This Is What Recruiters Look For On Your LinkedIn Profile
What catches their
eye—or pass you by? You might be surprised.
When you’re looking for a
job, your LinkedIn profile is a 24/7 information resource for the recruiters
who are looking for talent. In fact, in the Jobvite 2016 Recruiter Nation Report,
87% of recruiters find LinkedIn most effective when vetting candidates during
the hiring process.
But what really catches a recruiter’s eye when they’re scrolling
through your profile? Here, several weighed in about profiles that make them
reach out—or recoil.
When Cassandre Joseph,
senior talent acquisition visionary and strategist at recruitment firm Korn
Ferry, looks at a profile, she wants to see your work experience,
education, and accomplishments. Incomplete profiles make it more difficult to
determine whether you’re the best match for the job, because she can’t get the
whole picture. It’s a bad first impression, she says.
"I find somebody's profile and it says they've worked at,
according to the profile, four different places simultaneously. They're adding
the new places, but not putting end dates. That says they haven't updated their
LinkedIn profile in X amount of years," she says.
Your profile photo makes
the first impression, so put a little effort into it, says resume expert and
retained search consultant Donna
Svei. It should look professional and representative of the job you
are seeking. Selfies and vacation photos tell recruiters you couldn’t be
bothered to make yourself look more professional.
"People can easily
evaluate their profile photos using Photofeeler.com and Snappr.com,"
says Svei.
Profiles with just a few
contacts are also unappealing, says Molly O'Malley, a tenured recruiter
at Adams
Keegan, a national HR management and employer services provider. The
most effective people have robust networks, and your LinkedIn profile should
represent that. You don’t need thousands, but 300 or more is ideal, she says
So, beef up your contacts before you look for a new job.
Joseph says recruiters often look at profiles to confirm
information about a candidate. So when your dates of employment, job titles, or
other facts are different on your profile than they are on your resume, a
recruiter might worry about how detail-oriented you are—or if there’s reason to
believe that you’re not being truthful on one or the other.
Think of your summary like a copywriter would, Svei says.
Highlight what’s in it for recruiters to contact you, such as your
achievements, honors, and success stories. Use short copy blocks and bullet
points so they can read your summary easily. As more recruiters use mobile
devices, your copy should be easy to read on small screens. Svei says it’s also
critical to include keywords about your industry for easy searchability.
Recruiters may also find your LinkedIn profile via Google instead
of the platform itself, Svei says. Google search results will typically include
your location and the professional headline that appears under your name on
your profile. Make the most of that headline by clarifying your industry and
job function.
If your title is something along the lines of "supreme
conveyer of IT knowledge" or "social media ninja," don’t expect
a recruiter to try to figure out what you do, O’Malley says. Make your job
title and what your company does clear. Jargon or vague language wastes
everyone’s time.
During your job search,
maintain an active profile, says Melanie Lundberg, assistant vice president of
talent management and corporate communications for Combined
Insurance. "Read news feeds, share content, comment—it shows a level
of professional engagement," she says. Similarly, link to articles you’ve
written or other examples of your work. Many will also be looking for
professionalism in what you post.
Recruiters are mostly unimpressed with recommendations unless
they’re short and really highlight something about your capabilities or
strengths, O’Malley says. Don’t ditch them, but don’t put too much stock in
them, either.
By using the Open Candidates option, you can
privately let recruiters know that you’re looking for a job. Svei says it’s a
good idea to use this option, which indicates that you want to hear about
potential opportunities.
GWEN MORAN
https://www.fastcompany.com/3067594/hit-the-ground-running/this-is-what-recruiters-look-for-on-your-linkedin-profile
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