Your LinkedIn profile is often your first opportunity to contact hiring managers and recruiters, even before they see your resume. They search LinkedIn for keywords related to the openings they have available; you want your name to crop up for the positions you are interested in. After they see your resume, recruiters and hiring managers will often refer to your LinkedIn profile for a clearer perspective on your goals and perhaps more information than you could fit on your resume.
Here are 8 tips to make your LinkedIn Profile more attractive:
- Write a headline that has meaning to the company. “Open to work” or “looking for an opportunity” has meaning to you but not to the company. Your headline should contain the type of position you want, perhaps the industry or field you are interested in, and a brief statement that shows your individuality. For example, “SVP of Operations for US Geothermal Inc., inspiring the teams and processes that deliver renewable energy and clean electricity across the nation.” Here’s another example for Robin Schlinger of Robin’s Resumes®: “Certified Resume Writer, Career Coach, Empowering YOU to FIND & GET the Job You WANT.”
- Concentrate on your value, not on the fact that you are looking. Aside from the fact that employed and engaged candidates are more attractive than unemployed or desperate candidates, what companies want most is someone who will add value. How will your skills, education, and accomplishments benefit a company if they add you to your staff?
- Show your passion. Unlike a resume, your LinkedIn profile is a perfect place for “I” statements, such as “I am passionate about developing team members’ talents and creating teams that align with the organization’s values, goals, and vision.”
- Highlight your most important contributions/skills. Use a few bullet points in your profile to home in on the accomplishments and combination of skills that set you apart from the competition. Demonstrate how your passion translates into a benefit for the company.
- Take advantage of every word count. You are allowed to list 50 skills in LinkedIn—list 50. You are allowed 2,500 characters (including spaces between words) in your profile. You may not need all 2,500 characters, and you do not want to pack your profile with buzz words and nonsense, but you should be able to generate at least three paragraphs. An empty profile, a position description containing no more than a company name and job title, and a skills list with 3 skills are worse than no LinkedIn profile.
- Attach a professional photo. Use a photograph that focuses on your face (taking up 60% of the frame) and where you are the only person in the picture. Smile. One study found ditching the sunglasses, smiling, and dressing formally upped scores for likability, competence, and influence. A black and white photo scored about the same as a color photo.
Robin’s Resumes® knows the importance of your LinkedIn profile, and we offer profile as well as resume writing for just that reason. Contact us for more information and a great LinkedIn profile.