Recently I have read that around 60% of new jobs are found through social networking (in some cases this was reported as high as 80%) – this is huge! If you haven’t already embraced LinkedIn then now is the time, otherwise you could be missing out on great opportunities.
Taking the time to build a professional and detailed LinkedIn profile is an investment in your career. At a glance your profile can tell potential employers a lot about you, your experience and whether you might be the right person for their organisation.
There are 6 simple ways to drive job opportunities through your LinkedIn profile:
- Include a photo. Your profile is 7 times more likely to be viewed if you have a photo. Photos should be professional and appropriate for the industry you are in – save the 3am photos, wedding shots or pictures of your pet for your personal social media.
- Detail your experience. Treat your summary and experiences as you would your CV using simple language and relevant detail. Ask a trusted friend or family member to give feedback.
- Use the right key words. You want to make sure your profile appears when a potential employer is searching. Use current industry language for your title and responsibilities, limit the use of acronyms unless they are commonly used in your industry and check for correct grammar and spelling – you won’t make the short list if you say you have great attention to detail and your profile has lots of spelling mistakes in it!
- Clear contact details. Make it easy for potential employers to contact you. Include an email address and make sure it is appropriate. There a lots of free email options available so there’s no excuse to be using drunkanddisorderly@fakemail.com.au for job searching. Check your LinkedIn settings to ensure you are receiving emails and notifications so you don’t miss out. Learn how to change your settings here.
- Connect and be active. You can increase your chances of being noticed if you actively build your connections. Connect with friends, family members, colleagues and ex-colleagues. Each connection will widen the number of people who can see your full profile – you never know who your connections know! Use LinkedIn to follow companies you would like to work at or that interest you. This can be great source of information about the organisation and their current vacancies. Join be active in relevant groups to build your profile, widen your knowledge and increase your industry connections.
- Customise it. Make your profile stand out by customising your background (banner) photo and personalise your LinkedIn url so that you are even easier for potential employers to find. Learn how to personalise your url here.
Keep your profile fresh and up to date even if you are not currently looking for a new job. Many jobs are never advertised and by having a stand out LinkedIn profile that next great opportunity may find you!
