With online job portals like LinkedIn, finding the right job has become so much easier today. From learning about the company you have always dreamed of working for to getting to know the tips and tricks to crack an interview, LinkedIn has made our struggle of finding a job much less of a struggle.
As the platform gets more and more popular across the world, it is becoming a challenge to come to the notice of recruiters on LinkedIn. There are thousands of profiles that have the same qualifications and the same experience as you do. To stand out from that crowd of equally qualified and experienced professionals and get found by recruiters, you have to do things a little differently.
So, how do you structure or adjust your LinkedIn profile to be found by recruiters? For this, you first need to know how a recruiter sees you.
How recruiters search on LinkedIn
Optimising your LinkedIn profile to appear in a recruiter’s search results would require you to work on both LinkedIn’s algorithm and a recruiter’s human tendencies. LinkedIn has a search algorithm that considers a variety of profile sections and user activity to rank their results. Recruiters, on the other hand, have their own set of preferences and tricks to select the most suitable candidates out of a sea of thousands.
There is no standard or established pattern as to how different recruiters search for candidates on LinkedIn but, of course, depending on the type of business the recruiter runs, their search patterns can be determined with a little common sense. For instance, a small business recruiter will use LinkedIn’s advanced search filters to look for a specific category of candidates within their network. Recruitment agencies, on the other hand, will look for a broader range of candidates with the aim of expanding their networks and increasing their reach
This means that when you are setting up your profile on LinkedIn, you must have a clear idea of which recruiters you would like to work for. That would tell you what filters you need to pass through in a recruiter’s search. To improve your search rankings, you will need to optimise those sections which would be most beneficial to the kind of recruiter you are looking for.
Keep your profile updated
The first and most important thing to take note of when you’re setting up your LinkedIn profile is to not leave any field incomplete. Complete your profile as far as you can, and in case of any changes, update those changes on time. A completed profile tends to get more hits. Use keywords that a recruiter may be searching for. Add and follow as many people and connections as you can. Having a larger network also increases your visibility.
Also, try to get some recommendations and testimonials from people you know. A positive word about you as a professional, displayed on your profile could boost your search rankings massively.
What makes recruiters want to click on your profile?
Once you have optimised your profile for the LinkedIn search, it is time to focus on what makes your profile more appealing. Or what makes a recruiter want to look deeper into your profile.
The first thing that anyone would look at in a profile is the photograph. Don’t leave the photo space empty, as this reflects a very uninterested kind of an attitude to a visitor. Put up a profile photo that looks professional and speaks something about you as a person. A good photo can be your first step towards that dream job. How you present yourself in a picture talks a lot about you as a person.
The next most important thing is your headline. That is what a recruiter would first read before viewing your full profile. So, make sure that your headline is more than just a default job title. Make it worthy of a click. You have to find out how you can express yourself best in just one or two sentences because this will matter.
Display your professional credibility
Try to show as much of your professional skills as you can on your profile. Add links to any blogs or presentations that you may have written. Add your technical skills, software skills, prowess in different areas of management or any other skills that you may have. Add them to your description as bulleted points so that they are eye-catching and easy to read.
The more someone gets to know about your capability, the better for you as a job seeker.
To learn in more detail how to adjust your settings and create a fully search optimised profile, join me every Tuesday & Thursday for my lunchtime LinkedIn training webinars – The Link Tank.
