Getting Hired By Writing a Killer LinkedIn Profile
By Goldbeck Recruiting Inc.
Linkedin recently announced they have over 200,000,000 registered members. 75% of the Fortune 100 companies use LinkedIn as a recruitment resource and 1 in 6 professionals successfully used social networks to get employment. So what are the tried and tested methods used to get you hired through LinkedIn?
Step one - write a killer profile that will get you noticed. As obvious as that may seem, there are certain tricks to help you get found by employers...
Your Linkedin profile is your professional introduction to the world, so it’s astounding to me that 48.1% of all profiles are incomplete according to LinkedIn. If you don’t have all your experience completed at the very least, complete your header and summary. The header is the first point of engagement with a potential employer. It should tell them your professional specialties. You want to be able to hook them in so their next step would be to click to view your full profile.
How to Write a Killer LinkedIn Header
Think of LinkedIn as a search engine. You want to populate your header with keywords that best represents your professional profile, so that people would be able to find you. Include more than just your title - for example “Marketing Manager” - and be sure to include relevant terms such as “Digital Marketing”. For most experienced employers using LinkedIn as recruitment tool they also search by skill, for example “Direct Mail”. Include it in your header at least once and at three times in your summary and current experience.
Linkedin search result: pharmaceutical recruiter
Source:LinkedIn
Stuffing your profile with too many keywords will dilute their impact. Stick to a few and repeat in particular within the top three sections of your profile.
Which Keywords to Use on LinkedIn?
Start using LinkedIn’s search tool. The more competitive the keywords, the more difficult it would be to achieve priority placement, unless you have more recommendations and a sizeable network. Using generic keywords like “consultant” or “recruiter” will be more competitive than “Pharmaceutical and Healthcare recruiter” - the longer the keyphrase the more specific the search results. For example “Pharmaceutical recruiter” has 16,178 search results, “recruiter” has 541,862 results.
Linkedin search result: recruiter
Source: LinkedIn
The Linkedin Skills and Expertise tool ranks skills based on popularity. Relatively new, it is a great place to start if you are having difficulties figuring out how to optimise your profile; related skills will provide you with ideas to get the ball rolling.
LinkedIn Profiles Should Be Reader Friendly
I have come across profiles with just a string of keywords and nothing more. Not only is it not inviting, it also suggests a lack of effort on your part. My advice that has always worked, is to start by writing for your readers. Do you introduce yourself to others using just bullet points? Write your summary and experience first and then later go back and insert your keywords, making it reader friendly.
Note: Nate Kievman's video on LinkedIn’s profile optimization has more useful tips on keyword strategies.
Henry Goldbeck is the President & CEO at Goldbeck Recruiting, a recruitment firm based in Vancouver, BC. You can reach him via @GoldbeckRecruit, Facebook or email at [email protected]
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