Job searching and applying – Puhh, it is time-consuming and ain’t fun. But what if I told you there is this modern way of finding jobs with LinkedIn: let recruiters find you.
In this article, I will share with you my Linkedin profile tips for personal branding and job seeking.
Thanks to my strategies, I got 2-4 interview invitations per week during my job search – and these are good positions that I could hardly find on the LinkedIn job portals. Why actually?
- There are so many vacancies out there – some did not get the spotlight in front of job seekers (you).
- Some jobs were changed from “on-site”, “hybrid” to “remote” due to the lack of qualified applicants. Or seniority is being lowered, e.g. from 5-7 years to 2-3 years.
- The job postings have not landed in your filters. If you only search for “Entry Level” but the job is categorized as “Associate” or “Mid-Senior Level”, you will miss it (even if you are actually eligible for the job).
Before you start: if you haven’t had a LinkedIn account, go create one.
LinkedIn profile tips to let recruiters find you easily
Difficulty level: medium
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes – forever
Temperature: room temperature, simply in a warm and comfortable place
Ingredients for your perfect LinkedIn profile
- Profile picture
- Profile headline
- Location
- “Open to” section
- “About” section
- Experience
- Education
- Licences & Certifications
- Skills
- Languages
- Honors & Awards
- Stay socially engaged
- Connect with hiring managers
- Grow your connections
- Activate Creator Mode
Instructions to elevate your LinkedIn profile
1. Base: Complete your LinkedIn key profile sections
Start by filling in the essentials. While you don’t need to cover every single section, don’t overlook these:
- Profile picture: Keep it professional. Think of it as your digital first impression. Tip: use your CV profile picture for consistency.
- Profile headline: Don’t just use your current job title. Add some more relevant titles or skills there to catch the eye. It is also beneficial for you when hiring managers search for certain keywords.
For example: B2B Marketing | Performance Marketing | CRM & Automation.
If you are a fresh graduate, avoid vague statements like “Graduate student looking for marketing jobs in country X.” Be specific about your career goals to demonstrate focus and motivation. - Location: Keep it up-to-date, especially if you have relocated.
- “Open to” section: Let others know you are open to work. Thankfully, LinkedIn lets you share this with HR Managers only, keeping it discreet from your current employer. It is a helpful feature when you are job hunting while still working and want to maintain confidentiality.
- “About” section: Highlight what you want people to know about you: your traits, motivations, skills and career objectives.
- Experience: List out key responsibilities from past roles. While you can customize your CV for specific job applications, LinkedIn profiles are more static. Instead, focus on 1-2 target positions and tailor your job descriptions accordingly, using 5-7 bullet points to cover essential areas.
Don’t forget to include skills relevant to the job. This allows recruiters to match your past skills with their job requirements, particularly when specific hard skills are needed. - Education: Highlight your educational background, from vocational training, bachelor’s degrees to master’s degrees.
- Licences & certifications: For LinkedIn profiles, including licenses and certifications is crucial. While it may be optional on a CV, it adds significant value here. It enhances your credibility, demonstrating expertise and a commitment to ongoing learning.
- Skills: This not only boosts your discoverability for recruiters but also ensures that relevant job postings appear when you search on the LinkedIn job portal. Additionally, you can specify skills according to different job roles or educational backgrounds, further optimizing your profile for potential opportunities.
- Languages: Don’t overlook language proficiency; it is a critical criterion for many HR managers.
- Honors & Awards: Include outstanding achievements relevant to your career path. Exclude irrelevant awards unless they are exceptional.
Tips: Use your CV as a reference to customize your LinkedIn profile. Learn more about how to write the key sections of your CV here.
For your LinkedIn profile, you have the choice to play it safe as an online CV or add creativity to stand out. Personally, I prefer infusing personality while ensuring all essential components are covered. While I lean towards a more creative approach, I still provide sufficient detail about my past experiences and incorporate relevant skills to ensure discoverability by hiring managers searching for specific keywords.
2. Filling: Stay engaged and build your network
- Stay engaged
Ever noticed how active job seekers are on LinkedIn? They constantly like, commenting, and share posts related to their field, all to catch the eye of hiring managers.
In addition, LinkedIn’s algorithm takes note of your every interaction and gives you a boost in visibility. So, if a hiring manager reaches out, don’t hesitate to respond – even if the job isn’t a perfect fit. It is an opportunity worth seizing at no cost, with potential benefits down the road.
- Connect with hiring managers
Imagine this: instead of waiting for job openings to fall into your lap, you take matters into your own hands. You reach out to hiring managers directly, forging connections that could blossom into something more. Sure, they might not be hiring right now, but who knows what the future holds? By establishing that connection today, you are laying the groundwork for tomorrow’s opportunities.
And the great thing is, your active presence on LinkedIn might already have you on their radar, making you the first person they think of when a position opens up. It is as simple as searching for hiring managers in your area and hitting that connect button.
- Grow your connections
By expanding your connections, you are opening doors to a world of opportunities. First, LinkedIn notifies you when someone in your network – or their network – is hiring, making job hunting more convenient. Second, connections can provide internal referrals, significantly increasing your chances of passing CV screenings. Don’t worry if you don’t know them well – good fits are good fits, and they’ll be happy to vouch for you. Lastly, some companies share job openings exclusively on LinkedIn Feed, visible to your connections or those who engage with the post. Stay active on the platform to avoid missing out.
- Activate creator mode
Starting with just over 100 connections, I admired those with 500+ connections and a follow button on LinkedIn. They seemed confident and professional, and I learned that a popular profile boosts credibility with hiring managers.
Reaching 500 connections unlocks the follow button, enabling you to build a community. Don’t miss this opportunity. Start posting – aim for 80% professional content and 20% personal insights. It might seem daunting at first, but trust me, you will learn as you go.
Posting for the first time can be nerve-wracking. I am not one to seek the spotlight, and I worried about potential backlash. But I took the leap anyway, and I am glad I did. Most interactions on LinkedIn are positive and professional, even disagreements can be enlightening.
I remember a friend of mine who started sharing content on a sensitive topic. Sure, there were some toxic comments, but they were far outnumbered by the supportive voices cheering her on. She persevered, her community grew, and the negativity faded into the background.
I believe this step is essential for long-term success on LinkedIn. Sure, it takes time and effort to maintain an active presence. That is why at the beginning of this article I stated the “cooking time” as 30 minutes – forever. “Forever” is for this part.
3. Cherry on top: LinkedIn Premium
Take advantage of LinkedIn’s Premium for added perks.
With Premium, you gain insights into who’s hiring, giving you a leg up in the competition. You can also send InMail messages to introduce yourself directly to anyone. Consider them a direct line to hiring managers, a chance to introduce yourself and make a lasting impression.
Plus, with profile analytics at your fingertips, you’ll know exactly who has been checking out your profile – and can reach out to them with confidence. And let’s not forget about the learning platform, where you can sharpen your skills and earn certificates to boost your profile.
Best of all? LinkedIn offers a one-month free trial. So why wait?