We are in a hot job market.
Companies are scrambling to find the best employees in a tightening labor market, which makes it a perfect time to upgrade from your current spot into a position with better benefits or perhaps the option to continue working from home.
LinkedIn is easily one of the best places to be noticed by recruiters who are scouring the professional social media site for potential new hires.
And, of course, if you apply for a position, you want to be sure the company sees exactly what they are looking for when they visit your profile as part of their screening process.
Working in today’s professional market requires a multi-facet approach. You need to be sure your skills and abilities are top notch and up to date, of course. But you must also create a brand centered on your own skill set and abilities through LinkedIn and other social media markets.
Note: We hired Uttoran Sen for creating this Expert Roundup Post – if you wish to host such expert roundups in your blog, let us know.
LinkedIn is unique among the many other social media platforms. Unlike Facebook or even Twitter, LinkedIn is designed for networking rather than friendship or more general connection and sharing. Your network through LinkedIn is part of your professional package, and it’s also one that is easily monitored and examined by potential employers or employees.
After all, it’s not just the recruiters who are on LinkedIn doing research. If you’re looking for a job, your would-be employers are keeping an eye on your profile. If you’re posting job positions, you can expect your would-be employees to check out your profile as a guide to what they might expect at your company.
Employees and employers are there, but so are marketers and others building a professional online presence through the most professional social media site online.
Whatever your goal through LinkedIn, you want your profile to stand out. We checked in with the experts on the best ways to make that happen.
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There are hundreds of millions of LinkedIn users so you want your profile to stand out from the crowd. Instead of writing about your job position, I suggest you tell people directly what you do in your headline. For instance, you could tell the problem you solve.Let me give you an example: instead of saying that you’re a “SEO Specialist”, you could say something along the lines of “I help business owners drive qualified and targeted traffic to their websites. This way, when people find your profile or you outreach to someone, they will know right away what you’re doing.
Understanding your audience is vital for profile creation
Before you even start writing your Linkedin profile, you need to understand what your target audience will be looking for. Are you looking for clients? Are you wanting to build your personal brand? Looking for a job? Answering these questions is important for the next steps. You need to show how your skills and expertise can make a difference. This is where your personal brand comes in. Your brand is the promise that you make to your audience. It is your value proposition in a nutshell.
Your job title and summary are the first things that people will see when people visit your profile. This means that it is critical that the one you use is catchy enough to pique the interest of potential employers. A good job title should contain keywords related to your field. The same rule applies to the summary section. Aside from this, your job title and summary should also contain the kind of environment you would like to work in and mention your desired compensation and location.
If you have any academic or professional qualifications under your belt, you should showcase them. You can even add the certificates you have obtained to your profile. You can also mention your other skills here. These might include foreign languages, computer software programmes that you are proficient in. If your work experience doesn’t have enough oomph to make it to the top of the list, you can link to your portfolio in this section.
3. James McAllister – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Highlight what makes you unique.
In today’s day and age, job hunters are competing with more people than ever. At the same time, technology has allowed many companies to make more money with a smaller workforce.
Therefore, in order to stand out, you should put what makes you unique and exceptionally valuable front-and-center – something that can actually catch a recruiter’s attention within an endless sea of applicants.
Across any industry, it’s those people that are rare, unique and exceptional that end up commanding salaries well beyond the typical market range.
Those with talent, skills or expertise that can’t be found anywhere else will never have a problem standing out to recruiters, even in today’s global job market.
On LinkedIn, sell the job first, then worry about qualifications after that.
LinkedIn is different than your typical jobs posting website. LinkedIn covers the world, which means you have to address geography up front. You have too options. You can hire locally, or you can hire around the world (remotely). If you don’t specify clearly up front, people will make their own (often incorrect) assumptions.
The second thing about LinkedIn is that people on the platform are more digitally savvy than elsewhere. The gap used to be huge, but now it’s much smaller. Still, many LinkedIn users have been networking on the platform for years, something that does not happen on a typical job advertising website. The tech that’s available to them in your job posting is therefore more important to emphasize than elsewhere. The opportunity to connect with others online could also be a selling point.
