LinkedIn is THE place recruiters go to fill the jobs you want. Think of it as a 24/7 networking event (sounds SO FUN, right?). It’s not that you need to be there, schmoozing, all the time (hallelujah). You just need to make sure you’re showing up, looking good, and clearly explaining who you are and what you do.
Here’s a summary of five basics I share with clients for getting started, and another five ideas to easily up your game and attract recruiters now.
LinkedIn Basics
Set your settings
On your profile, there’s a button where you can “edit public profile and URL”. Make your LinkedIn profile your name, then use the link in your other materials during your job search (headers on resume and cover letter, email signature).
Before you start to tinker with your profile, go to “settings and privacy” under your profile and choose whether you want your changes to be visible. You can change it after if you want.
And if you’re actively looking, let recruiters know! There’s an option on your profile to “let recruiters know you’re open” and give details about the jobs you want.
Nail your headline
Some experts call this the most important piece of content in your profile. Three words, guys: Make It Sparkle. Replace “Communications Manager at X Co.” with “Accomplished Communications Professional ; Award-Winning Campaigns ; Putting Strategy into Words”. Want inspiration? There’s a fun headline generator OVER HERE. And if you’re not sure how to “brand yourself”, beware being too generic (HERE’S a great take on the perils of that). If you want a soulful career expert to help you figure it out, get in touch with ME over HERE🙂
Check your photo
I want you to love your photo. If you don’t, it’s time for a re-take. Your photo should show your face, look sharp, look smart, and show you as your best professional self. Bonus points for adding a background photo that’s a nod to your experience and vision.
Summary = Story
Use your summary to tell a compelling story. Think strategically: what aspect of me and my experience will stand out to my target employers? Write that story. I love the examples in this article by Muse OVER HERE.
Think broad
A lot of people get hung up on the Experience section (they ask: is it a copy/paste of my resume? No). For most of your past jobs, a sentence (or two) works. It’s about showing where you’ve worked and the type of work you’ve done, so briefly summarize your role and impact. Then complete the other sections (the more, the better): education, certifications, volunteer experiences, interesting projects, etc. Each one is an opportunity for you to show up in search results. Boom.
Up Your Game… now that you’ve got the basics covered, here are five more tips to attract recruiters to you.
Make it interesting
Take advantage of the medium, and add links to articles you’ve written, videos of you or the projects you’ve worked on, or shareable presentations. Make your profile as fun and interesting as possible, even if you feel like your current work isn’t either of those things.
Endorsements & recommendations
Social proof is powerful. Most people have a strategy, where they either start recommending people in the hope that some will reciprocate, or they directly ask . If you want endorsements and recommendations, pick the strategy that feels right for you.
Connect
Build your network: practices vary, but generally if you’re sending an invitation to connect to someone you don’t know, include a short note on why you like what they do. If people ignore you, just move on. It’s the internet, there’s no rule book. Just be friendly and courteous and don’t take anyone else’s response or lack thereof, personally.
Engage
This is a marketplace for talent. If you want to be visible, be visible. An easy starting point is to like and comment, or share others’ posts. Then once you’re feeling warmed up…
Share!
Want to share your ideas with the world and show that you’re a thought leader in your space? Start posting. Think of it as an open-source news platform where you are your own editor. Try hitting the “write an article” button and see what happens.
To re-cap, imagine an avatar of your most confident, charismatic, competent professional self, heading off to that 24/7 virtual networking event. Take some time to work on THAT profile with these ten tips. Then sit back and let the magic happen.
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