I receive a lot of questions about how to use LinkedIn and your profile to the best of its ability. LinkedIn is essential to reach decision makers and employers. That said, it’s important your profile is compelling and tells your story.
I encourage my clients to think of their resumes as their 30 second commercial. So in comparison, consider your LinkedIn to be your 30 minute infomercial. This is because your LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to provide additional information and determine what sets you apart.
First, I want to go over the basic elements of a LinkedIn profile and how to make your profile more attractive to recruiters and hiring managers.
Your LinkedIn Profile
The first thing someone’s going to see is your feature box. This is your career snapshot and includes your education and your headshot. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have a professional photograph to display on your profile. This will make your profile personal and give someone the opportunity to recognize you.
The next section, the Summary area, is for your personal bio. This is your opportunity to sell yourself and explain what your personal brand is. In this section, continually answer the question- what sets me apart? The purpose of the summary section is to get their attention and compel them to call you. In order to let someone know you’re actively seeking a job, provide a call to action. This greatly increases the chances of getting a phone call and lets them know you’re actively seeking a job.
The next area provides readers with your professional work experience. This is similar to a chronological resume with a laundry list of your past positions. I encourage you to focus on your achievements rather than simply discussing your responsibilities. Whenever possible, provide specific, quantifiable achievements.
I would also like to suggest not dating back past the 90s. If you’re providing experience past that time, leave out dates. This way you are still able to show your valuable experience without giving someone an immediate idea of your age.
The next areas of your LinkedIn profile that allow you to set yourself apart are the Honors & Awards and Additional Information sections. Use these sections to tell people more about yourself and enhance your profile. Even if you don’t think an award is significant, this will show an addition to your experience and demonstrate that you’re a top performer.
Finally, I want to emphasize the Recommendations component of your LinkedIn. For a 6 figure position, include at least 4-6 recommendations from those you’ve done work with in the past. This can be clients, direct reports, vendors, and managers or supervisors.
Next week, we’ll delve into using LinkedIn as a research tool to find companies and industry-related groups. I’ll even provide tips on how to attract recruiters without your coworkers or boss seeing your activity.
For any questions or for more information about improving your executive job search, contact me directly at (816)600-2478.
Warm Regards,
Tammy Kabell
Career Resume Consulting
