Because most recruiters use LinkedIn when finding top candidates for their client companies, it’s important to keep your profile updated. Here are four areas of your LinkedIn profile to pay close attention to so you’re more likely to grab a recruiter’s attention.
Quantitative Results
Listing specific, measurable results helps you get noticed. For example, stating you led the crafting and carrying out of a $20 million marketing plan that helped seven department heads create $6 million in additional annual revenue is much more effective than saying you’re a top communicator and leader. Recruiters want to know specific ways you directed teams, led innovations or increased company revenue so they may relay that information to their client companies and show you’re the perfect candidate for a position.
Quality Recommendations
Displaying recommendations from other professionals clearly shows how and why you were successful in a situation. For example, having a supervisor detail how you helped your team surpass their sales goal by 20 percent is more compelling than having the supervisor say you’re a wonderful manager. Ensure each recommendation describes a situation and gives specific examples about how well you work under deadlines, show compassion as a leader, collaborate with colleagues or other pertinent issues. Recruiters will be able to give their client companies clear examples of how you benefitted other employers and how you will benefit them as well. Ensuring recommendations are from a valid source and aren’t just fluff will lead to more credibility. Also, endorsements don’t carry a lot of weight. They can make a profile look stronger but more research will be done into your endorsed skills.
Career Growth
Because the majority of recruiters find job candidates on LinkedIn, it’s important to showcase your career growth. In 2014, Jobvite surveyed 2,135 adults and discovered that although 94 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn for sourcing and vetting job candidates, only 36 percent of job seekers were active on the site. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to detail your achievements and promotions in your profile. In your Experience section, give clear information on each title you’ve held, what your role entailed and what successes you achieved. Recruiters will understand the reasons behind your advancements, see your potential and set you up as the perfect candidate for filling a position.
Personal Blog or Comments in Groups
Because results of a Microsoft study show 80 percent of employers do online searches of job candidates before bringing them in for an interview, it’s important you demonstrate your knowledge through personal content or by posting original comments in online professional groups. When you have a substantial amount of social mentions, participate in professional groups and continually update your LinkedIn profile, recruiters can ensure your education, skills and experience are the same as those you list on your resume. A great place to take advantage of this on LinkedIn is through Published Posts. You don’t need your own website or blog but can use the format provided by LinkedIn to share your career experiences. By regularly sharing your own thoughts or posting comments in online groups, you portray yourself as creative, analytical, well connected and an authority in your field.
Because recruiters use your LinkedIn profile when determining whether you’re the right candidate for a position, it’s important you keep your profile updated. For further assistance securing your next position, reach out to the staffing experts at Employ Partners today!
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