How To Make Your LinkedIn Stand Out To Recruiters
By: Carly Mednick
Whether you’re looking to connect with prospective employers or build out your professional network, LinkedIn is the place to do it. Over 830 million members on the site in more than 200 countries would agree. Given the state of the current job market, there's an opportunity for a huge amount of reach, and a ton of exposure, on LinkedIn. Here are some ways to put your best foot forward on the platform.
Keep a Clear, Current Headshot
It’s so important to make sure that your headshot is professional, clear, and current. This should be a solo headshot. There’s no reason to include a group photo with friends or a full-body image. You can achieve this easily at home by asking someone to photograph you in front of a white wall. Having a straightforward, work-appropriate photo is essential. We’ve found that members who have a professional photo get more connection requests, more profile views, and ultimately, more messages.
Add Your Industry
It’s critical to add your industry to your LinkedIn profile. By linking to a specific industry through tagging, let’s say, “Public Relations & Communications,” you make the job of recruiters trying to find you much easier. This is the best way to maximize visibility and to ensure your profile is being shown to recruiters.
Show Some Personality
Listed under your name on your LinkedIn profile is a section labeled “about". This profile summary section is the equivalent to the “about” tab on a website. Consider this space your personal elevator pitch or bio. This space should be used to highlight your skill set and experience. It’s best to keep this short and sweet, somewhere between two to three paragraphs maximum. Your tone, and the bio’s content, should reflect your industry and show some personality. Don’t be afraid to embrace who you are in this space!
Update Your Experience
It’s essential to keep the “experience” section of your LinkedIn profile up to date. Many don’t realize that this space is a great place to reflect on what you might include on your resume. Use bullet points instead of lengthy paragraphs and highlight the professional experience you’ve had that’s most relevant to the field you’re a part of or hoping to be a part of. Use keywords specific to your industry here, as well. To start, pull information from your resume, and then work to organize the information in an edited, concise format. Continuing to keep this section up to date is so important.
Stay Active
Building out a profile that reflects your experience and your personality is just the start. Staying active on LinkedIn, whether that’s through posting articles related to what you’re interested in or commenting on content from colleagues in your industry, is what really counts. When you’re interacting, keep in mind that LinkedIn is a professional network. Joining LinkedIn groups is also a great way to capitalize on the social media aspect of the platform, connecting you with like minded individuals in your industry.