We all love scrolling through social media, Instagram, or Facebook, right?
But as a Human Resources professional, I know that when it comes to getting job opportunities, you want to be on LinkedIn.
What is LinkedIn?
It’s the most popular site used by applicants and recruiters globally. There are over a billion members in 200 countries and regions around the world. That means your future employer is already on there.
In this blog post, I will share 3 simple tips to help you attract recruiters and hiring managers with your LinkedIn:
- Use a Professional Profile Photo
- Add Projects as Experience
- Ask for 1-2 LinkedIn Recommendations
3 Ways to Attract Recruiters and Hiring Managers with your LinkedIn
Let’s explore these tips one by one.
Use a Professional Picture on your LinkedIn
Your profile picture is the first impression you make and how you introduce yourself when you are not in the room.
Imagine a recruiter scrolling through profiles for a corporate role, then landing on your profile and seeing your photo in a peace-sign pose.
While this is great for social media, that’s probably not the first impression you want to give in a professional setting, right?
Because the truth is, you don’t get a second first impression.
You should have a picture that is well-lit, has a neutral background, and highlights YOU. Dress in a way that reflects the role you want. If you’re going into business, that might look more formal. If you’re in a creative field, that might look different.
Let your photo reflect your confidence, even if you’re still building it.
Add Projects as Experience (even if you don’t have work experience)
Employers are not looking for what duties you were assigned; they care more about what difference you have made.
What value have you added?
One of the biggest challenges I had as a student in university was that I didn’t have enough work experience, but I realized I didn’t lack experience; I just wasn’t calling it experience. Before I searched for my first work term, I volunteered at my university’s Tax Clinic. I didn’t think, at the time, that helping other students file their taxes for a couple of weeks could count as work experience on my LinkedIn.
The most important thing I’ve learned throughout my career journey is that you can use the group project, case competition, or research paper you worked on in your classes to focus on what you did, the skills you used, and the impact you made. If you can quantify your impact, it would be even better.
When you articulate what you’ve done in a way others can see, you make it easier for them to see your value and thus increase your visibility.
Enhance your profile with 1-2 professional LinkedIn recommendations:
Because of my trajectory in the Human Resources field, I often get asked what recommendations do for your profile. This is what I say to them. Recommendations add another layer of credibility to your profile. You can ask a professor, manager, or colleague with whom you’ve worked closely about a project they were part of or oversaw. Sometimes we don’t see all the strengths we have to offer, and others can speak to them from a third-party perspective.
When someone else speaks about your strengths, it builds trust faster than anything you can write about yourself, especially if it comes from leaders or other people in authority you’ve interacted with.
So, if your LinkedIn already includes these 3 things, you are already on the right path to increasing your chances of attracting a job opportunity.
Which tip are you going to implement?
Share with us in the comments below.
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