Hello Career Pros! First, let me remind you all, LinkedIn is NOT just a platform for job searching. I preach this to my clients all of the time when they say ‘I’m not searching for a job right now so…’
It doesn’t matter. Other than regular networking, you can brand yourself as a leader in your industry, show customer testimonials or simply stay current on industry trends. If you are seeking a career transition, think of it as part of your career marketing campaign.
One thing I notice day after day, is the Headline and the About page are two areas that seem to get the least amount of attention on LinkedIn profiles. Whether someone is looking for a job, they’re in sales and marketing looking for clients, or for whatever reason they hope to gain exposure, most everyone goes to great lengths to make sure their experience section is full with the most amount of characters LinkedIn will allow, their education is listed and that’s about it. Is this you?
Many professionals will go as far as to put their job title in the headline and maybe even years of experience and for the about page, maybe a short paragraph or they’ll just ignore the page altogether. Well, you might say “Wendy, recruiters just skim the profile anyway so why add all of that?” Or, you might have so much to say, but you fear it’s too much, or don’t know how to say it all (that’s where we writers come in by the way).
There is a reason LinkedIn has increased the amount of characters in recent years to 220 for the headline (and 240 for mobile at the time of this writing). They allow 2600 for the About section. Take advantage of this and make yourself shine! Suppose in your industry, recruiters prefer just one or two short paragraphs. If this is the case, then fine. You can still make yourself stand out by making these important sections both succinct and engaging.
Okay, getting to the “why” of it all.
1. Social Recruiting. Did you know that out of nearly 60M+ companies on LinkedIn, 94% of the recruiters regularly use LinkedIn to search, screen and hire talent? They’re even using nearly a hundred assessment tools, and of course they’re narrowing their search down to those that stand out.
2. Keywords and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). LinkedIn is now a main hiring database, just as Indeed and Glassdoor. Have you ever started typing in a skill that wasn’t coming up on its own? Then you noticed LinkedIn suggested the skill that closely aligned with you? There are algorithms and they’re constantly updating the database with the most current or sought after job titles and skills. With a fully built out and optimized profile, you can get found quicker and more often when recruiters do a search for certain roles, or when clients seek out certain services.
3. Show Your Strengths and Your Value. Using a branding statement for your headline, or even some of your best skills attracts recruiters and clients. You can also list those keywords relevant to your targeted job or client in the first three lines in your About section. Then, follow up with more crucial details to show the ROI you will deliver. Even if someone is just skimming your profile, you still have the opportunity to show and tell your story quickly, prompting them to want to connect with you and learn more.
4. It Shows You are Serious. And not like you’re just on LinkedIn because it’s the thing to do. Remember, human readers really do view your profile, just as they do with resumes. What is the use of creating a profile if you’re not going to add anything, or leave it sparse with information? How will you even network with colleagues?
So, take advantage of what all LinkedIn has to offer and make yourself stand out among the rest.
For more info. contact me anytime on LinkedIn. Curious about our services and nearly 20 years of success? Check out our website at: BluePrint Career Group, and if you’re an executive click BluePrint Executives.com