The third thing is that LinkedIn is the perfect place to poach the best of the best – the people who are employed and happy and don’t know that they want to change jobs. Many of them are there just to network. In other words, focus on the benefits to the potential hire first, then get into the required qualifications. In the real world, the only ways to poach the best employees are through one-on-one connections or cold-calling. On LinkedIn, it’s all part of the networking.
Finally, being active in niche groups helps. If you hire medical administrators from time to time, get active in medical administrator groups. When it’s time to hire, let the group know.
5. Uttoran Sen – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
The main purpose of a linkedin profile is to secure a new job, display your professional achievements and build a better career. Just like any other social network, Linkedin too has a profile section which is usualy the first thing your potential employers will look at.
Once you have done the basics, that is adding a professional profile image, a catchy header image that sends the right message and filling up the rest of the profile with relevant information – it is time to start doing the heavy lifting.
There are over 800 Million users in Linkedin, which means whatever your niche, topics or expertise is, you will be able to find relevant connections. Just send connection requests and sooner or later you will start building a following on Linkedin. This is where you need to be helpful to others. If you comment on other people’s achievements, new job positions, pulse blog posts, profile status updates, give out testimonials and endorsements – eventually people will start returning the favor.
In time with all the hard work you will build yourself a digital asset in the form of a strong Linkedin profile.
6. Erik Emanuelli – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
Take advance of the LinkedIn keywords feature
There are a few things to keep in mind when creating your LinkedIn
profile if you want it to stand out and be effective.
First, make sure your profile is complete and up-to-date. Include a
professional photo, your current position and employer, and a list of
your skills and experiences.
Second, take advantage of the keywords feature to ensure that your
profile is easily found by recruiters and potential employers. Use
keywords that relate to your industry and skill set.
Finally, consider adding a link to your personal website or blog to
your profile, as this can give employers a more complete picture of
who you are and what you have to offer.
7. Rafi Chowdhury – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Ask for and give recommendations
Anyone you work with who is satisfied with your work, ask them to write you a recommendation and do the same for them. Lots of potential employers do look at those and it can make your profile stand out from others when you have endless amounts of recommendations bragging about you.
8. Raelyn Tan – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
Treat the job profiles you write like a sales letter to the reader.
It may be easy to fall into the trap of listing accomplishment after accomplishment on your job profile and turning the profile into a boring lump of words. The result? It’s a turn-off to the reader.
Instead, write your job profile like how you would write a sales letter! Always start your job profile off with a hook to catch the attention of the viewer. Don’t jump straight into listing things.
Then, write out bullet points and imagine yourself as the “product”. Don’t just state your accomplishments, also talk about WHY they matter.
Lastly, keep paragraphs short and catchy, and cut out superfluous words, just like in a sales letter.
9. Janice Wald – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
When crafting your job profile on Linked In, It’s vital that you use keywords. That way, the LinkedIn algorithm pushes out your profile to people they know are interested in that content.
Do not leave any stone unturned. In other words, answer every question in detail. The more you write, the more keywords you use and the quicker your job profile comes to the attention of interested parties.
Also, you need to have a professional appearance in your photo. Use business casual attire. For instance, wear a blazer. This way, a potential employer can see how you’d dress to work. Dress to impress on the job and in your profile picture.
When done, reread your profile from the perspective of a potential employer. Have impartial friends and relatives do the same. Ask if they would hire you. Ask yourself if you would hire you. Follow these strategies to find a job on LinkedIn.
10. Poulomi Basu – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Medium | Pinterest
A really good LinkedIn job profile goes beyond just being about an employee or professional. It gives insights about who you are, how you think, what you believe in, what your values are, and how to you want to contribute value.
One of the first things to ensure when you create a profile is to make it as complete as possible. Write a clear summary, get recommendations, add your interests and activities.
That being out of the way, get active. Post your thoughts and musings, ask for people’s thoughts on your posts or create polls, share and comment on other people’s content.
When you do all of this, a prospective employer who checks out your profile will get to know how you think, what you believe in, and how you connect to others. That is what creates your personal brand and makes you different from other applicants who apply for the same jobs as you.
