available for work. Turn on your open to opportunities function on LinkedIn to make it easier for recruiters to approach you.
Build your network
I know this can seem a bit daunting to get other users on LinkedIn to connect and engage with your profile but the more connections you have – the better!
Why?
Having more connections on LinkedIn increases your network and helps build your personal brand. The more connections you have, the more opportunities that you will be exposed to. Having a lot of connections also increases your chance of appearing more frequently in search results and be higher in the search rankings.
Start with something small, particularly if you are new to LinkedIn. Aim for 50-150 connections and start by connecting with friends, family, colleagues, peers, and groups that you are interested in. When you become a frequent user of LinkedIn, try to hit over 500 connections.
Get your connections to write you a recommendation on your profile. This can be from a colleague that you’ve worked with or even a university friend that you’ve completed group projects with. Recommendations can boost your credibility, improve your profile, and increases your visibility by displaying your profile on other user’s LinkedIn pages.
Get your connections to endorse your skills on your profile. The more endorsed skills that you have on your profile, the more likely your profile will rank highly in the search results when a recruiter is seeking candidates with relatable skills for a job.
Follow recruitment agencies to be exposed with more job opportunities and connect with consultants on LinkedIn to help you with your job search.
Optimizing your LinkedIn profile can make you stand out in a sea of candidates, allowing you to get ahead of the competition. These tips will help make your profile stand out to recruiters by creating an interesting and detailed LinkedIn profile.
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