
How to optimize your LinkedIn profile so that recruiters can find you easily
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Remember how the hiring process was like fifteen years ago? You’d spot a job you really like in the classifieds, submit your physical resume through the mail, and wait for the employer to call you for a physical interview. The employer would conduct some reference checks and hire you if you checked all their boxes. The whole process took weeks to complete.
But today, LinkedIn has become one of the primary job-searching tools for professionals across the globe. Today, when a hiring manager spots your resume and wants to know more about you, they don’t wait until the interview stage. They simply hop on LinkedIn and read your profile to get an idea of your talents.
This is why it is important to have a polished LinkedIn profile at all times, especially when you are on a job search. Here’s how you can enhance your visibility to recruiters by optimizing your LinkedIn profile:
Go for a professional photograph
Don’t just crop yourself from your high school prom pictures and call it a LinkedIn profile picture. Use a professional photograph of yourself. This is the first thing a hiring manager sees on your profile, so ensure that it looks perfect. Dress professionally for your photograph and ensure that the background is clutter-free.
Create a compelling headline for your profile
Just like your resume, your LinkedIn profile must have an engaging headline. Ensure that your LinkedIn headline isn’t too long. Most professionals prefer to state their job titles in their LinkedIn headlines. You can go a step further and add some pizzazz to it by mentioning one of your biggest professional achievements.
Next comes your LinkedIn summary
This is the best place for you to showcase your professional background. When you write your summary, be sure to incorporate the right industry-related keywords into it. It is important to be authentic and original when you write your summary. Rather than just stating your skills and experience, add a spark of creativity to your summary and let your amazing personality shine through.
Fill in your work history
LinkedIn allows you to create a compelling narrative of your entire career. While you may only have space to display a few related positions on your resume, you don’t have to contain the extent of your career on LinkedIn. You can add your past jobs and highlight a few key achievements in each role. However, if you are an older candidate looking to age-proof your job application, it is better to remove unrelated work experience from your LinkedIn profile.
Highlight your professional skills
Your LinkedIn profile has a designated section where you can display your job skills. Use all the allocated slots to highlight your skills. When you select the skills that go on your LinkedIn profile, be strategic. You may have to select the most relevant skills for a certain job title if you are on the job hunt. It is also important for you to seek endorsements for your skills from those in your LinkedIn network to build credibility.
Get recommendations from your network
Request that your friends, coworkers, or clients provide recommendations about your skills or work. Testimonials from a few people who have known you professionally will add a ton of value to your LinkedIn profile. If you want to highlight a specific skill through the recommendations, reach out to people who were involved with you on a related project.
Optimize your LinkedIn for search engines
Keywords, keywords, keywords. Keywords will make your LinkedIn profile discoverable for recruiters. Be smart and scatter relevant keywords throughout your profile’s headline, summary, work experience, and skills sections. That way, if a recruiter searches for a candidate with a specific set of skills and qualifications, your profile will be more likely to pop up.
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