11. Michael Dinich – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
A LinkedIn headline should be attention-grabbing.
A LinkedIn profile has several essential components that can help a person stand out to potential employers. With headlines visible under your name, this sentence must be concise but eye-catching.
Always edit your profile headline to reflect not just the role you are searching for but also your expertise. Although you only have 120 characters to work with, you should mention any skills you specialize in and an accomplishment or how you can benefit a company.
For example, suppose you are a sales representative. In that case, you can indicate the industry you are targeting and how much money you have generated in sales in your career or a previous role. Always include accomplishments with measurable targets that highlight your performance, such as reaching sales goals, receiving positive customer service feedback, leading new programs or initiatives, etc.
A LinkedIn profile is now as valuable as a well-written resume and cover letter and demands equal attention. Don’t forget to proofread it several times, so it’s free of typos and grammatical errors.
12. Nikola Roza – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
Do everything
To make the best LinkedIn profile, you need to do everything you can to stand out. Why? Because that’s what most people are not doing.
Most people quickly set up their profile by listing their name, their title, and a professional photo of them.
That’s a great start. But you need to keep going much further than that.
Add a professional work-centric background image. Write a professional bio highlighting your achievements, education, and training you had. Connect with your peers in the same industry. List out your credentials. Have a link to your blog, online portfolio, or some other online property you own.
Fight to get endorsements, even if they’re from your friends on LinkedIn. Engage with others on LinkedIn, post valuable content on LinkedIn Pulse…
There are a ton of things you can do to really have a professional LinkedIn profile, and you don’t have to do everything to achieve success, but the more you do, the better off you’ll be.
13. Kent Lewis – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
Create a compelling Headline
With sales and marketing as my primary responsibility at Anvil, it is my role to network and generate awareness for our brand. After years of testing various platforms, I’ve found LinkedIn is the best platform for brand-building (personally and professionally). For starters, LinkedIn the least tapped in terms of leveraging influencers. Having been a power-users for many years, I’ve become a bit of an expert on the platform and see this as a big opportunity for 2019 and beyond. Secondly, the platform is ideal for business-to-business marketing. There is no other platform that can target prospective customers (or partners) with ads, based on employer, job title, location and other key factors. One of the secrets to effective content marketing on LinkedIn is to use ad targeting to share high quality content as “sponsored content” which is more affordable and generally higher-performing than traditional display ads. Last week, LinkedIn announced interest-based targeting for it’s ad platform which will make it even more powerful going into 2019. Lastly, the platform is ideal for generating awareness and credentials via thought leadership to build your network (posting updates and writing articles on LinkedIn Pulse). Most recently, I’ve been leveraging 1st degree connections for outbound sales efforts, generating meaningful results after just a few months of outreach.
14. Adam Garcia – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Be your authentic self
If you want to attract people through your Linkedin profile, whether that be employees or possible employers, you want to first come off authentically.
Those who seem too stuffy, overload their profiles with accomplishments, and past positions, and post little on their feeds that show off their true value in their industry don’t say too much to those viewing it.
Think of who you would want to work with. Somebody who seems knowledgable and interested in their job or industry, or someone who comes off very matter-of-fact and, well, a bit dull.
Work profiles don’t have to be boring to be professional! Show off that glowing personality of yours!
15. Manidipa Bhaumik – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Your LinkedIn profile is a powerful tool that can help you land your dream job. Here are some tips on how to make the most of it:
- Start with a strong, clear headline: This is your chance to grab employers’ attention and give them an idea of your professional background.
- Use keywords throughout your profile: By including relevant keywords, you’ll make it easier for employers to find you and learn more about your skills and experience.
- Tell your story: In your summary and experience sections, share your unique story and highlight your skills and accomplishments.
- Use a professional photo: Make sure to include a professional photo in your LinkedIn profile. This will give employers a great first impression of you, and help you stand out from other candidates.
- Keep your profile up-to-date: Keep your LinkedIn profile updated so that potential employers can see your latest skills and experience. It’s important to keep your profile up-to-date with your current skills so that people searching for you can easily know that you’re the right fit for their project.
