Profile on Linkedin - 3 tips to help you build it.

Why is a Linkedin profile so important when looking for a job?

With a profile on Linkedin becoming an increasingly popular search channel among recruiters, optimizing your profile is becoming more important than ever. Many headhunters know how to format their resumes. However, an account on LinkedIn is often overlooked by potential candidates. If you don't already have a profile then it will be worthwhile to create a profile that will catch the attention of recruiters.

As such, I have detailed 3 tips on how to quickly optimise your LinkedIn profile to ensure maximum exposure to recruiters!

Use the right LinkedIn SEO keywords to appear in relevant searches.

In order for recruiters to contact you about new job openings, assume that your Linkedin profile is the basis for listing all your keywords. Indeed, these will be searched for by potential employers or recruiters. Meanwhile, overlooked keywords (in my experience) include technology (e.g. Excel/ Google Analytics/ Javascript/ SQL, etc.) and synonyms for your job title. But don't forget that keywords should be presented in context - for example, in a summary of your work experience or skills. So if someone is fluent in Swedish, for example, they should include that in the summary, skills or description. Also be sure to include the correct url, which can help with searches. Modern recruiting tools such as ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) are able to download a candidate's profile from Linkedin to their database, and process it there using artificial intelligence to recommend the most suitable profiles. One of the criteria for this matching is precisely the relevant objective keywords.

Below is an example of a not very successful description, without keywords:

And now another description with keywords:

 

Which one tells you more?

How to strengthen your personal branding?

Linkedin's algorithm favors profiles with a large network of contacts with lots of activity, and ranks them higher in recruitment search results. It also undoubtedly favors users with recommendations and endorsements. Although some users prefer to have a more compact LinkedIn network with connections they have interviewed, it definitely helps to have a large network of contacts who post regularly on the portal.
Nevertheless, make sure your Linkedin account makes a good first impression

On average, a recruiter spends 7 seconds looking at your profile items on LinkedIn before deciding whether or not to contact you. Studies that track the eye movement of recruiters when viewing profiles on Linkedin show that most of those 7 seconds are spent looking at your profile picture. The background photo is followed shortly by your titles/work experience and then your summary. Remember that the background photo is no less important than the profile photo. Photos should have a proper description (title) and ALT text (alternative description).

Recruiters usually skip profiles where the name is hidden or we have written e.g. Beata J or Oskar K.

Considering the above, keep your Linkedin account professional, concise and clear so that a recruiter can read it easily.
Incidentally, research has also shown that a clear and simple profile on Linkedin is preferred 60% more than a complex profile with little white space.
List your accomplishments in your professional summary and show potential employers the value you can bring to their business.
Hopefully these tips will help you regardless of your occupation, but if you are thinking of another opportunity within IT/E-Commerce/Digital Marketing as part of your job search, contact me on Whatsup +48 600 400 601 or tom.bozyczko@ffsolutions.io

Fast Forward Solutions specializes in IT recruitment, e commerce, sales and B2B marketing services. Our rigorous and proven methodology combines role profiling, executive search and candidate assessment, complemented by consulting services. A profile on Linkedin and the candidate's actual skills? We'll verify it. We provide guaranteed results, and quickly reach the best talent available in the market. Thanks to which any organization working with us will be able to increase sales. Also, reduce operating costs and improve the efficiency of human resources, company valuation and investor confidence.

Tomasz Bożyczko is an experienced sales leader, president and founder of FFS