LinkedIn. It’s more than just the grown-up Facebook. It’s your personal key to finding jobs, internships, and creating a killer first impression that will wow any recruiter. Did you know that over 75% of hiring mangers report using LinkedIn Profiles when making hiring decisions and 93% of companies use LinkedIn when recruiting? Those numbers alone should give you the extra push you need to get your profile “recruiter ready”
Whether you are an active candidate (i.e. looking for a job in this moment) or a passive candidate (i.e. opportunity has to be really great to leave your current position), you want to make sure you are represented accurately on LinkedIn. Check out our tips for making sure your LinkedIn profile will get you noticed for all the right reasons:
Step 1: Shut Off Profile-Edit Push Notifications
In order to get your profile off the ground, you’ll need to spend some time editing and tweaking the information to be the best it can be. Consider turning off your “profile-edit” notifications so your connections don’t get a zillion notifications that you are changing information on your profile. You can change these notification preferences in your account settings with just a few clicks.
Step 2: Complete Your Profile
Now that your notifications are turned off, you can get to work. Nothing will give you a higher bounce rate than an incomplete profile. Recruiters who see empty or partially completed profiles immediately move on to other candidates, so make sure you have completed your profile in its entirety before filling out job applications. Fill out every section as fully as possible – you want to showcase everything you have to offer (especially things that might not fit on your résumé).
Step 3: Join Groups
Recruiters love to see that you are active and engaged – plus it shows you are plugged in to what is happening in your industry. Groups are a great way to find connections. If you want to connect with someone but don’t have their email address, simply join a group they are in and you can email anyone in the same group as you.
There are, quite literally, over 1 million groups on LinkedIn you can join. From social causes to volunteer groups to alumni associations, there are tons of options to add some personality to your profile. Here are a few we suggest joining to get started:
- OU Career Services (shameless plug but we’re owning it)
- University of Oklahoma Alumni Association
Step 4: Write a Killer Summary
Your summary section is a quick and easy way to show recruiters what you’re all about. If you’re feeling lost, check out some summaries of people in your industry you admire or work with. Try to match their tone and language. Your summary should be short and sweet but still convey what you are interested in. Remember to utilize keywords to help recruiters find you in the noise.
Step 5: Don’t Stress About Recommendations
While recommendations are nice to have, recruiters don’t necessarily spend a lot of time combing through your profile to read recommendations. If you are going to get a bunch of recommendations, be strategic in who you get them from, make sure they are short, and truly highlight something about your specific talents, strengths, and capabilities. Having large pockets of empty words on a profile is never appealing.
Step 6: Understand How Recruiters Use LinkedIn
Lastly (and more importantly), understand how recruiters used LinkedIn to look for potential candidates. Typically they start with a standard Boolean search that combines keywords like “and,” “or,” and “not” to find relevant results. So, if you want to be found in one of the 106 million active monthly users on the platform, you need to make sure those keywords are included in your profile.
Check out some job descriptions of positions you might be intersted in. Cross reference these descriptions and find some consistent keywords and then sprinkle those within your LinkedIn profile. Think headline, summary, skills, and relevant experience sections. This goes without saying, but make sure these keywords match your skills and experience. Recruiters can see through an overreaching or skewed profile in a heartbeat.
Other Helpful LinkedIn Tips
- Leave the Selfies for SnapChat. Yeah, we went there. LinkedIn is a more professional platform than Instagram or Facebook. Have a friend take a photo of you for your profile image. Consider outdoor lighting and professional dress. It will help take your profile to the next level.
- Your Headline Matters. Not only is your headline shown right below your name, it shows up in Google searches. Make the most of that impression and clarify you industry and job function if possible.
- Connect Wisely. Don’t ever send a connection request using the standard greeting. Try to personalize it!
Now that you’ve got some tips, get to work updating your profile. As always, if you need assistance or have questions, Career Services has got you covered. You can set up an appointment with a Career Adviser on Handshake with just a few simple clicks.
Helping you get hired sooner,
-OU Career Services Team