It’s 2018, and almost everybody is using the internet to find their next career. One of the best resources for finding your dream job is LinkedIn. With over 546 million users, LinkedIn is a great platform to find your next job opportunity! But how do you leverage your LinkedIn profile to catch the eyes of employers and recruiters? Check out these three steps to help your profile get discovered by recruiters.
Complete and update your profile
Take 30 minutes and do an audit of your LinkedIn profile. Users with completed profiles are 40 times more likely to receive job opportunities through LinkedIn. Take some time and carefully fill out all your information, including your experience, skills, education, and a summary of yourself. LinkedIn has a helpful meter and helps you fill out your profile 100%. Here is a guide to help you reach “All-Star” status on LinkedIn.
Did you know that you’re seven times more likely to have your LinkedIn profile viewed if you have a profile picture? Just like when you are purchasing something on Craigslist, if there is no picture, the assumption is there is something wrong.
And please don’t use a picture with your dog or kids. LinkedIn is a professional networking tool, and thus, you need to use a professional headshot. If you don’t have a professional profile picture, you will likely get weeded out by recruiters as they search for candidates.
Optimize your headline
The headline on your LinkedIn profile is the first thing human resources or a recruiter will see. Therefore, you must ensure your headline is completed and highlights the type of position you may be interested in. Your headline consists of your photo, your name, and a brief headline with a 120-character limit.
Thus, your headline must standout in the sea of profiles! Your headline should describe what you do or what your professional goal is. For example, a great headline would be something like, “Social Media 📱 // Digital Marketing 💻 // Content Strategy 💡.” This headline illustrates the areas of expertise of the user and helps the profile stand out.
Also, a good headline will contain relevant keywords to help your profile be more discoverable. The example above is from my boss, JSG’s marketing manager. Her headline has three keywords that are relevant to our industry and would ultimately help her get discovered by a recruiter looking for a marketing professional.
Do your due diligence
Have an upcoming job interview? Hop on LinkedIn and do a quick search. Find the LinkedIn page for the company you’re interviewing with and do a little research. What kind of things are they posting? Do they have any recent press releases or product launches? LinkedIn is a great avenue to find talking points in your interview and offer some insight into the company’s culture.
Additionally, you can find the hiring managers you are interviewing with to get a better idea of who you’ll be meeting with. Do you have anything in common? Do you both volunteer at your local animal shelter? Did you go to the same school? It’s surprising what you’ll find on LinkedIn! This will help you walk into your interview with confidence and help provide some more talking points.
Need some more help? Check out JSG’s guide to optimize your LinkedIn profile to find your dream job.
