Hiring trends have changed over the last few years. According to a recent study by LinkedIn, 38% of job hires in 2015 were done by social professional networks and 42% by internet job boards. LinkedIn is undoubtedly the most legit and sought after professional networking site that there is. If you are a professional who wants to put your best foot forward and make sure that you get noticed by recruiters in your field, it is time to revamp your LinkedIn profile.
Headline – Be specific when you are writing the headline of your LinkedIn profile. The headline is the first thing that a recruiter will see. The headline will make sure whether a potential employer will click on your profile or not. When you mention your job title, make sure you make your designation and job profile extremely clear instead of keeping it ambiguous.
Summary – When you are writing the summary of your LinkedIn profile, include all the related skills that you might have. Mention your past accomplishments and include relevant keywords that could help your profile get better visibility in searches. Your profile summary should be just about right. Do not make it too long and at the same time do not leave out anything important.
Experience – Nothing counts like experience when it comes to job searches. Recruiters all around are looking for experienced candidates to interview so that minimum time is spent in training newbies. Let your potential employers know exactly how much experience you have and in the places where you have worked before. State your experience with your latest employment mentioned first followed by your previous roles and so on.
Connections – Recruiters pay extra attention to the Connections section of the LinkedIn profiles. In this case, there is one thing that you need to remember. You should always give more relevance to quality. It does not matter if you have 1000 connections. What matters is if you have relevant connections from your industry. If you haven’t been paying attention to this section of your profile yet, it is time to make that change. Start being active in group discussions, comment on posts, and join forums. This will not only improve your visibility but also help you build an effective and strong network.
Recommendations – People who have worked with you in the past and are added to your LinkedIn connection can give their recommendations. Candidates with good recommendations on their profile always have an added advantage. You may ask your seniors at work or any of your clients to write a recommendation for you on LinkedIn. You could remind the person writing your recommendation about things that you would like to be mentioned. Recommendations are sometimes a two-way street. Make sure you oblige when you are asked to do the same.
Recruiters going through LinkedIn for hiring will always give additional importance to a well-made profile as opposed to a sloppy one. Complete your profile and avoid skipping any steps while you are building or modifying your profile. Make sure you have a profile picture in place. Choose a profile picture that would encourage people to connect with you. Keep it friendly yet professional. Make sure you regularly update your LinkedIn profile. If you wish to grab the best opportunities in the industry, you need to stay active and participate in industry discussions. Be active on your profile even when you are not particularly looking for a job. You can come across a plethora of new opportunities on any regular day. Give your career the much-deserved boost by making the best use of your LinkedIn profile.
LinkedIn profile is a must if you are looking to work in the private sector. Not just a profile but a well-prepared profile is something that will help you a lot more than any other of you social accounts. Recruiters are more interested in the contacts, experience and what people have got to say about you. Make sure that you are not making any mistake in selecting your networks and do not take your social media accounts casually.