How you can attract specialist recruiters/future employers on LinkedIn – What should your profile look like?

When it comes to job hunting, it is always a good idea to set yourself up with a comprehensive and detailed LinkedIn profile. Whereas CV’s rely on you singling out companies you want to work for, catering a CV specifically for them, and directly sending it to them via an application, LinkedIn is far easier. Just by creating a profile, you allow potential employers to access your information and reach out to you, whether it be through a message, opportunity, question, or even a job offer. Being able to receive interest from employers, rather than the other way around is a luxury that you cannot afford to miss out on. Even if you are not looking for work or are very happy in the job you have now, you never know what offer may come your way on LinkedIn. So, how can you set up your profile to attract specialist recruiters in the first place?

Profile picture – A profile with a professional image goes a long way to creating a positive first impression.

Headline – Your career headline is seen in your profile preview, along with your photo and name. Tailor this headline to fit the recruiters you want to attract. For example, if you are looking for a job in operational risk, include the words ‘operational risk’ in this headline.

Link out – Thanks to LinkedIn being an online platform, you have the ability to add all kinds of additional enhancements to your profile. Attaching documents, videos, links to papers & blogs you’ve written, and more is a great way of convincing a recruiter of your experience and quality of work.

Status – Ensure that your account is open to job inquiries, consulting offers, career opportunities and new ventures.

Open Candidates – A relatively new and exciting feature from LinkedIn. By turning this on, you let recruiters know that you are open to new opportunities. You can even list the types of positions and companies you are interested in. The cherry on top is your current employer, partner companies and the general public can’t see your status.

Pitch yourself – In your main bio, make it clear why you would be a good addition to a company and what makes you different.

Employment – Where have you worked? Which projects have you worked on? What was your role? What value did you add? Which teams have you managed? Pick out your career highlights and really sell yourself.

Key words – With your chosen sector/field in mind, make sure to use keywords that will attract search results in that area. For example, risk, credit, python, corporate governance, etc. Employers and recruiters will use scanning software on LinkedIn, so using the correct key words is a must.

Spelling and grammar – Few recruiters are going to be impressed by a profile riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes. If you don’t take time and care over your own profile, why would they trust you at their company?

Endorsements – LinkedIn offers a unique and effective endorsement feature, giving your peers the chance to confirm that you are proficient in a particular skill. The more you have of these, the better you look. This is especially prevalent when the skills directly transfer to the specialist area of work you are aiming for i.e. Investment Risk.

Recommendations – Along a similar line, it also helps to gain referrals from people you have worked with in the past. A well written recommendation will highlight your ability and experience will go a long way with future employers who are reviewing profiles.

Update – Make sure to keep your profile up to date.

For further information or advice on effectively setting up your LinkedIn profile please email to contact@saxtonleigh.co.uk

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