How to improve your LinkedIn profile for job search

LinkedIn is one of the most useful tools available to candidates looking for a new role. 

Your LinkedIn profile is basically your public CV. Since 87% of recruiters regularly use LinkedIn to find candidates, you will want to present yourself in the best light.

Your profile is the first impression you make on potential employers and recruiters, so it’s important to make sure your LinkedIn page is up-to-date and complete. A good profile will ensure that you are approached more often with relevant job opportunities, as well as being looked at when applying for vacancies. It’s also important to make sure that there are no inconsistencies between your CV and your LinkedIn profile, as this can raise questions from potential employers.

As Delivery Consultant for Talent Locker, I spend a lot of time scrolling through LinkedIn. During this time, I've noticed some common mistakes among candidates that are really easy to fix. I've also seen loads of great profiles that have high visibility, strong professional branding, and clearly highlighted skills - all of which puts them above the candidates they are competing against.

Read on below for my tips to a better profile, including simple errors to avoid.

Quick steps to a better profile

• Make your profile public:

  This is the easiest step to make yourself more visible to recruiters and hiring managers. It improves your visibility in search results and lets the hiring manager quickly assess if you’re right for a role.

• Choose the right profile photo and background photo:

  Your profile picture is your first introduction to a potential employer so make sure it’s a good one! A professional photo gets a user 14 times more views than other types of profile pictures. Present yourself how you would in your ideal job - and make sure you can be recognised in the picture.
  Additionally, a background photo can be used as extra insight into yourself and your role. Get creative here - it's important to make the most of every aspect of your profile! Look at what your connections have uploaded for some inspiration.

• Include role descriptions:

  If you haven’t already added a brief summary for your job titles in previous roles definitely do! This is an easy way to highlight positive achievements, outline the technologies you work with, and explain your areas of expertise.

• Include a strong LinkedIn summary:

  Your career summary section is the perfect place to share your career highlights while also letting your personality come through. Creating a great summary is the perfect way to stand out – nearly 87% of recruiters look for a good summary!

• Make a custom URL for your LinkedIn page

  This is an easy improvement to make – even if your IT skills are limited! Simply go to your profile, click to edit your intro, scroll to the ‘Contact info’ section, and edit your profile URL. A good idea would be to make your LinkedIn URL shorter and more easily found. Try shortening this to just your name, if it isn't already taken.

• Open to work? Let us know!

  If you’re open to work you can make this clear on your profile. This can of course be awkward for those in permanent positions who don’t want their current employer seeing their status. So, only advertise your availability if you feel comfortable doing so.

Long term improvements

• Gather recommendations:

  Sharing your recommendations on LinkedIn is a great way to prove your skills and your ability to form relationships with colleagues. Don’t be afraid to ask for one from people you’ve previously worked with or from former clients! You could even get the ball rolling and send one out yourself as a prompt.  

• Incorporate keywords throughout your profile:

  Listing at least 5 relevant skills will increase your chances of being discovered and messaged by more than 31 times. Ensure you include the technology and systems you work with, your job title, key responsibilities, and common variations on these words. For example, if you work in Microsoft Dynamics Finance & Operations, keywords could include #dynamics365fo #d365fo #dynamicsfo etc.

• Grow your network:

  One of the most easy ways to grow your network is by synching your profile with your email address book. After this is done, LinkedIn will suggest relevant connections for you. As you move forward, always ensure to connect with clients and contacts after meetings and conversations. You'll also want to connect with recruiters working in your industry as they will often post relevant vacancies.

• Creator mode:

  Creator mode is basically a different format for your LinkedIn profile. By using creator mode you’re able to pin your shared posts to the top of your profile. Good things to share and pin include career milestones such as promotions, relevant articles and blogs, and client success stories.
  Basically, anything of interest to clients or employers. You can also follow relevant hashtags in your industry!

• Video profiles:

  LinkedIn now allows users to upload a video introduction to their profile picture. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself to employers and tell us a bit about your current role / career aspirations.

Mistakes to avoid

• Explain career gaps:

  There are plenty of reasons why you might have a gap in your career. This is completely normal and is nothing to worry about or hide. The best way to present a career gap is to be as open and honest as possible! Provide an explanation for it in the experience section of your LinkedIn.

• Overuse of buzzwords:

  These are words that are used so often that they can lose all meaning. Words like ‘experienced’, ‘leadership’, and ‘skilled’. You can find a full list of LinkedIn’s most common buzzwords here.

• Consistency!:

  Make sure your job title is up to date and aligned with your current role in the experience section.