How to create a fantastic LinkedIn profile to land your dream job?

If you have clicked on this article, you probably are aware of WHY you should use Social Media, especially LinkedIn, to attract recruiters when you are on the job hunt. But in case you are on the fence about it, do these statistics below help make up your mind?
 
2 mn job-seekers have landed a job via LinkedIn so far
AND
89% of recruiters have hired someone via LinkedIn
 
So there you are. LinkedIn is used by at least 500 Mn people, and has around 10 Mn active job listings. Moreover, not only is it being used by recruiters to find you, but today LinkedIn is being used in various ways, from establishing personal branding in the areas you want to work in, to networking with people you hope to work with. In fact today, even non-recruiters i.e. HR managers, founders, function heads etc are directly posting job requirements on LinkedIn, and if you are absent from this scene, you are missing a trick.
 
So how can one go about using Social Media as a tool to increase one’s chances of landing a job or at least a shortlist? Here are some ways.
 
How to create a fantastic LinkedIn profile to get noticed and receive calls from Recruiters
First of all, we have to say that this subject is vast, and today people can do the very basic to the very complex on Social Media to keep themselves in the reckoning. More so with LinkedIn, which being a professional platform, actively creates avenues for people to do a plethora of things to get a job. For the purpose of this article, we will cover LinkedIn, and go from creating a profile to ensure you are putting yourself out there to more direct actions you can take while looking for a job.
 
  • 1# Put a summary in your LinkedIn profile
We, as FlexiBees, being in the talent business, go through multiple LinkedIn profiles regularly, and there is nothing more exciting than a profile that has a well-written
summary.
A well-written summary explains your career graph, including the skills you have, the industries you have worked in, the roles you have essayed and the results you have achieved. This one thing is make or break and as a jobseeker, it is unforgivable to not use this feature to sell yourself.
 
 
  • 2# Update your designations and employment information regularly including if you are on a break
 
Make sure your designations and employers are updated, with accurate dates. Apart from the information it gives about your career progression, a well-updated profile also shows you have commitment towards your professional advancement, and indicates that you are familiar with technology and social tools.
 
“And if you are currently on a break, here is a pro-tip. Create a current position, and use it to talk about what you want to do. This with the right keywords will ensure you still turn up in search results. You can put ‘Various’ as the employer detail, and in place of designation and description talk about the type of role you are seeking and the things you are doing to build your skills.”
 
  • 3# Get recommendations from past employers
     
​Need we explain? This is top-notch credibility and LinkedIn provides an easy way in which to ask and receive recommendations.
 
 
 
  • 4# Emphasize your skills, get endorsements
     
As roles get more complex, and you need talent with a mix of skills, it is a very good idea to build up your profile by adding the skills you have learnt. Also endorse others’ skill-sets to get others to return the favor.
 
  • 5# Give your portfolio, and other show & tell
You can attach files, website links and resumes and you absolutely must. A potential recruiter is much more likely to shortlist you if they can get a sneak peek of your work.
 
  • 6# Follow company pages, industry groups etc that you are interested in
 
From the perspective of getting to know your target companies and remain updated on the latest happenings in your industry, but also from the view of getting to know when these companies post job listings on their pages and in industry groups, you certainly must do this
 
  • 7# Create your own content
 
LinkedIn is your canvas and you can create your own image on it as you wish to. If you are a brand marketer, post about it - for example, external articles about what brands are doing or not doing well, BUT ALSO, your own thoughts and views on some of these subjects. Make a calendar for yourself - sa.y fortnightly - and post something diligently. You will pick up connections and interesting information in the process, as well as be able to position yourself as a keen industry observer with the relevant skills
 
And now if you have made up your mind to reach-out to or invite reach-outs from recruiters and such actively, then in addition to the above, you must do these below.
 
What to do if you are actively seeking jobs on LinkedIN
 
The above works as somewhat of a mid-term strategy on pumping up your presence on LinkedIn, and if you do some of those, then you will see your connections & conversations improving. However, once you have done all of that or even half-way there, it’s time to use all the immediate recruitment tools that LinkedIn has given to get that call you have been waiting for. Some of those are -
 
  • 1# Open to recruiters - 
    Go to the ‘Career interests’ section on your dashboard and update your status as ‘Actively Looking’. Click the ‘Let recruiters know you’re open’ button ON. There are some other options to further refine what you are looking for.  
    Update this section and viola! You greatly increase your chances of turning up in shortlists.
  • 2# Give your contact details -
    At this juncture where you are looking for jobs, please don’t be shy with your contact details. Please update your email ID as part of your profile so recruiters and others can get in touch with you. It is important to put yourself out there and leave all channels of communication open.
  • 3# Network: To the point reach-outs, mention connections -
    By this time you should have a list of the companies and roles you want to work in. Do some research and get to know who the decision makers for these roles are, and make every effort to reach out to them.
    In order to do that, make use of any common connections you have, and when you do reach out, do mention those connections as a starting point to let the person you are reaching out to soften a bit towards your cold reach-out.
    Finally, don’t be clinical in your actual message i.e. don’t just attach your resume or your cover letter and expect those to do all the talking. It is perfectly fine to attach a resume, but if you want that person to look through it, you have to first establish a connection.
“It could be something personal, something interesting about you. For someone who is looking to return after a break, it could be as simple as putting that factoid, upfront, proudly.”
 
  • 4# Ask for a referral -
    Job postings on LinkedIn provide the facility for you to reach-out for a referral. Around 50% of recruiters say referrals are the primary source of quality hires and if you receive a referral you're 4x more likely to hear back from a recruiter.
  • 5# Create search alerts -
    LinkedIn allows you to create job alerts, where you enter your criteria and it will send you an alert every time a job listing is done that matches it. What better way can there be to make technology work for you!
All these efforts will most likely spill over on other social media as well. Update your Facebook profile, and you will start getting relevant job ads from companies using Facebook as a hiring source. The other advantage to putting in some effort into your Facebook profile is that recruiters and hiring managers often go and check the profiles of the people they are interviewing, to get a sense of their persona. So make sure you put something that reflects you in a positive light.
 
We hope this article was illuminating and you will get started on updating your LinkedIn profile immediately if not already done!
But like we always say, don’t aim for perfection and if you have the basics updated, start applying for jobs. These things take time, and are iterative. So it’s important to start early; and as with everything in life, start before you think you are completely ready!

 
***
 
We at FlexiBees have placed such talented career returners like you across a variety of functions & skill-sets like Marketing, Digital Marketing, Public Relations, Investment Banking, Inside Sales, Business Development, Technology, Content Writing, Graphic Design, etc. We are committed to creating meaningful options for you. Go to https://jobseeker.flexibees.com/and register with us, so we can reach out to you when we get any requirements that match your skills.