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Recruiters, that’s who.
Over 90% of recruiters turn to LinkedIn when employing job candidates and Asseton are no exception. And a LinkedIn profile is your online CV. Filling out your profile completely is essential, not just for their benefit but to expand your natural network as far as possible.
Follow our step-by-step guide to writing an engaging LinkedIn profile and start on the path to your next job.
This should be a no brainer! State your name simply, no nicknames, titles or acronyms.
A clear, smiling, professional photo is essential. Use natural light, look directly at the camera and ensure the focus is on your face, not your body.
A picture goes a long way on LinkedIn. Don’t use anything that includes other people, has poor lighting or was taken at last year’s office Christmas party.
Your Headline introduces you to LinkedIn. It’s a short, sharp and succinct 1 liner. Think about the keywords that will attract recruiters and demonstrate what you can offer. Keywords we look for are Asset management, maintenance, planning, SAP PM and master data. If you don’t currently have a job, use the title of the job you’d like to have or outline your number one skill. Don’t say “unemployed” or “looking for opportunities”. Instead use 'Master Data Guru' or 'Highly experience SAP maintenance planner'
Open with a short, personal paragraph - did you start from humble beginnings or even a completely different career? Why do you love what you do? Personal stories demonstrate humility and honesty, and make you memorable among a sea of other candidates.
The rest of your summary is a general overview of your work experience. Make it conversational, informative and full of keywords. Break it up with bold subheadings. List your key career achievements, areas of expertise and any major companies you’ve worked with.
Keep to 3-5 short paragraphs and write in the first person. Be conversational but still professional. Don’t waffle.
It may take a while to get your summary just right. But it’s possibly the most important part of your profile, so don’t rush it.
List out the rest of your relevant jobs with clear job titles, companies and dates, starting with your most recent job. Link to past employers’ companies; this connects you to their company pages, extending your natural reach.
Use bullet points to list your key achievements remembering that recruiters want to see your skills and ability to achieve results. Don’t say “Together with my team of 20 people, we achieved a 20% increase in productivity”. Unless you are managing the team, those numbers are irrelevant. Instead state how your specific role in the team resulted in a 20% increase in productivity.
Be sure to fill out your education history, linking to universities, colleges, TAFE, online education and schools. State any special projects, recognition or awards you received while there.
You should also mention any volunteer work and your interests, as long as they are relevant to your present career aspirations. Many recruiters like to see a holistic profile that demonstrates you as a person, not just an employee.
You can currently list up to 50 skills but you should at least have 5, listed in order of strength. LinkedIn will then push for endorsements on your behalf, and the more endorsement you have, the better you rank in search results. Recruiters are 33 times more likely to contact people with at least 5 skills.
It’s also very important to engage with people on LinkedIn. It’s not just a resume site.
Make connections with everyone you know including past and present colleagues, companies you’d like to work for, recruitment agencies, people working in similar fields, educators, influencers and friends. Always try to include a personal note with your request.
As well, comment on, like and share the posts of people you’d like to connect with. That will put you on their radar. It also provides a nice reference point when writing that personal connection request.