16. Ekta Swarnkar – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
A LinkedIn profile should be well optimized. Enough to show up first in the search results for your name
LinkedIn is the best tool for service providers to find opportunities, build connections, and grow a personal brand. It’s my second most important tool to get leads and convert clients for my copywriting services.
And I think I’m able to do that because my Linkedin profile is well optimized. My profile shows up in Google search just below my website. Both of them work to add credibility to my work.
So here are some of the places you should optimize well on your LinkedIn profile:
Headline – Your headline should clearly tell what you do but in a bit of an engaging way. For example, my LinkedIn headline is “Freelance B2B Copywriter | Content Writer for SaaS & Marketing brands | Helping brands nurture their target audience.” It’s a bit long but it explains what I do.
Professional Photo – Your profile photo makes the first impression. Add a professional photo with a smiling face and eyes. In the background, you can create a LinkedIn banner on Canva for free to define your services.
About – The about section is to tell your story, not your life history. Use the place to talk about your recent work experiences and projects. Infuse your personality but keep it professional. Nobody on LinkedIn wants to know what you named your dog!
Connections – I’ve seen people sending connection requests to everyone on the “People you may know” section. Don’t do it! It’s not a great first impression. Instead, you should build genuine connections. Start with people you know.
But if there’s someone you admire and want to build a connection with, start engaging with their content. Follow them, like their posts, add comments, share their content, etc. Once they know you, they’re more likely to accept your request.
Go check out a few great profiles in your industry and see how they’re optimized. Take inspiration and work on your profile.
17. Christiana Acha – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook
LinkedIn is unarguably one of the best platforms for job seekers, industry experts, professionals in business, and likes.
However, in order to get noticed on LinkedIn, especially as a job seeker, you need to create a good profile that can draw the attention of the kind of people you are seeking to attract.
The first secret is ensuring that you have an eye-catching professional photo and a good background photo.
Secondly, list all your relevant skills, roles and certifications, and explain in detail everything you do, and how it can be of benefit to the organisation you are looking to attract.
Finally, Make sure to attach relevant files, like pictures, videos or links that show your experience. It could be a link to your website or videos or pictures of projects you have successfully worked on in the past.
18. Jake Jorgovan – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
Make your Linkedin headline focused on the problem you solve.
Don’t fill your Linkedin headline with a bunch of details about you. Explain the problem you solve for the people trying to hire you. Instead of saying “Customer Service Specialist” say “Helping companies deliver amazing customer experiences”. Your employer doesn’t care about you as much as they care about the problem they are hiring you to solve.
19. Shounak Gupte – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
A strong LinkedIn profile can be your key to landing your dream job. Here are our tips for creating a LinkedIn profile that will get you noticed by recruiters.
Your LinkedIn profile is much more than just an online resume. It’s an opportunity to show off your professional brand and network with other professionals in your field.
When crafting your LinkedIn profile, keep the following in mind:
- Use a professional photo. Recruiters are more likely to take you seriously if you have a professional headshot as your profile photo.
- Write a compelling headline. Your headline should be catchy and accurately reflect what you do professionally.
- Highlight your skills and experience. In the “Experience” section of your profile, be sure to include key skills and accomplishments that will demonstrate your value to potential employers.
- Make sure your profile is up-to-date and complete. Don’t forget to include a personal description, education history and relevant work experience.
- Ask your connections for recommendations. If you have any mutual connections on LinkedIn, ask them to write a recommendation for you.
- Finally, take some time to customize your profile for each job you apply to. Include keywords from the job description in your summary and experience sections. This will help you stand out to recruiters who are searching for candidates with specific skills and experience.
20. Umesh Singh – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook
LinkedIn is a great place for job seekers. It’s free, it has millions of users and you can easily find jobs that interest you. But how do you make sure your LinkedIn profile stands out?
How do you get noticed by recruiters?
And what should you include in your profile so that it will help you land the right job?
Here are some simple ways to improve your chances of getting hired.
