LinkedIn – is it a silver bullet that will ensure you find a job or is it just an overrated global billboard of hype with so much information and noise that you cannot possibly stand out from the other job seekers in your field?
No, to both questions.
Is it a powerful platform that is dynamically reshaping the world of recruiting? Absolutely.
Is it a site that will work for you while you are at work, on vacation or otherwise engaged in activities that are not directly related to promoting your career? That depends on the quality of your profile, from your photo to whether your content is engaging. Is your photo eye-catching? Does your content communicate your experience and your value?
Think of it this way: billboards are largely one-dimensional roadside posters, but a good LinkedIn profile with interesting content that emphasizes your experience and highlights your successes, along with a professionally produced introductory video can be affectively engaging and work for you 24/7.
Think of it this way: billboards are largely one-dimensional roadside posters, but a good LinkedIn profile with interesting content that emphasizes your experience and highlights your successes, along with a professionally produced introductory video can be affectively engaging and work for you 24/7.
As I have written previously, promoting your career brand or actively looking for your next better job is a contact sport. It is a task that requires positive effort. You simply cannot create a LinkedIn profile, go to sleep so to speak, and wake up to find an inbox filled with messages of interest or actual job offers.
You simply cannot create a LinkedIn profile, go to sleep so to speak, and wake up to find an inbox filled with messages of interest or actual job offers.
The contact in the “contact sport” description refers to aggressively building a network with other professionals and then working to add value though messaging, the posting of links, the sharing of information via email, or making, dare I say, cold calls on the telephone.
Here are six important guidelines to help you make your LinkedIn profile more relevant:
- Dump the drab or ineffective head shot photo. You need to have a professional photographer provide you with four or five head shots that you can periodically change out every three to four months to help keep your profile feeling fresh. These photos need to “pop” with contrast and reflect your personality, drawing the reader’s eye to that part of the profile page, adjacent to your very important headline. The combination of a great photograph and a relevant headline will help recruiters.
- Be sure your headline identifies your title and the value you deliver. It should be short enough so that it is not truncated when you make a post to the general or group feeds. This is an essential element in developing and promoting your brand.
- Develop content that emphasizes your experience, skills and accomplishments. Do not expect the recruiters who visit your site to do the math. Make the value of your professional accomplishments crystal clear.
- Write your “About” description in first person. This makes it more approachable and more enjoyable to read, corporate recruiters say.
- Incorporate a professionally produced introductory video that highlights your value with some information that will help the recruiters identify with you. This should not run longer than one minute. Do not use a selfie-produced video. This presentation needs to sparkle with information and professionalism.
- Your job listings must align with your resume and any career progression information on any other site where you might be listed.
Video Profiles For Executives In Transition
SPECIAL NOTE: If you have questions about our client profile videos to be included in your recruiter summary package, contact John at JohnGSelf.com. His information can be found in the contact section of his LinkedIn profile.