YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE IS A DYNAMIC EXTENSION OF YOUR RESUME
Most of us are already aware that our Linkedin profile is just as important as our resume during the job search. Making sure to follow these ever important tips will help guide you to a better Linkedin profile and have recruiters falling at your Linkedin doorstep.
Target keywords-The most important aspect to having a stellar Linkedin profile. If you don’t have the correct keywords listed you will miss out on a huge piece of the puzzle. If you’re looking to be found and matched with the perfect role, you have to use the right words. Start looking at positions that you’re targeting and look at the keywords they use in the job posting. For example, if this was the ad, “Looking for a highly-motivated Regional Sales Manager with experience in insurance and leading teams.”, you would want to make sure that you’re using the keywords: “sales”, “insurance”, “leading” and “highly-motivated” – this will ensure you are listed when the recruiter is doing a Linkedin search.
Keep it updated- Even if you haven’t switched jobs recently, you will want to think through any new skills you have acquired throughout the year. Try to include knowledge gained from conferences or seminars you attended, or other instances where you may have obtained knowledge or skills. At the same time you might be adding new skills, it might be a good idea to remove any outdated technology – times change and so does technology, so remove any irrelevant information from your profile.
Professional photo- Make sure that your photo is professional and it’s a photo of only you (not the pic your friend snapped of you and your 3 cousins last summer). Recruiters, myself included, do not love when there’s a group photo or a couples photo. Linkedin is a professional networking place and I would assume your professional work photo is a picture of you and not you and your friends. The moral of the story is “keep it professional.”
Summary- Your summary is the time to tell your story – what you can do and what you have been able to achieve throughout your experience. Again, keep in mind that you should have those all-important keywords within your summary. If it’s not searchable information, don’t waste the space on your summary.
If you take the time to make sure that your profile is up-to-date and that keywords are plenty – the return will be well worth it, especially when the interviews coming rolling in.