LinkedIn is your resume in social media form, and it’s become just as important as your paper resume.
Below are a few simple updates you can make to increase page views and job offers on LinkedIn.
1. Your Profile Photo Should Look Interview-Ready
Dressing to impress for an interview is obvious. What’s less obvious is that the interview now starts with your LinkedIn profile pic.
This is your first chance to make a good impression. All the work experience in the world won’t make up for a selfie of you in a t-shirt hanging out at a bar.
It doesn’t have to be done by a professional photographer, but you do need to look professional in the photo.
- Dress like you would for an interview.
- Find the best lighting in your house, or consider buying a cheap ring light, which will light your face evenly.
- Have someone else take it.
2. Pepper Your Profile With Relevant Keywords
Your title, bio, and job description are all opportunities to include relevant keywords that match an employer’s search terms. To find out what keywords you should use, simply read all the job descriptions you’re applying for and find similar terms used in each of them.
And don’t just plug them into your profile haphazardly. Rewrite each section, so that it reads well. The keywords should apply to the job you’re seeking, as well as your work experience, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.
To make sure you’re using the right keywords, try a service like Jobscan that will scan your writing and tell you what keywords you should use.
3. Are You Recommended?
Recommendations are a surefire way to stand out on LinkedIn. People endorsing your skills on your profile is wonderful, but all that takes is a push of a button. Getting a colleague or supervisor from a previous job to write actual words about how great you are at your job is way more effective.
Imagine you’re a hiring manager and your job is to sift through dozens of equally qualified LinkedIn profiles. A few of them contain enthusiastically written recommendations from former co-workers and bosses. You would go with these candidates, right?
Think of it like reviews on Amazon. You’re much more likely to buy a product with positive reviews than one with zero reviews. You can list your work experience and qualifications all you want, but nothing beats somebody else recommending you as a person.
Summary
A professional photo, the right keywords so hiring managers can find you, and recommendations from colleagues will make your LinkedIn profile very attractive to hiring managers.
Contact Nordstrom Williams Today
To get even more of an edge in your job search, work with a talent acquisition partner like Nordstrom Williams. We have well-established relationships with companies and we maintain those relationships by matching the right candidate to the right opportunity.
Contact us today to see how we can improve your job search results.