8 Steps to Get Found on LinkedIn Recruiter

LinkedIn Recruiter is LinkedIn’s flagship product for finding and managing talent.

While many job seekers have never heard of this tool, it is perhaps the primary reason you should get to work on your LinkedIn profile and network ASAP.

The list of companies who have purchased LinkedIn recruiter is impressive. Names like Google, Facebook, Unilever, BP, and L’Oreal are amongst its users as are a multitude of recruiting firms of all sizes.

Profiles viewed via LinkedIn Recruiter appear quite different than they do for LinkedIn members.

Therefore writing your LinkedIn profile with the tool in mind can garner a huge ROI. These nine tips can help increase your profile’s chances of rising to the top of a LinkedIn Recruiter search:

1. Searchability by Name

If your first name is oddly spelled it can hurt your chances of being located. Increase your chances of being found by including the traditional spelling in parenthesis after your name [example: Jon (John) Smith].

2. Searchability by Location

Live 50 miles outside of a major metropolitan area but willing to commute? Recruiters often begin their searches by screening candidates that live within a 25-mile radius of the job location. Increase your searchability by selecting a zip code on LinkedIn that falls within 25 miles of the downtown area.

3. Searchability by Company Name

Sometimes recruiters want someone with experience at a specific company. Be sure to use your company’s most well-known name to ensure maximum searchability.

For instance – if you worked for the Endicon division of Johnson & Johnson make sure to list “Johnson & Johnson” along with “Endicon.”

4. Searchability by Settings

Privacy settings play a big part in helping or hurting your chances of being found by recruiters. Designating your account as an Open Profile ensures you can receive free InMails and that recruiters can see your full v. partial profile.

5. Connections – the Numbers Game

Expanding your connections may be the single greatest way to maximize the power of the LinkedIn network that today stands at 350 million accounts with two new users joining EVERY SECOND!

While quality is always more important than quantity, it’s important to recognize that having 500+ connections allows you to leverage an exponentially large second- and third-degree connection network.

6. Summary Skills Placement is Key

Unless yours is an Open Profile, a LinkedIn Recruiter user can only view the top part of your summary along with your headline, name and education. Non-Open Profilers can overcome this challenge by including a list of skills/keywords within the first 50 characters of the summary section.

7. Contact Information

Include contact information (email, cell) within the first 100 characters of the summary if you choose not to have an Open Profile. Similar to Point #6, this trick ensures a recruiter can get in touch with you when you don’t have InMail, a perk to being an Open Profile and LinkedIn Premium customer. Also be sure to check “Contact for Career Opportunities.”

8. Attached Resumes

Resumes attached in PDF and MS Word cannot be viewed in LinkedIn recruiter. If you feel it’s critical to include a resume as part of your profile, makes sure to use a tool like SlideShare.