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YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE
three critical attributes
Consider the following...
Your LinkedIn profile can act as a magnet for headhunters, recruiters and key people in your network to reach out you you about the most sought after jobs. Three critical attributes will increase your chances of them doing so.
1) Your Photo
It's the first thing they’ll notice.
Your passport to a brighter future or a barrier to entry.
A good photo’s a pre-requisite… facing the camera, smiling, and presenting a professional, positive and neutral image.
If your photo has these qualities, it's more likely you'll be approached. Without them - you may very well be passed over being perceived as being not so professional, lacking in credibility, too casual, lacking in energy, being miserable.
2) Showcasing Your Relevant Credentials
Industry skills: People viewing your profile often won’t know what your employer actually does. Without that context, your industry skills are invisible. Add a one‑ or two‑line description for each employer that makes the line of business clear and, where useful, highlights what’s distinctive (e.g. market, product type, size, or customer segment).
Occupational experience: One of the most common characteristics of peoples profiles is having job titles that are ambiguous - they may mean something to you and people at your company - but little or nothing to those outside it. Consider how you can best describe what you do and how you can best showcase your accomplishments, and the scope and scale of your role.
3) Specialist Credentials & Keywords
People looking for prospective candidates may search for specialist skills.
Such as a process, a product, or an initiative/activity.
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Six Sigma, Prince, SAP, Salesforce, ISO 6000…
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Activity-type examples include change management, project management, mergers & acquisitions, new business sales, employee engagement or elevating customer service.
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For recognisable industry or occupational qualifications such as Chartered Accountant, ACCA or MBA.
When optimising your profile, think about how you can best align your profile and background with the type of company you want to work for and the job type that you want, and build in the messaging/wording that supports this.
Making Yourself Relevant
You'd Be A Fool Not To!
Be Found
Your presence on online networks and social media matters.
With few exceptions, your LinkedIn profile can act as a magnet to hiring managers and recruitment specialists. With the right persona, the right messaging and the right keywords, you can encourage the jobs market to come to you. Your profile can either become your passport to a brighter future — or a barrier to entry.
Understand:
1) Most people’s CVs and LinkedIn profiles fail to state the line of business that the employer is in – without this your industry skills are not apparent
2) Similarly, most people fail to state clearly what they have been doing – often with ambigous job titles and failing to showcase, the scope and scale of what they have been doing, and their achievements
3) The first thing people will notice is your photo or lack of one – this can be an immediate blocker.
A good photo is a prerequisite.
Facing the camera, smiling, presenting a professional, positive and neutral image. There’s no point crafting a smart profile if your photo doesn’t match up. Your photo should align with the level of seniority and context of jobs that you wish to be considered for.
And be cognizant of how your postings, photos and presence across social media might jeopardise your success. Everything is connected. Everything is visible. Everything can influence how you are perceived.
NB on a CV or Resume a photo is not required, whilst photos look good on LinkedIn profiles the rarely look good on CVs.
LinkedIn Keywords and Content
Incorporate keywords that showcase your skills, interests and career goals. A keyword is simply something of significance.
When employers or recruiters search LinkedIn, they look for specific qualities. They use keywords. Your goal is to feature as many relevant ones as possible — without overwhelming your profile.
Industry Skills
People looking for prospective candidates may search using company names or industry skills.
Think in three levels of definition:
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Manufacturer
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Car manufacturer
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Automotive parts manufacturer
For example, someone searching for a design engineer might look for people who work at Porsche. But they may also search more broadly using first‑level keywords (manufacturer), or more precisely using second- and third‑level keywords (automotive manufacturer, automotive parts manufacturer).
In what ways might this apply to you?
Occupational Skills
Recruiters may also search for occupational skills.
Again, think in three levels of definition:
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Accountant
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Chartered accountant
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Cost management accountant
They may go further into specialist sub‑areas: Financial accountant, tax accountant, forensic accountant, auditing, cost accounting.
In what ways might this apply to you?
Specialist Skills
Recruiters also search for specialist skills such as processes, tools, products or initiatives.
Examples include: Six Sigma, Prince, SAP, Salesforce, ISO 6000.
Activity‑type examples might include: Change management, project management, mergers & acquisitions, new business sales, employee engagement, elevating customer service.
And for recognisable qualifications: Chartered Accountant, ACCA, MBA.
Amplify Your Presence
In your employment details…
Allude to the value your employer, department or business function brings to the market — whilst simultaneously outlining what you do, how you’ve contributed, and what you can do or contribute in future.
Employers want to hire people who get things done. You may wish to include some headline achievements alongside your employment details.
In Your About Section
If you have an interest in an area but don’t yet have direct experience, you can still get on the radar. Here’s how:
State that you:
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“have experience in (the area you’ve worked in)” and
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“familiarity with (the area you’d like to get into)”
For example: “I have experience in the automotive industry and familiarity with supercars.” “I have experience in accounting and familiarity with project accounting.”
You could also express interests in additional fields: “I have experience in xyz, and interests in xyz2, xyz3 and xyz4.”
The recommendation is to get noticed for things you’re capable of doing. The suggestion is not intended for you to apply for roles you cannot perform. Say enough to attract interest, but not so much that your profile becomes overly long.
Be Noticed For The Right Reasons
Consider raising your profile within your target employer community.
“Liking” posts and adding constructive “Comments” can give you visibility with prospective hiring managers. It can also help you build familiarity with people who are recruiting — and keep you on the radar of those who were not recruiting when you first connected, but may be now.
Any comments you make need to be constructive, relevant and complimentary — never compromising.
And think beyond LinkedIn. What other networks might support your job search or help you get noticed? Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook and others may all play a part.