Have I convinced you yet? I hope so! Once you’ve hopped on the LinkedIn job searching bandwagon, you want to stand out to these recruiters. To do so, it’s important to understand what they are actually looking for. Let’s explore some things to keep in mind:
Complete profile
A complete profile is such an important factor—it’s how you can show recruiters who you really are to the full extent. Apart from the obvious profile additions such as job history, consider creating a biography that tells the story of you as a professional, and lists some goals you’d like to achieve. This can be a great first impression for a recruiter, especially if you don’t have a relationship with them. Quick tip: A profile with a targeted headline not only shows that you’re job searching, it helps you to stand out in a keyword search. For instance, a headline that reads something like, “Experienced Advertising Account Executive Seeking Employment in NYC” contains the valuable keywords recruiters are looking for.
Recommendations
A thumbs-up from a member of your network does more than boost your profile; it lets a recruiter know that others can vouch for you. After all, referrals are one of the number one sources of hire. When you have enough recommendations in your LinkedIn profile, a recruiter may be curious enough to consider you as a candidate. Quick tip: When asking for a recommendation, try to suggest specific events or instances that show why you’re a candidate of value. For example: if you helped your team to acquire 10 new clients over the course of the year, ask a member of your network to note this.
Results
When it comes right down to it, recruiters and employers want to know what you can do for them, so, the outcomes of your efforts become a very important addition to your LinkedIn profile. When you note your work experience, don’t just list your job duties; list what those job duties resulted in. A recruiter can then see where your strengths lie, and what those strengths can do for an organization. Quick tip: Numbers are an excellent way to denote duties and results. Not only are they measurable, they provide a recruiter with real evidence in regards to your skills. So, a result along the lines of: “Created a new company website, which led to a 15 percent increase in Web traffic,” clearly indicates the duty, but also the result.
Activity
LinkedIn isn’t just about you—it’s about participating in external activities beyond your profile, which helps to build your brand. Taking part in industry groups, answering questions, connecting with others, posting articles, and endorsing members of your network, as well as updating your profile often, are all ways to show your activity. This helps the recruiter to see that you’re not only active, but that you have real interest in your space. Quick tip: Participating in industry discussions or groups is a great way for recruiters to see you. More often than not, they are checking out these discussions or groups as a way to find candidates. With that in mind, showing off your knowledge and being memorable is yet another way to illustrate why you’re a great candidate. So, get your job search using LinkedIn! When you do so, recruiters will be able to see why you’re the best candidate for the job. What do you think? What are some other things recruiters look for on LinkedIn?