1) Write an engaging headline
Your headline is one of the first things people see when they look at your profile. Make sure it grabs their attention and gets them interested enough to read further. You have 160 characters to work with here (the same as Twitter), so don’t be afraid to use all of them!
2) Include a summary
Your summary is another way to grab someone’s attention. This is where you tell potential employers who you are and why you would be a good fit for their company. Use bullet points to highlight your skills and experience.
3) Add a photo
A picture says a thousand words, and this holds true for social media profiles too. A professional headshot or image from your portfolio will go a long way towards making your profile stand out.
4) Tell us about yourself
This might seem like common sense but many jobseekers forget to mention their education and career history. If you want to set yourself apart from other candidates, write down every single job you’ve had since graduating.
5) Don’t forget to add links
You need to link to your website, blog, and any relevant social media accounts. Recruiters often check these before contacting you, so make sure you’re ready to answer questions about your work.
6) Update your profile regularly
Make sure you keep your LinkedIn profile up-to-date. Every time you change something on your profile, such as adding new information or updating your skills, you’re giving recruiters a reason to come back and take a second look.
7) Get recommendations
If you know anyone who works at the companies you’d like to apply to, ask them if they could recommend you. They may even offer to write you a recommendation letter – which means you won’t have to spend money on a service like Letterbox.
8) Join groups
Groups allow you to connect with other professionals in your industry. Joining groups related to your field will let you stay updated with news and trends in your industry.
9) Follow companies
Companies love to follow other companies. So if you spot a recruiter from a company you’d like to use, send them a message asking if they’d like to follow you.
21. Sergio Sigler – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
Make your profile stand out with YOUR unique story.
LinkedIn is a competitive network with millions of resumes. So if you want to increase your chances of standing out, should tell your story rather than just create another “normal profile.”
Good stories engage people and provide your resume with something different and unique that can set you apart.
Your summary section is where you have your chance to tell your own story. This is your most personal piece of content marketing, and it’s well worth the effort.
22. Semil Shah – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
LinkedIn is a great way to build your professional brand. Your Linkedin Profile will show what exactly you are, your interest, your thoughts, and what you stand for.
Thus, creating a good Linkedin Job Profile is very much important, as you are representing yourself.
Some of the tips, that I would like to suggest to create an interesting and professional profile, are keeping a good profile picture, and writing a good summary about yourself.
Keep updated about your work experience, and add catchy headlines, and skills. Sharing your thoughts will also help you in keeping engaged with the public.
23. Jacob Cass – Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
Make use of contrasting yet cohesive colors.
A lot of our decisions are based on visuals, so if your profile looks attractive or professionally done it has a positive impact on your brand.
Using images with contrasting colors that are cohesive helps you stand out. To do this, it’s smart to have neutrals paired with stark colors.
Enhancing your job profile on Linkedin depends a great deal on your brand.
Making sure you highlight your portfolio and experiences with clients and brands is a great start. However, visuals are what pull people in.
Final Thoughts:
Your Facebook profile shows your network who you are casually. Your LinkedIn profile, however, is designed to show your connections who are professionally. Your LinkedIn profile showcases your skills and abilities. It notes your impressive performance at your previous places of employment.
Your profile shows how well you are connected to others in your industry. You can showcase your awards and certifications. You can even showcase your best writing and content through portfolios, links, and posts of your own.
LinkedIn is a social media platform in so many ways, but it is also more. It’s a marketplace designed to bring employees, clients, and employers together for transactional purposes. When you set up your LinkedIn profile, you’re telling the world who you are in the professional world and what they can expect if they connect and work with you.
Your LinkedIn profile is essentially your professional brand. Unlike a company, you don’t have a marketing division to do the work for you. It’s all on you. You are responsible for your brand online, and you can be certain that your colleagues, your connections, and your potential employers are paying close attention to how you present yourself.
One Response
Hi Rafi and Uttoran,
Thanks so much for including me in this roundup! Lots of exceptional people and fantastic advice shared here. Really great to see how diverse the suggestions are, too.
I’ll definitely be sharing this one out!
Comments are closed.