Research shows that if people are actively looking or open to a new job, they are logging into LinkedIn more regularly than they normally would because although it’s a professional network where we can network with people, it is a great platform to be contacted by people like me, a recruitment consultant.
What is good about the platform? It is fairly easy to have a conversation and to find people in any location with skillsets and experience needed for live vacancies, OR IS IT?
LinkedIn is a powerful tool and if used correctly it can be very effective for YOU to find a new job and for ME to find the right candidate for my client. BUT, how can you ensure that your profile will be picked up? If you are not using LinkedIn properly then you are missing out on opportunities. Take a look at the below and I hope it helps!
1) Listing your education appears in searches much more than those who don’t. So, enter the name of the degree/post grad and the years you attended the University to complete it.
2) Location is also important. You might live in Peebles but there aren’t any banks you want to work for there, so it is more helpful to put Edinburgh. This will help your profile pop up in more searches. You can put your correct location on your CV.
3) A professional-looking picture is another must-have to get more views. Yeah, you might have a selfie stick and you might have been on the empire state building but first impressions are first impressions and this is a professional social platform. I don’t necessarily want to see a suit and tie but I want to see someone who will present themselves well to a client.
4) Don’t use a fancy title. Just say what you are. Rather than “Master of Internal issues”, just say “Operational Risk Manager” especially if that is likely to be the next role you are looking for.
5) Add skills including technical software tools you know are wanted in roles for example SAS, SQL, R, Python, VBA, Excel and if you can get endorsed by friends or colleagues for these then even better.
6) Show your personality. The picture might not look like how you usually do (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/crappy-handbook-linkedin-profile-pics-dan-kelsall/) but that doesn’t mean you need to copy and paste your CV to your profile. It’s better to write in first person eg “I am a credit risk analyst working on IFRS provisioning for a challenger retail bank. In addition to my technical skillsets and experience, I enjoy working in a team and am currently on the social committee.”
I’d love to hear your thoughts below and feel free to get in touch.