Having your LinkedIn up-to-date is one thing, but in order to get the most out of the platform as a job searching tool, it needs to be optimized.
What exactly is LinkedIn optimization? LinkedIn, like every other platform with a search engine, uses algorithms to find the closest matching results. Want to be found by recruiters and hiring managers? Follow these six steps for success!
1. Use Keywords That Matter
When recruiting managers look for prospective new hires, they are searching LinkedIn using key words that align with the role they're looking to fill. As best possible, the content in your profile needs to match. Analyze across job postings to find key skills that overlap with your experience. Then make sure these items naturally appear in the following sections: Headline, Talks About (hashtag under Intro section), Skills, Summary, and Professional Experience. It's important that these terms accurately reflect your talent and are placed strategically. Simply repeating the word over and over again (AKA word vomit) won't quite do the trick.
2. Enable the "Open to Work" Feature
Not a fan of the green open-to-work banner being plastered across your profile picture? Some hate it; some love it. We understand. But what most users don't know is there is a feature in the Jobs tab that allows you to be flagged only by recruiters. If you're actively looking for work, turn this bad boy on.
3. Follow the Company You're Applying To
Companies want to hire people who are genuinely interested in working for them, not those who are casting a wide net hoping to land anything available. Make a list of the companies you would like to work for. Then follow those organization on LinkedIn to stay current with their online content. Not only does this enable you to see what the organization is up to, it also serves as flattery when they notice.
4. Set up Custom Job Alerts!
Many recruiting managers select their first pool of interviewees within the first 72-96 hours of posting the open position. Responsiveness is a huge part of landing the job you want. Under the Jobs tab, turn on your job alerts so that you can immediately apply when the position opens and be first in line for the recruiter's review.
5. Research the Hiring Team
When you go to view an open position on LinkedIn, oftentimes the posting will show who's on the other side of the hiring table. Take a look at their profiles to understand their own career trajectories and commonalities. You may also want to consider reaching out to the recruiter through direct message to strike up conversation, ask about something specific within the role, or express your interest. Also, when you view someone's profile, they are notified (especially if they have premium) and, out of curiosity, usually view you back.
6. Accumulate Skill Endorsements, Badges, and Recommendations
When you view the Skills section of a profile, you can see the number of times that person has been endorsed by others. If 35 connections on LinkedIn have endorsed me for Community Outreach, it does two things. First, it adds credibility to that skillset because so many other people are vouching for me. Second, if recruiters are searching by this specific term, my profile is going to rank higher than someone with a similarly listed skill but no endorsement. Along the same lines, LinkedIn offers hundreds of skill assessments, where you can complete 15-question, timed quizzes to prove your proficiency in a particular subject area. If you perform in the top 30%, LinkedIn even provides you with a badge that can be published to your profile.
To get the most out of LinkedIn, go beyond making sure it's complete by following each of the items we've listed above. Think your LinkedIn could be better? We can help. Contact us at info@dallaswritingproject.com or call/text 214-393-8877