You may have read this article in The Age last week on why everyone is getting poached on LinkedIn. There is a serious skills shortage at the moment and very low unemployment, so companies and recruiters are approaching people about jobs via their LinkedIn profile.
I know that I have personally been approached recently, as have lots of my friends and clients. It's flattering, and can be great if you are open to a move!
However, if your LinkedIn profile is not optimised you might be missing out on these potential new career opportunities.
So, how do you make sure you get found by recruiters and prospective employers on LinkedIn?
Follow these simple steps!
Step 1: Keywords - incorporate them everywhere!
Keywords are any words that a recruiter or employer might use as a search term. So think about your job title, other things your job might be called, the title of your next dream job, plus any other keywords that might be found in a job selection criteria.
Example: Communications Advisor
Depending on your areas of expertise, other potential keywords to incorporate might be Media and Communications Specialist / Professional, Brand / Reputation Management / Social Media Expert, Content Marketing Manager, Digital Marketing Expert.
Example: Project Officer
Again, depending on your areas of expertise, other potential keywords might be Project Officer, Program Manager, Policy Officer / Advisor, Project + Event Specialist / Manager, Administrator, Administration Professional.
More generic keywords that you might want to include if relevant are: Leadership / Leader, Stakeholder Engagement, Change Management, Communication etc.
Once you have your list of relevant keywords, you need to incorporate them into these sections of your LinkedIn profile which get searched first by LinkedIn's algorithm:
Headline: You can add multiple terms up to 120 characters, so I recommend adding in at least 3 versions of your job title. For example: Project Officer | Administrator | Policy Advisor
About section: This section should be similar to your resume's Professional Profile, so it should already include a lot of the right keywords. Your About/Profile should cover who you are (add in a few job title variations), explain your background briefly, then highlight your top skills or unique selling points. So - lots of room for lots of keywords!
Job Titles: If any of your old job titles don't accurately reflect what you actually did, then it might be worth changing it to be more accurate, or adding a more accurate title in brackets. Maybe you were essentially an Office Manager, but your job title was Executive Assistant. (I see this a lot - jobs morph into bigger roles, particulalry in smaller organisations.) So in your LinkedIn job title you could put Executive Assistant + Officer Manager, or Executive Assistant (Office Manager).
Once you have all the right keywords in there, it's time to makeover the rest of your profile!
Step 2: Professionalise the rest of your profile
If your LinkedIn profile has been a bit neglected, it's time to up your game and improve your professional image.
Follow these simple steps:
Custom URL: LinkedIn will allocate you an ugly URL ending in lots of numbers. You can change this by clicking ‘Edit Public Profile and URL’ in the light grey box on the right of your View Profile screen, then Edit Custom URL. Choose a unique URL (delete the numbers on the end) and click save.
Photos: The simplest way to update your profile is to fix your profile photo and add a background image. While you don’t need to get a professional profile photo taken, make sure that it looks professional and projects the image that you want in the workplace. (Maybe do your hair and make-up and have a photo shoot with a friend.) Once you upload your photo, you can adjust it using the LinkedIn filters. Then add a background image that complements your profile photo.
Align jobs with your resume: Check that all job titles and dates in your LinkedIn profile match your resume, and make sure you have added your most recent role! You don't need to add detail under each job entry if you don't want to.
Add Skills: Add the Skills section if you don't already have it on your profile, and make sure all your technical/job specific as well as your transferable skills are listed. Then re-order them so your top 3 skills are at the top of the lis, as these are displayed on your profile.
Expand your network: The more connections you have, the more likely it is that you will be found by people searching LinkedIn. So get connecting with colleagues past and present!
Finally, if you are actively seeking a new role, you can let recruiters know you are open to finding a new job by clicking the blue Open to button under your details at the top of your profile.
I hope these tips will help you get found and potentially secure a new role!
If you need additional assistance with your LinkedIn profile, I would love to help via the Not Just a Resume Template program or Resume Rescue consult.