At this point you’ve probably heard that if you’re not on LinkedIn, you’re missing the boat when it comes to job searching. Employers and recruiters are scouring LinkedIn for talent to fill job openings every day and some of the latest job openings can be found there, so this is an important part of your job search.
Related:6 Things Recruiters Want To See On Your LinkedIn Profile
If you’re already on LinkedIn – great! If you’re not, it’s time to get started. Either way, there are things you can do to improve your LinkedIn profile to gain better results with your job search efforts.
First, understand that while a LinkedIn profile may seem similar to the resume, it doesn’t mean information should be presented the same way. LinkedIn is a public social networking site, so it makes sense that your writing style needs to take a more conversational tone.
Think of your LinkedIn profile as bait to get employers and recruiters to call you for more information. Only include the most relevant information that will inform others that you have the experience and skills they are looking for.
When it comes to ensuring your profile shows up in search results, it’s all about optimizing your profile with keywords. Read more tips at 'How to Keyword Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile.'
Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty points on the important sections to a LinkedIn profile:
1. Include a photo with your LinkedIn profile.
A profile without a head shot photo informs recruiters and employers that it’s likely incomplete or unmaintained and you will also not get as high of a ranking. Make sure you put up a professional head shot, not a family photo.
2. Make your Headline talk.
Your Headline is the 120 characters allowed to appear with your name. This is what everyone sees when they come across your profile in search results before actually accessing your full profile.
Your Headline needs to tell people who you are and why they should contact you. By default it will include your current title, so this is an important area for you to have a compelling value proposition.
For example, which is better?
Sales Executive at Harribone Healthcare
OR
Sales Executive with Over 10 Years of Top ranked Performance in the Healthcare Industry
3. Make your Summary inform others what you can do.
This section is pretty much like your Profile Summary on your resume to showcase who you are and what you can do. However, on LinkedIn, you need to take a more conversational tone (in first person) and keep it to a short paragraph.
For example:
I am a senior project manager with over 10 years of experience at industry leaders like [fill in the blank with names of leading employers you’ve worked with]. People turn to me for results to under performing projects lacking in areas like….
4. Show you have the Skills & Expertise they are looking for.
The Skills & Expertise section of your LinkedIn profile is an important driver to ensuring your profile shows up in search results. Having the right keywords and skills recruiters and employers are looking for is further enhanced when you also have Endorsements for them.
You’re better off showing your specialty vs. trying to show you know every skill and have expertise in everything in the world. Read more tips at “LinkedIn Endorsements: How They Can Help And Hurt You.”
Once you’ve established a LinkedIn profile, remember to make it public so recruiters and employers can access your information. You might want to Turn on/off your activity broadcasts so your network is not informed every time you make a change. Utilize these tips to build and maintain a profile that produces results with your job search and networking efforts!
Don Goodman’s firm was rated as the #1 Resume Writing Service in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Don is a triple-certified, nationally recognized Expert Resume Writer, Career Management Coach and Job Search Strategist who has helped thousands of people secure their next job. Check out his Resume Writing Service. Get a Free Resume Evaluation or call him at 800.909.0109 for more information.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
Bigstock
Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
Bigstock
Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
Bigstock
Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.