Having a strong LinkedIn profile used to be good idea….now it is a MUST. Of course, not all industries utilize the platform to the same extent. For example, police officers, lawyers, medical professionals, and teachers tend to prefer to keep lower profiles. However, most professionals find LinkedIn to be a necessary part of their professional identity and presence.
It is easy to understand why when you consider that over 90 percent of recruiters supposedly utilize LinkedIn to search for qualified candidates. I recently landed a nice little contract gig after being found on LinkedIn. Sweet! LinkedIn is also a great way to build and maintain a rich professional network. Finally, LinkedIn helps us stay on top of industry news and trends.
Lose the mindset that LinkedIn is a job search tool. Consider your profile a personal website that allows you to track your professional experience, education, accomplishments, publications, recommendations, key skills, certifications, industry activity, target company list, and your network of connections.
Most recruiters admit that they will pull up your profile before giving you a call. If your online profile is not clear and consistent with your resume, you may find yourself in the B pile. If you have zero recommendations or your profile is way out date, the recruiter will likely move on to a candidate who takes more pride in their online presence.
The Top 10 Profile Elements
The following are necessary in order to stand out and get found:
- A nice headshot…not one with your dog – unless you are a veterinarian.
- Headline….120 characters of searchable job titles….not your current job.
- A well written 2000 character, keyword rich, summary.
- Personalize this and don’t sound like a resume robot!
- Current and previous work experience with bulleted details.
- Personalize your LinkedIn URL.
- Complete your Skill Section with at least 30 relevant skills listed in proper order.
- 50 plus connections (Better yet, aim for 500)
- Education and Training
- 3-5 Recommendations
- Join 20 plus groups and follow 50 plus companies.
The 10 Minute a Day Approach
Keeping your profile up to date and fresh AND spend time on LinkedIn each day going through your newsfeed. Liking, commenting and sharing posts help develop your personal brand. Actually publishing an article is another way to boost your presence and become a thought leader in your industry.
Spend 10 minutes a day making connections, commenting on interesting articles, and following new companies. This helps LinkedIn understand you. If and when you are in job search mode, LinkedIn will be a much better resource in terms of positions it recommends and how well you show up in recruiter searches.
Be 10 times more Brave
LinkedIn has actually proven to be a really powerful tool for me and for many of my clients. Actual relationships are formed and developed from LinkedIn. Different careers are explored and new positions are landed – all as a result of reaching out to people. Not everyone will respond to you in the way you wish but some people will!
Respond quickly to any requests that come your way and take any lack of response in stride. Make your outreach personal and avoid sending off generic connection requests. Add a short note. Take time to read someone’s profile and highlight what you have in common when you request a connection. Be courageous as you reach out. No one gets far alone. We need each other and LinkedIn is platform that allows us to find support and give support.
Social media is here to stay and LinkedIn remains the go-to professional networking platform. Make your profile sparkle and find ways to connect that feel genuine and authentic. While social media is not a replacement for face to face relationships, LinkedIn can help us connect in real ways to people we might not otherwise be able to meet.
Here is what clients are saying…
“I enjoyed working with Carrie. I felt comfortable with her from the very beginning; she’s very warm, supportive, and easy to talk to. She helped me retool my resume and linkedin profile after taking care to learn about my experience, skills and desires. I highly recommend working with her if you have the chance.”
Going in for meetings with Carrie was the best thing I could have possibly done for my education and career. With her tremendous help I was able to figure out what I wanted to do and how I needed to go about my career. I can’t possibly thank her enough for her crucial role in jumpstarting my career and getting me headed in the right direction.
Carrie was an informative, supportive and thoughtful guide during a time of career refinement. She served as a sounding board in assessing benefits and challenges of positions, reviewed application materials, prepared me for interviews and debriefed and supported decision-making. The mock interview coaching sessions were incredibly valuable to me.
As a recent graduate with my master's degree in biomedical sciences, Carrie and Pink Sky Career Counseling were immensely helpful in the process of landing my first "real" job. I was at a loss for how to apply for a position to start my career in such a specialized field. With little to no work experience, Carrie was able to help formulate my resume, cover letter and references, and manage my LinkedIn page as well as provide general career counseling. Thanks to Carrie's help and guidance I recently accepted an intraoperative neurophysiologist position for NuVasive in Minneapolis, MN. I could not have done it without Carrie's help. Long story short - I highly recommend Pink Sky Career Counseling for any career counseling you may need.
Not a day goes by that I don't thank Carrie in my mind on the way to my new job. Calling her was one of the best things I ever did for myself. Carrie is very intuitive, connected in the community, genuinely caring, and a master of her craft. Of course if you sign on for this, you have to dig deep and do things that are outside your comfort zone to get to where you want to be in life. But she held my hand all the way till the end and beyond. I cannot thank or recommend her enough.
I highly recommend Carrie. She did an amazing job helping me with my resume and providing valuable guidance in my job search process. I ended up being offered a great new job and wouldn't have gotten there without Carrie's assistance and support.
Carrie is amazing, I had a position open that I didn't know about until 4 days before it closed, just before the weekend. She went above and beyond to get it accomplished for me. I highly recommend working with her.
Carrie was fantastic to work with. She listened to what I was wanting and she produced a excellent product, responses to my resume increased and just recently landed a great job!