You set up your LinkedIn and now you are waiting for someone to contact you, tell you how wonderful they think you are, and that you’re perfect for a job lead they have! (Yeah. Right.) If only it were that simple. LinkedIn is one social media tool to network online and create more opportunities. There is much more to successfully gaining a job lead online than “setting up tent.” But, for now, let’s explore how you can improve your LinkedIn today!
Include Keywords in the Profile: In order to improve the chances for someone in your target industry to locate you, incorporate keywords (industry relevant nouns/noun phrases and the target job title) into the Professional Headline. When someone conducts an internal LinkedIn search, preferably your profile should result in the first three pages. So, let us assume you are a Commodity Manager, if you have included this job title and other keywords, your profile should be prominently positioned within the first few result pages.
Customize Your Website Links: Instead of using the default categories/titles for links, create a customized link name with keywords. You should select these keywords based on your target job title. For Example: Commodity Manager Website or Commodity Management Resume.
Make Your Resume Available for Download: You can either host your resume outside of LinkedIn and then link to it or you can use the box.net feature. Yes. Your LinkedIn profile can be printed as a PDF straight from the LinkedIn interface; however, you should never just repurpose your resume on LinkedIn. If you decide to make your resume available for download, I recommend you upload a PDF and protect it. Please read more about that here: Resume Security Protect Your Digital Docs.
Integrate Your Tweets into Your LinkedIn Profile: Join your Twitter and LinkedIn account. Learn how here. But beware; stay on topic, professional, and employer conscious when tweeting. You can set the application to only include tweets with the #in hash tag; this will prevent your "off-topic" tweets from appearing on your LInkedIn profile. Note: LinkedIn has great SEO power and usually results on the first page of Google.
Add a Picture or a Personal Logo: Don’t leave that area blank. If you don’t have a professional head shot, get one! If you are camera shy, invest in a personal logo--but, project professionalism visually--you must!
Here are a few more pointers to take your LinkedIn from ho-hum to FANTASTIC
- Your summary should begin with skills and competencies offered. Author it in a conversational tone; write it friendlier and social as opposed to common biographies.
- Notify your network that you are STILL job searching by updating your status on a weekly basis: e.g., “Offering expertise in 3d modeling in the Orlando area.”
- Make sure there are no spelling errors: If you must create your content outside of LinkedIn and then copy and paste, do so. It is worth the added security of a good spell checker.
- Write compelling content: Just because LinkedIn looks good doesn’t mean you don’t have to place any effort in the copy (marketing).
Remember that all the tools and strategies you implement are a part of a bigger whole in your job search arsenal. Leverage all your tools and ensure you are projecting consistency and employer focus throughout all your marketing collaterals (resume, online profiles, etc.).
Sign up for this blog. Part two of this post will cover recommendations, how to deal with job history (what to include), LinkedIn groups, and adding additional multi-media to power up your LinkedIn profile.
Rosa Elizabeth Vargas
Master Resume Writer
Quadruple-Certified Resume Writer
