Top Nine LinkedIn Tips for Job Seekers
Are you looking for a new job? It can be a challenging and stressful experience. Fortunately, we’ve got a few LinkedIn tips to help you get noticed by the right people at the right time.
Remember, LinkedIn is the best and easiest way for recruiters to see what you’ve got, so please—don’t avoid it. In fact, eight people are hired through LinkedIn every minute. Here’s what to do.
- Let recruiters know you’re available.
Did you know that LinkedIn has a special feature to let recruiters know you’re open to work? This is a great way to promote yourself on LinkedIn. First, you want to let recruiters know you’re open to new job opportunities. Here’s how:
- Go to your LinkedIn page
- Click on the Open tobutton under your name and profile photo
- Click on the Finding a New Job
- Add your job preferences
- Click Add to Profile
- Choose who sees you’re open—LinkedIn members or recruiters only
- Click Add to Profile
Note: LinkedIn may or may not keep your job search private if you’re currently employed but searching for new opportunities, so you’ll have to risk your employer seeing you out there. Our advice? Don’t let that stop you from getting after it.
- Update your contact info
If recruiters and hiring managers are impressed by your profile, they might want to contact you. Be sure to include both an updated phone number and a professional email address on your LinkedIn page. You can also include links to your personal website to showcase your work.
- Add a professional summary
Beneath your headshot and contact information is an About section to include a professional summary. This section is an important part of your profile as it gives visitors a snapshot of who you are, what you do, and what you’re passionate about. This section can explain different aspects of your career that might not be easily identified in the rest of your LinkedIn profile. Showcase your skills and areas of expertise. Talk about your proudest accomplishments—both personally and professionally. Consider using emojis to increase your number of views. With an exceptional LinkedIn summary, you can make a strong first impression and improve the quality of your page. So, take the time to craft a compelling and well-written summary. Check out these examples for inspiration if you’re unsure where to begin.
- Make sure your experience is consistent with your resume
Including your professional expertise on your LinkedIn profile is an absolute must. Maintaining consistency between your LinkedIn profile and resume is crucial for presenting a cohesive and accurate professional image. Confirm that your job titles, employer names, and dates of employment are the same on both sources.
- Focus on skills.
Forty-four percent of hiring managers used LinkedIn skills data to fill their open roles. Spend some time adding skills to your profile, demonstrating your transferable skills, and taking the skills assessment on your LinkedIn Profile page. Be sure to include any skills obtained through volunteer experience and internships. - You have a profile pic, right?
If not, get one. And no, a stiff-armed selfie’s not going to cut it. Having a profile photo will get you 21 times more profile views.
If so, is your photo appropriate for a professional platform? If it’s even a question, your photo is probably worth updating. Just look like you normally would in your professional setting, and you should be good.
General tips for adding the best LinkedIn photo include:
- Use a current photo of yourself
- Make sure it’s a high-res photo
- Showcase your beautiful face—it should take up 60 percent of the frame
- Look happy and approachable (smile!)
- Wear what you’d typically wear to work (or dress for the job you want)
- Do not use filters
Get a complete list of LinkedIn photo tips here: 10 Tips for Picking the Right LinkedIn Profile Picture
Bonus: Add a background image that accurately reflects your brand. Are you an engineer? An educator? A creative? Add a crisp, clean, and non-distracting LinkedIn banner image.
Here are 10 LinkedIn Background Photo Ideas To Make Your Profile Stand Out from Forbes.
Note: Recommended dimensions for LinkedIn banner photos are 1584 pixels by 396 pixels.
- Connect. Connect. Connect.
When it comes to LinkedIn connections, the magic number is 500. As LinkedIn trainer Wayne Breitbarth points out, “Most people with large networks are experiencing greater success on LinkedIn.” According to Breitbarth, having a large LinkedIn network will help you:
- Appear more often in search results
- Appear higher in search rankings
- Create more opportunities for engagement
- Show up more often in People Also Viewed
Don’t be bashful. Reach out to current and former colleagues, relatives, and other professionals in your field. The second you surpass 500 connections, the closer you are to being successful on LinkedIn.
- Bulk up your recommendations.
Do your research and read the reviews when you need a product or service? Before hiring someone to fix your car, paint your house, or do your taxes, don’t you ensure they’re legit? Yeah, hiring managers and recruiters do the same thing when seeking talent to fill positions.
LinkedIn recommendations are testimonials about who you are as a pro, so of course you want glowing reviews from people you’ve worked with. Subordinates, colleagues, and superiors—their perspectives matter, and their opinions can be the difference between getting a job opportunity and being passed over.
Think of a person with whom you’ve worked well in your department or field. Now, think of a manager who’s always loved your work. Now, think of an accessible C-level employee who’s given you positive feedback in the past. Here’s how to reach out to them for a recommendation on LinkedIn:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile page
- Scroll to the Recommendations section
- Click Ask for a recommendation
- Type the name of the connection you want to ask
- Navigate the prompts
Don’t forget: Writing a recommendation is just as important as receiving one, and it’ll probably be easier to get one if you give one. So, start cruising LinkedIn and get going!
- Share a post or write an article
Are you a true subject matter expert on a particular topic? Do you have insight on a matter that your LinkedIn connections might find compelling or significant? Share this knowledge in a video post. Better yet, if you’re confident in your writing skills, post an article for your network to read. This can help your profile to gain traction and accumulate followers—thereby increasing your professional brand.
Want to know the best ways to catch a recruiter’s attention? Here are ways to increase your odds of landing a new job with help from a recruiter.
There are many more tips and tricks for getting noticed on LinkedIn, but there are just too many to include here. Until then, continue to conduct more LinkedIn research on your own and maintain a polished online presence on all your professional networks.
Check out our job board here and resources page here.
This blog was authored by Aleron Senior Human Resources Manager Sashikala Skylab.