5 tips on building a LinkedIn profile that gets viewed.

Using LinkedIn to search for a new job, but no one is viewing your profile?

Here are 5 tips on building a LinkedIn profile that gets viewed.

“It’s not who you know. It’s who knows you.” This is the reality in today’s employment market says Richard Feller, Ph.D., President of the National Career Development Association. I recently attended the National Resume Writers’ Association conference in Chicago and a common theme among the group was the newest trends on leveraging social media to help our clients land interviews. LinkedIn was of particular interest as it has proven to be a gateway to being discovered. Harvard Business Review wrote an article back in 2012 that highlights the growing trend of recruiters and hiring managers are relying heavily on the Internet to research candidates for employment. Multiple studies show convincingly that more than 75% of employers actively research candidates online. “Millennials recognize LinkedIn is one of the best online tools to help jump start their professional careers,” says Razor Suleman, founder and chairman of Achievers. “We’ve been amazed to see how the use of LinkedIn has increased by 700% percent over the last two years.”

 

My fellow NRWA members and I had the pleasure of hearing Dean R. DeLisle of Forward Progress speak about building the ultimate LinkedIn profile. Through our combined experience and proven strategies I share with you these important tips:

1.     Include a photo of yourself. Smile and appear approachable. Refrain from using logos or a photo of you and someone else.

2.     Be sure your headline pops. Perhaps the most important section on your profile, your headline must spark interest and attract people to click through from search listings. Ex. “Top-Performing General Manager; 11 years experience at the forefront of global operations for the hospitality industry”.  You only have 120 characters with which to make a good impression.

3.     Take advantage of LinkedIn Skills. You are allowed up to 50 and they show up in search engines, so select those that will appeal to the people you are trying to reach.

4.     Upload your current resume as a PDF file. Before doing so, be sure that it is competitive illustrating what you have contributed to your employers and what you bring to the table. Think WIFT (What’s in it For Them?) Them being prospective employers and how will they benefit by considering you?

5.     Your Summary and Experience sections should not contain data that you cut and paste from your resume. This is your opportunity to expand on your offerings with a more personable approach. Don’t go overboard however, and discuss your personal issues or other “stuff” that the world, let alone prospective employers, does not need to know.

 

For more career development tips and strategies feel free to visit my website or contact me directly.

 

Sally Calloway, Career Coach, Social Media Strategist, Speaker

www.ResumesbyCoachSally.com

702.573.2362

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other sources: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/04/03/what-employers-need-to-know-about-the-class-of-2012/