4 LinkedIn Profile “Must Haves”

4 LinkedIn Profile “Must Haves”

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Whether you are desperate to find a new job or content but want to keep your options open, a robust LinkedIn profile can be your key to getting found by recruiters.

Below are four areas of your profile you should update that will increase your odds of finding others and getting found by recruiters.

1. A Great Headshot

A professionally taken photo is ideal. But if your budget or schedule doesn’t allow, take advantage of the photo-shopping software available on today’s smartphones.

Make sure your face can be clearly seen whether your photo is viewed on a mobile device or a larger screen. 

2. Keyword-Rich Headline

If you are a member of the senior leadership at a well-recognized company, you probably don’t need to customize your headline and recruiters are likely banging at your door as we speak.

For the rest of us, job titles don’t always do a great job of conveying the keywords employed by recruiters to find candidates for the roles to which you aspire.

Remember — if you don’t select a headline, LinkedIn will default to the title from your current role.

Here’s an example:

DEFAULT: Sales Manager, 123 Company

v.

CUSTOMIZED: Award-Winning Specialty Pharmaceuticals Sales + Account Management | Drives Turnarounds + Penetrates New Territories

3. All-Star Status

When you enter the editing settings, do you see a circle in the top right that says “All Star?” If not, then there is more work to be done in order to make your profile as appealing as possible to others and to help your chances of ranking highly during searches.

Your profile is complete when you have something in as many sections as possible. At a minimum, include details in the Summary, Experience, and Education section but recognize that you will rank lower by leaving sections empty.

If applicable, try and include information about volunteer work, training, publications, awards, organizations, etc.

4. Personal Endorsements and Recommendations

There is nothing more powerful than letting the words of others speak on your behalf. I recommend at minimum three recommendations per job entry to impress.

When it comes to endorsements, ask to be endorsed for those most relevant to the roles you are targeting – and be sure to list the ones where you have received the most endorsements at the top to catch the eye.

Also read: How Employers View Your LinkedIn Profile

Bonus tips for a full-on job search

  • Become a Thought Leader

Take advantage of status updates to position yourself as an industry thought leader, or at least someone who follows them. Great sources from which to share articles include LinkedIn Pulse and industry publications.

  • Become a Blogger

On LinkedIn, you can become a blogger without the investment of a website. Whether you share 300 words or 3000 – the trick is to share insight that is related to your targeted industry or role.

  • Become a Joiner

There are millions of groups on LinkedIn whose members align with your career interests.

Anything you share, comment on or engage in within these groups can help increase your profile’s rank, and ensure you appear prominently in the feeds of your network.

It’s also not uncommon for recruiters to visit these groups as a way to research prospective talent.

  • Grow Your Network and Get Found

A complete profile along with increased LinkedIn engagement during your job search are sure to boost your odds of networking success. Happy hunting!


 Also read: 3 Steps to Becoming a Respected Thought Leader in Your Industry


 

Virginia Franco
About the Author
Virginia Franco

Virginia Franco, NCRW, CPRW is the founder of Virginia Franco Resumes which offers customized executive resume and LinkedIn profile writing services for the 21st century job seeker.

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