7 Steps to Double Your Job Leads Using Your LinkedIn Profile
Did you know that in our 2020 Salary Survey we found that over 80% of Employers listed Networking as their top way to find talent? In addition, we found that over 60% of recruiters said they found better candidates through LinkedIn vs. traditional job boards. Now don’t mistake that statement for an excuse to stop applying to jobs on boards. But if you want an edge on your peers, here is some additional advice to follow.
Let recruiters know you’re in the market
Even if you’re only passively looking, why would you not want free opportunities knocking at your door? You can have the best resume and profile, but you need recruiters to find you also and know that it’s ok to reach out to you. Let them know the following by selecting the Open Candidtes feature on your LinkedIn page:
Select a status by selecting actively searching, passively looking, or not looking but open to the right offer.
List your target roles and what job titles you’re interested in hearing about so you get more relevant hits.
Fill in your location preferences by selecting specific cities, remote roles, or relocation roles.
Open Candidates features have other functionality too including job types and even the ability to write a short note about your situation and what you’re looking for.
Use a custom URL
When you sign up for LinkedIn, you receive a random url with a bunch of numbers like linkedin.com/in/1951216513. You don’t want to list that on your resume or if you’re sending messages to people that link back to your profile. And yes, you should include your URL in your resume, someone’s going to find it anyhow - make it easy for them. In fact in our 2020 Salary Survey, over 68% of employers stated that they were more likely to reach out to someone after they viewed their LinkedIn profile.
To change your URL, go click on the “Edit public profile and URL” option when viewing your profile and ta-da, you can change it! Ideally, you want it to be your name, but if you’re name’s John Smith you may have to be creative. Here are some examples:
linkedin.com/in/johnsmith
linkedin.com/in/john-smith
linkedin.com/in/johnbsmith
linkedin.com/in/john-b-smith
Have a profile picture that shows personality and professionalism
This is your first impression and as you have heard - first impressions can make or break you. Make yours count with a high quality LinkedIn profile picture. You can easily do this with a smart phone given how far they’ve come in picture quality. Besides that you’ll just want to grab a friend so it doesn’t look like a selfie.
For best results use this advice:
Profile picture dimensions are 400x400 on LinkedIn
If your profile picture is larger than the above, make sure it is cropped in a square ratio
Best resolution is 7680 x 4320
You can use PNG, JPG and GIF files
Don’t exceed a file size of 8mb
When taking your picture, here are some things to consider:
Find an area with indirect sunlight for the best picture quality and to make sure you’re not squinting
Plan what you are going to wear. A splash of color never hurt. Do you want to come across as more casual or corporate?
Find a location that has a great background. If going with a solid color background think about the color meanings associated with the color or finding a place with gardens or the city can be great too
If you have portrait mode on your camera, use it!
Smile and show a little personality when taking your pictures. Mix it up if you want, but remember to stay professional.
Take at least 15 pictures, you’ll be glad you did later.
Touch it up using an app on your phone or computer if you need to.
Choose a great cover photo
For more information about cover photos, check out our expert article “Increase the visibility of your LinkedIn profile.”
Increase visibility with a headline
For more information about headlines, check out our expert article “Increase the visibility of your LinkedIn profile.”
A summary that sells
The next thing after your pictures and your headline is your summary. Do not make the mistake of copying your resume or summarizing your career. This is the place to write your elevator pitch! Give some context to who you are, highlight your abilities and achievements, tell people what you can do for them (how do you minimize risk and provide value), and make them believe there is no one better than you. And remember, fill it with keywords in a conversational way so your profile comes up in more searches. To write a great summary here are some recommendations:
Start with an opening statement that concisely summarizes your experience and value. Include 3-5 keywords.
Add some bullets (easy to read) which show your biggest achievements. Use measurable, quantifiable and really highlight your results. Everyone wants to know two things, how much does this person cost and how much are they going to bring to the table. This should answer the second question so the first one is a no brainer.
Finish with a closing statement about the type of job that would excite you and how they can reach you. You don’t have to be direct here if you don’t want to raise any flags at your current employer. It’s ok to hint at it. Don’t forget to include your email.
Work experience
Remember your LinkedIn profile has one goal - to sell yourself. Rather than include a summary of your job history, use this section to sell yourself. You’ll want to make great use of industry terms, power words, and measurable results - numbers! Each work experience should have bullets of your responsibility, achievements, and the experience you’ve gained at each. It needs to be easy to read and attractive which is why we recommend bullets. This section should read very similar to your resume if you’ve worked with Optim to write your resume. The principles are virtually the same.
