An effective job search requires optimizing your LinkedIn profile
With over 20 million job openings on LinkedIn, there are bound to be at least a few positions that are the ideal next step in your career.
Since the platform makes it so easy to apply for jobs by submitting your profile to employers, you’ll want to make sure everything is not only up to date, but that it also accurately reflects your accomplishments and convinces your potential new boss that you are the right person for the job.
If you’ve been applying for openings on LinkedIn and haven’t been landing interviews, or you’ve just started a job search, take a few steps today to enhance your LinkedIn profile to increase your chances at landing your dream job.
Add a Professional Headshot
While LinkedIn is a social networking website, it’s very different from using Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for personal use. This means you won’t want to use a typical “selfie” you took with your cell phone, or a funny photo with a Snapchat filter on it.
Instead, find a close friend or professional photographer to take a few professional headshots of you to use for your LinkedIn profile image. Be sure to crop it or zoom in so that anyone who comes across your profile can easily see your face and get a sense of who you are as a career-focused professional.
Revise Your Prior Job Descriptions
As you begin your job search, you should look back on your past experiences to see how you can share them in a way that indicates you are qualified for your dream job. For example, if you’re planning to apply for roles in upper management, revise the descriptions of your past jobs in a way that speaks to your leadership skills and programs you’ve developed and managed.
Take Advantage of the Summary Area
The summary of your LinkedIn profile is similar to the one on your resume. This area is an ideal place to share your branding statement. You want to focus on what you can contribute going forward based on your past results and your capabilities.
Use this as an opportunity to get specific about your accomplishments. What are you most proud of achieving? What examples can you provide? One of the best parts about this summary section on LinkedIn versus the PDF is that you can also add additional media, including images, videos, and links to samples of work.
Add at Least 5-10 Relevant Skills
What skills will your future employer want you to have? Take some of the top ones that you excel at and add them to your LinkedIn profile under the Skills & Endorsements section. This allows others who have worked with you in the past to endorse you online. This shows recruiters and employers that others are vouching for you and makes you a more credible candidate.
Ask for Recommendations
Below the endorsements is where other people can leave personalized recommendations on your profile. Unlike the traditional references on your resume, recommendations are more descriptive testimonials and reviews given from other LinkedIn members.
There’s even a handy little “Ask for a recommendation” link on your profile you can use to collect recommendations from past coworkers, managers, bosses, clients, or others you’re connected to professionally.
Make Sure Your Profile and Resume Are Consistent
Inconsistencies between your LinkedIn job history or education and the information written on your resume can be red flags to recruiters, HR team members, or anyone else involved in the hiring process for your dream job. Take your time and read through each one to ensure company names, dates, job titles, and job descriptions all match, even if some paraphrasing is used.
Contact Info
Quite possibly the most important part of utilizing your LInkedIn profile to land interviews: your contact information. Don’t make it hard or complicated for employers to be able to contact you after being impressed with your background and experience. Publish your email address and phone number on your profile, as well as any links to websites where they may be able to learn more about you.
Speak with a Career Coach
I’m Denise Liebetrau, a Career and Salary Negotiation Coach based in Colorado. I started Prosper Consulting to help individuals like you to learn how to land great jobs at great companies with great paychecks. Schedule a free strategy call with me today and we can take the next step in developing a plan so you can find a job aligned to your values and the lifestyle you crave.