LinkedIn: The arrival of LinkedIn in the global arena can be called a game-changer for the recruitment industry. By providing an online networking platform with a global audience, It changed the traditional recruitment approach. It rapidly attracted both job seekers and recruiters with its features and made the conventional recruitment process obsolete. Now, the importance of having a well-written and optimized LinkedIn profile is absolutely crucial!
Nobody can ignore the importance of a resume. They are still being used as a tool for job applications around the world and will continue to do. But with rapid modernization in technology and increasing productivity and efficiency culture, its demand can be significantly declined. The reason could be the introduction of new stuff or most probably the popular professional networking site LinkedIn.
Let`s take a quick trip memory down memory lane. Do you remember the pre-LinkedIn era? When it was not introduced as a professional networking site? Well, you probably do. Back then, the recruitment and headhunting firms were ruling the entire recruitment industry.
They had huge private databases with tons of candidates. Their typical process included conducting the analysis of different job descriptions and matching the right candidates with the companies. However, thanks to the introduction of LinkedIn, things have changed.
There are lots of very useful LinkedIn features. It allows you to easily get noticed and also contains millions of jobs. You can easily apply for any opportunity directly, without the help of a mediator.
Increase your chances…
By creating an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) friendly profile, you can increase your chances of getting noticed. With technological advancements, recruiters have moved towards easier ways of finding the right person for the job. Now, they just type in a few keywords (e.g: Marketing Manager) in LinkedIn’s search and it shows many relevant profiles. The best part is that it only shows profiles with right skills and experience thus making the search process easier.
LinkedIn has millions of active members across 110 different industries and 200 countries. It’s never been easier to search, find, and connect with millions of people. Due to this, it is extremely important for you to create a complete profile with up-to-date information.
Your LinkedIn profile should contain proper keywords in your headline, summary and skill sections. A complete LinkedIn profile has 20 times more chances of getting noticed. You can track the completion status from ‘Beginner’ to ‘Intermediate’ to ‘All-Star’ using the Profile Strength bar.
Did you know? You can increase your views by 11 times just by uploading a profile picture...
LinkedIn is a virtual hangout café for millions of professionals around the globe. It also allows you to connect with the corporate world. Whenever you share or post anything on LinkedIn or when someone from your connections likes your post. It gets visible to all your connections feeds. This allows your post to reach the eyes of millions of people thus enabling many recruiters to notice.
Any recruiter who is actively looking for the right person can easily land on your profile. He/She can check your experience, skills, talents and see what you have to offer. This means that even when you are not searching for a job. You can be approached by any recruiter unless you turned off the “open to opportunities” option.
LinkedIn Connections are crucial
Did you know that the average number of connections a person has on LinkedIn is 930?
This means that if you are acquainted with 930 professionals working in various fields, you have a good reach. You can easily send a direct message to anyone for a chat in your connections and talk about career plans. Also, you can join lots of groups without putting much effort. By just being part of different kinds of LinkedIn groups, you can extend your reach even more. In a group, you can do a lot of things.
You can actively take part in various discussions, exhibit your knowledge on topics, or share useful information. You can also promote upcoming events and conferences or maybe even share motivational quotes. This way, you will get the attention of many recruiters. So, be a regular and active group member!
Did you know? 25 million LinkedIn profiles are viewed every day…
The 500+ connections in any LinkedIn profile is considered a benchmark for a good profile. It also helps the profile in getting ranked higher on LinkedIn, as well as search engines (e.g: Google, Bing) results. If your profile ranks higher, it will allow any recruiter to notice. So, after reading these points, you now have a good understanding of LinkedIn.
The next step should be to signup on LinkedIn if you haven`t already. In case, you already have a profile but it is not properly optimized then it is almost as if non-existent. Here are 3 reasons as a motivation for you to start optimizing your LinkedIn profile.
1. Recruiters are searching for YOU
According to the Jobvite Job Seeker Study, there is a clear majority of recruiters on LinkedIn. They have 94% share in total audience on LinkedIn while only 36% of job seekers are there. Imagine a recruiter is looking for you and he searches you on LinkedIn. He tries different methods but you are nowhere to be found. What will he do? Well, it is obvious that he will approach another person with similar experience and expertise.
Can you afford to lose your dream job just because of your hesitation or negligence to be on LinkedIn?
It is said that over 30 million companies are registered on LinkedIn. So, now is your time to take advantage of this opportunity and optimize your LinkedIn profile. Another important thing for you to understand that having a neglected LinkedIn profile can be bummer. It might work against you as recruiters tend to prefer candidates with updated profiles. Some jobs on LinkedIn requires the application with a resume.
This is why it is important to also have a resume present on your profile. You can easily upload your resume in your LinkedIn profile and it is very simple. Your updated resume extends your reach to more jobs with the Resume option.
Pro tip: Create a custom URL ideally LinkedIn.com/username. This will make it easier for any person or recruiter to get to your profile. The process is simple. Go to your profile and click on the “EDIT PUBLIC PROFILE AND URL” option. On the landing page, you will see the “EDIT YOUR CUSTOM URL” option. Just click on the pencil icon to edit and make a customized URL.
2. Personal branding
LinkedIn is a best platform for personal branding and is also free. It is a place where you can showcase your achievements including your unique selling point. You can show the recruiters why you should be paid 6 digits. It gives you a chance to express your key skills, projects and qualifications. You can basically sell what you are outside of your work.
