HOW TO MAKE YOUR LINKEDIN STAND OUT
What used to be the question of, “can you send me their CV?”, is slowly becoming “can you send me their LinkedIn?”.
More than ever, LinkedIn is vital for the recruitment process. At enable, we use LinkedIn constantly to find new talent – not just because everyone is on it, but because it gives a real feel of what a person is like… if they use it properly.
There’s so many things I look out for on a LinkedIn page that display passion, professionalism, and personality – but a lot of time people don’t utilise their profiles enough. Whether you don’t see the need for it or you just don’t know how to use it, you’re missing out on an extremely powerful tool that:
Helps you build fantastic connections
Has such valuable and relevant content
Can secure you with the job of your dreams
Used right, LinkedIn is the best place to showcase your professionalism and get meaningful results in return.
HAVE A PROFESSIONAL PROFILE PICTURE
First things first, don’t ruin your profile with a bad picture.
You don’t have to have a suit and tie on, posing in front of a green screen, but please avoid Snapchat filters, or peace signs.
Look approachable and friendly!
COMPLETE ALL THE PROFILE SET-UP STEPS
LinkedIn actually does a huge chunk of the job for you by showing you what bits of information to fill out to make your profile more optimised and attractive to recruiters.
Whether it’s your:
Education
Job history
Skills
And rather than doing the bare minimum, take the time to write detailed descriptions about what you’ve done, highlighting the areas that display the right skills and experience for the role you’re trying to get.
WRITE A DETAILED ABOUT SECTION
This is probably the hardest and most awkward part to do.
Just like writing a personal statement, trying to shove in all your experience and skills into a short piece of writing can be overwhelming and also give you a hint of imposter syndrome. Writing about yourself is weird thing.
But to make it a little less awkward, here’s some things to make sure you include:
What you do now (whether it’s a job or education)
Industry expertise and how you gained it
Specific skills you’ve gained along the way
What you’re passionate about
Whatever you write, make sure it’s relevant to the role you’re applying for. Think of it like a profile for a CV but with a bit more pizzazz.
FOLLOW AND CONNECT WITH PEOPLE IN YOUR NICHE
Your LinkedIn profile isn’t just about having all your personal information filled out, it’s about showcasing yourself as a person and the career you’d like to have.
Having the right people on your page is the best place to start. Not only will you build good relationships if you reach out to people the right way (no spammy messages please!), but you’ll also be able to learn from likeminded people.
LinkedIn has a world of information, not just generally, but industry specific information that can benefit you whether you have a job or not.
How does this apply to getting a job? Keep reading…
BE ACTIVE
Only 16% of LinkedIn users use it daily (Zippia). This is your chance to be in that bracket. Following the right people, gives you the right content to engage with, whilst giving you ideas to post your own.
Recruiters aren’t just looking for whether you have 2 years’ experience in business development, they’re looking to see if you have a passion and eagerness that other candidates don’t have.
Whether it’s writing an article, a short snappy post, or sharing/ commenting on someone else’s and giving your take – you’re displaying a practical layer of the skills you claim to have on your profile.
It shows you know your stuff, you want to get stuck in, you’re up to date with industry news, and you enjoy learning from other people. Those are huge green flags.
BE YOU
Many people avoid LinkedIn because they don’t believe they have the professionalism for it – but that’s a huge misconception.
You don’t have to switch off your personality as soon as you log onto LinkedIn. The most successful people on that platform have a truly impressive personal brand. This means they’re constantly proving themselves to be trustworthy, approachable, and well – human.
In every post and every comment, be yourself. The professional version of yourself of course, but don’t ignore your personality because that is what will really set you apart from other candidates.
Skills are great, but no one wants to work with a robot – so don’t pretend to be one!
- Written by Shannon Matthews
NEED SOME FRIENDLY ADVICE OR MORE TIPS?
If you are looking for more advice or help finding your next job, we can help, please give us a call on: 0117 301 8495 or take a look at our jobs page. Alternatively, if you’re an employer in the South West and South Wales looking to recruit and need someone with real recruiting expertise then we can help – let’s chat.