LinkedIn is an invaluable tool for any job search, no matter where you are in your career journey. Use these 10 tips to improve your profile and stand out from the other candidates vying for the same position.
1. First, Turn off Your Notify Your Network
Your connections will get notified every time you make an update, so make sure to turn off this feature when making more than one edit at a time. This will prevent you from annoying your connections and will ensure your boss isn’t tipped off to your job search activity.
2. Indicate Open to New Opportunities
This is a new linkedin feature. If you are interested in finding employment and are not concerned about confidentiality, go to ‘Jobs’, Click ‘Preferences’ and turn on the “Open to New Opportunities’ feature. This allows recruiters to sort linkedin profiles by who really wants a job.
3. Subtly let people know you are looking
If you are concerned about your employer finding out you are looking, consider subtly letting people know you are open to new opportunities by leaving hints in you ‘Contact for’ section. i.e. Interested in learning new skills and broadening horizons.
4. Begin With the Basics
Go through your entire profile and make sure that each section is complete and up to date. Double-check that you’ve chosen the option for a custom URL that uses your name, and that you’ve made it easy for potential connections to find your contact information.
5. Update Your Photo
How old is your headshot? If it’s more than four years old, it’s probably time to update it. Make sure the photo you use is simple and professional.
6. Use the Right Words
Make sure that your profile includes words that you see in online postings for jobs you are interested in. Hiring managers use those terms when searching for candidates online, and they can’t find you if you aren’t using those key words.
7. Eliminate the Third Person
First-person language is appropriate for your summary on LinkedIn. Third person language will make you sound stuffy and out of touch. It would be awkward to speak in the third person in a cover letter or on any other social platform, so avoid it here, as well.
8. Update Recommendations
Don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations from your connections. It’s important to always be adding fresh recommendations to your profile. At the same time, don’t be afraid to remove any you don’t want, or that might look bad.
9.Don’t Annoy Connections
If you’re actively looking for a job, reach out to your connections and let them know. But don’t hound them. People who can help will let you know, and if someone cannot help, it’s ok. Bothering them will only turn them off from helping you in the future.
10. Use Detail, With Reason
You want your job descriptions and experience to be thorough, but you don’t want end up with a profile that is so long that nobody wants to read it. Showcase the most important aspects of every job and keep your language succinct.
11. Update Skills and Endorsements
Make sure that your skills and endorsements are an accurate reflection of where you are today in your career, and where you want to go in the future.
12. Stay Active
Log on to LinkedIn once a day. Spend some time on your group boards, “like” people’s posts and make new connections. LinkedIn is not a set-it-and-forget-it platform.
If you are an accounting or finance professional in the Buffalo region and you are looking for new career opportunities, the expert recruiters at Systems Personnel are ready to hear from you. We match top talent with top organizations in the region. Contact us today to learn more about the ways in which Systems Personnel can help you achieve your goals.
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