It is an easy way to brand yourself free of cost and with LinkedIn premium it`s even better. It actually saves your money which you would have to spend otherwise for a personal website. The endorsement and recommendations section on your profile acts just like a rating section of a product. Before shopping for a product, we always see reviews and ratings, right?
The better the review, the more reliable the product is. The recommendations and endorsements work exactly the same way. Whenever someone backs up your work, skills and talents it creates a sense of trust and credibility.
Bonus: when you get a recommendation from someone, your recommender connections can notice on their feed that you are recommended. It compels more people to do the same like checking up your profile and consequently increasing your connections. The more you add the relevant professional, it increases your chances that you will be sought out for new opportunities.
3. Networking
Imagine having a friend who is working in a company and who can refer you for your dream job. By actively networking on LinkedIn, it is possible to do this and search relevant people in this regard. The more friends who could refer you for the opportunities, the more likely you are to get it. It is a natural instinct that you would always prefer that person you know personally.
Through LinkedIn, you will be able to create lots of personal connections. This will increase your chances to stand out from other potential applicants. Networking is like saving up your money for an unforeseen future emergency. Even though you might not need a job right now and are satisfied with your current one. Remember that, nobody knows the future. It is better to be safe and have a strong network that might comes handy.
In addition to this, you can always stay up-to-date with the latest trends and new ideas. You can also get expert advice from the specialist in your field. All you have to do is getting acquainted with industry-related professionals. Networking will allow you to freshen up your concepts and have new ideas. Getting one-on-one advice from an experienced professional will help you implement your ideas at your workplace better and effectively.
The main idea should not be to only have a presence on LinkedIn. It should be an active one meaning an updated profile, regular posts and creating new connections. Also, it is important for you to remember that people will only connect with you, if you are useful.
Do you remember how the richest person in college had the most friends?
In the same way, you have to optimize your profile to hold the riches in your profile. Obviously not in terms of money but in terms of knowledge, helping hand and ideas.
If you are motivated enough to optimize your profile but do not know where to start from. Well, we are here to help you out with that too. LinkedIn has millions of users so it is important to make a profile that shines through. Keep reading to find out how to make an optimized profile and where to look for if you are stuck.
LinkedIn Optimization Process
Hit it hard with your Headline:
Welcome to LinkedIn’s most disregarded section. LinkedIn will show your headline by your current position and company name by default. You should change it, as soon as possible. The more interesting your headline, the better the chances you have of recruiters visiting your profile. Your headline should contain your “job title—and career-specific keywords?” For example, if I am a Content Writer than my headline should say what I am and what I have to offer. So, my headline can be:
“Content Writer at XYZ | 900+ Published Articles | Writes on Any Niche”
This will tell a lot about my writing skills and within 120 characters, I have answered the ‘WHY ME?’ Why me over all the other content writers available on LinkedIn? Because I have 900+ published articles and can write on any niche for you!
Persuasive Past experiences:
What people commonly do is put their job description in each role which are often generic. Rather than a general content, your career contribution will have a better impact. You can put your key project details, your awards, or anything that makes you stand out from others. Do these things and notice a difference. You should also put figures and other statistics. This will help you highlight your professional achievements in a distinguish way.
Request for Recommendations:
We have already discussed the role of recommendations previously. Here, we are only going to discuss what your recommendations should be like. Since recommendations are personal testimonials written to illustrate the experience of working with you. You should request the recommender to emphasize more on a specific skill. This way, your recommendations will show your strengths in a better way.
About your Accomplishments:
This section of your profile contains your achievements. Think of your milestones, it can be an outstanding sales record or cost-saving. This can also include your education if you are a fresh graduate. This may include awards, special projects, languages or even a course completion certificate obtained by completing a course of LinkedIn.
Showcase your Skills:
Can’t find recommenders to back up your skills? Don’t worry! LinkedIn has got your back. Just take a Skill Assessment Test and get a Verified Skills badge on your profile. This will not only validate your skills but also substantiate the description in your Headline and Summary. If you pass the test for an in-demand skill, LinkedIn will send you related job recommendations. On the other side, if you do not pass the test. LinkedIn outlines and unlock relevant LinkedIn Learning courses for free for a limited time.
Bonus: You are 30% more likely to get hired if you have a verified skills badge on your profile.
Show your presence and Share:
One of the main pillars of social media is consistency. When you add captions to your shares you attract more attention to your feed. Make sure your captions describe the importance of the particular piece of content you have shared. Expressing your opinions which will start a conversation in the comment section is a good idea. You should post anything related to current affairs that is likely to draw comments excluding political or controversia topics. This will boost your popularity and your profile rank on LinkedIn.
Where to look for if you are stuck?
So, setting aside 30 minutes from your usual schedule will do wonders. In case you are stuck and feel that it is not your cup of tea. You should not waste your time in that case and look for professional LinkedIn optimization service providers. They can help you optimize your LinkedIn profile. Initially, they will interview you to understand what you want. They will then conduct a detailed profile assessment and optimize your profile perfectly.
They will also place keywords and optimize your URL to allow search engines to rank your profile. It will help get your targeted prospects to engage with you. Surely you will have to spend some money but trust me it’s worth it. Keep sharing, keep updating and have a happy time at LinkedIn!
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