LinkedIn has become a very valuable resource for candidates and recruiters in various industries. Although a LinkedIn profile may contain information similar to a resume, it is always beneficial to have an up-to-date LinkedIn profile even if you’re not actively job seeking. So how exactly do you create and maintain a beneficial LinkedIn image?
Easy Updates
To start, a professional headline and photo are mandatory. Your headline should clearly state your position and industry, while your photo should be professional with no distracting background. A personalized URL is also useful in order to easily give others access to find and view your profile-for instructions on how check out this article. Your LinkedIn profile should also include specific skills that make you as an employee significant. According to a recent article, profiles are 13x more likely to be viewed once skills are listed.
Use Your Summary Wisely
The summary is a key component of your LinkedIn profile, and poses as very valuable space to give a first impression and show your personality. A recent article states that a LinkedIn summary should include professional interests, unique skills & qualifications, and specific industries that you’ve had previous exposure to. This is a great place to showcase specific statistics and case studies as well. The easier it is for a recruiter to comprehend and quantify your skills, the better off you are. By stating exact numbers and specific examples, you are showing your skills and abilities quickly and effectively to recruiters skimming through your profile.
Note that there are also many components that do not belong in the summary portion of your profile. The LinkedIn summary is not a place for buzzwords-including them will actually allow you to blend right in with the thousands of other LinkedIn profiles. According to The Muse, a few buzz words to absolutely avoid include expert, innovative, organizational, innovative, etc). This is also not a place for a cover letter to be copied & pasted. As stated by Forbes, the summary should precisely include your skills, experience, and industries while also allowing your individual personality to shine through. It is in your best interest to spend adequate time on your summary as it is a key component in showing who you are as an employee.
Work Experience
Including an accurate history of work experience is also a major part of your LinkedIn profile. Here, it can be beneficial to do some research and find a few job descriptions similar to your position. According to a recent article, by taking key words from these job descriptions and adding them into your profile, you tremendously increase your chances of a recruiter coming across your profile while they search for candidates. Be sure you are not simply listing off your daily tasks in this portion of your profile as it is best to highlight how you were significant to your team/company and how your results were beneficial. Your work experience should clearly show how you have made an impact in the past. Lastly, don’t forget that including volunteer work is a great way to set yourself apart from the many other profiles recruiters sift through!
Today’s technology allows recruiters to view skills and experience of candidates at an incredible rate. It also allows candidates alternative pathways to showcase and highlight their specific abilities aside from the traditional resume and cover letter. Creating and maintaining the perfect LinkedIn profile is an essential step in setting yourself apart from other candidates within your industry.
Marquee Staffing recruiters specialize in placing talent in some of the most desirable areas in Southern California, including Irvine, San Diego, Orange County, Oceanside, Silicon Valley, and Carlsbad. We also provide the benefit of our knowledge and experience to help you improve employee retention, productivity and much more.