Nearly everyone makes a profile on LinkedIn to look for job opportunities, but most of them fail to fully benefit from it. In most cases, they just make a profile with a few details about themselves and expect recruiters to find them.
But that’s not how things work. If you also haven’t succeeded in fully leveraging LinkedIn, this article is for you. Fully utilizing the platform can drastically reduce the time you take in searching for jobs.
Don’t believe me?
According to statistics, 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn to search for candidates. This solidifies what most of us already know – LinkedIn is one of the best places to make professional connections and look for a job. And to ensure you really benefit from it, here are 6 tips you should always keep in mind.
Tip #1: Always be authentic
Authenticity is the most important when it comes to leveraging the platform. As a candidate looking for a job, it’s important that you’re true to who you are and that your profile reflects that. But you need to keep in mind that this isn’t a resume, which means you shouldn’t just list your experiences. Think of it as more of a dynamic approach that you can use to represent your skills, objectives, knowledge, experiences, and interests (all in a professional context, of course).
Tip #2: Make sure your profile is always updated
According to LinkedIn’s blog, users that upload their picture are 14 times more likely to get page views and those who mention their skills are nearly 13 times more likely to receive views on their profile.
LinkedIn has 45,000+ skills to choose from that can really help your profile stand out, so if you want your dream company to notice you, you should make sure you have a recent, professional profile picture, add notable skills, and keep your profile updated.
Tip #3: Mention as many details as you can
To maximize your chances of finding a job on LinkedIn, be as comprehensive as you can about your current objectives and skills. Use the headline to share your objective and add all relevant skills to your page.
The trick here is to make sure that your profile doesn’t look like it has not been updated in quite a while. Otherwise, recruiters might just pass you by.
Tip #4: Have an updated headline
The three most important things of your LinkedIn profile are your name, photo, and the headline beneath the photo. This is because these are the only things that people see when they search for something. This is why it’s important that your headline isn’t generic. Instead, it should make you stand out and highlight the position you’re looking for.
For inspiration, you can take a look at the employees or management of your dream job. Or you can look at profiles of people in the same field as yours and see if their headline can help you come up with yours. Just make sure your headline is clear and attention-grabbing enough for a recruiter to click on your profile.
Tip #5: Mention your recent experience
Anyone visiting your page should be able to see your recent experience, especially when you’re engaging with companies and connections to land a job.
Tip #6: Announce your availability
If possible, let people know that you’re available and looking for a job. Here, too, you can use your headline to make an announcement. But once again, make sure your headline catches the attention of a hiring manager. Remember that you’re not the only person in that niche looking for a job, so your headline should make managers and recruiters pause and check out your profile.
Key takeaways
There you have it – six top tips to get you started on the right path. To quickly recap, make sure your profile (including the picture and headline) is updated, you mention your skills and objectives, and highlight relevant recent experiences. It’ll take some time and experimentation to discover what really works for you, but you’ll eventually find success and have recruiters contact you.