LinkedIn is big, powerful and becoming one of the most important tools for anyone seeking professional roles or looking to develop their career.
84% of organisations now use social media in job recruitment and 9% are planning to use it. Better still, LinkedIn is the most-used social media platform among Fortune 500 companies. If you are in the jobs market as a candidate – giving your LinkedIn as much attention as your CV is vital. Without a profile, you can’t be easily headhunted and most employers will check out your LinkedIn profile before you turn up for an interview and yes – they want to see what you look like!
Here’s what you need to know about LinkedIn:
- 1 in 3 professionals on the planet uses LinkedIn
- 630m+ users in more than 200 countries
- Top countries are US, India and UK
- There are 20m jobs currently on LinkedIn
- 45% are in upper management
- 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn regularly ‘LinkedIn recruiter’ (to headhunt)
- Its influencer programme means you can follow members, not on your network
Fun Facts:
- Profiles with professional headshots get 14 times more profile views
- 59% of members have worked in companies with less than 200 staff
- Most overused profile word on LinkedIn at the moment is ‘Motivated’
7 LinkedIn profile ‘hacks’ to get you noticed by recruiters:
- Include a ‘Headline’ you have 120 characters – tailor it to your audience, avoid hyperbole, skip the jargon and include your value proposition
- Headshot photo – make it portrait, professional, forward-facing and in colour. Get snapping! I recommend a professional headshot if you can – it’s a great investment, will capture the ‘real’ you and will increase the number of people connecting with you.
- Add your city into your profile (to aid location-specific hiring).
- Complete all sections – especially the ‘About Summary’. This is 2000 characters of prime LinkedIn real estate, but you don’t need to use it all. Keep it succinct and interesting. Write in an authentic and conversational tone. Add in relevant media: videos, pics, work samples, links etc. Avoid the trap of simply regurgitating your past, be dynamic and include what you want in the future!
- Include at least 5 skills – Less is more so make sure that these are relevant and encourage colleagues and friends to endorse you for these career-specific skills.
- Ask for recommendations – Relevant recommendations from former or current colleagues/clients are incredibly powerful pieces of content. Be bold and offer recommendations to others and ask for them to return the favour.
- Edit your URL – You can personalise your LinkedIn URL. It looks more professional and will also make it easier for recruiters to find through search engines like Google.
The more time I spend optimising people’s LinkedIn profiles, the clearer it is to me just how important LinkedIn is becoming to the chances of career success. If you feel you need support with getting your LinkedIn profile started or need help making your existing profile fit for the jobs market then get in touch!