Simple Steps to Stand Out on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a big stage for job seekers to showcase themselves to recruiters and potential employers. Often, the number of people on LinkedIn makes it very easy for your profile to become lost in the crowd if you don’t take steps to actively stand out.

Thankfully, there is plenty you can do to make your profile more easily discoverable and more attractive to recruiters and hiring managers. Here are our top tips:

Profile

• Your profile is the hook to attract recruitment consultants or talent scouts – so make sure it’s heavily loaded with the juiciest information you have.
• An incomplete LinkedIn profile is the equivalent to half a resume or even an application that got lost in the mail. The more information you include, the more likely your profile will appear when recruiters search for someone with your skills and background.
• No matter how much information you add, a LinkedIn profile doesn’t look complete without a photo. Choose a professional-looking headshot, not a snap from a night out.

Headline

• When recruiters search on LinkedIn, they may end up with hundreds of results. A strong headline can make all the difference in convincing recruiters to click through to your profile.
• The headline appears at the top of your profile, beneath your name, and defaults to your current job title(s). However, you can edit this field to include relevant keywords and any other job titles that may better describe your abilities or match what recruiters may search for. It’s worth spending a little time experimenting to come up with a headline that sells your profile as a must-see.

Summary

• Your profile provides a field where you can enter a short summary as an introduction. It can take as many as 2,000 characters so never leave this blank. Think of it as your cover letter, where you can add personality to your qualifications, place some context around your career ambitions and, with any luck, stand out from the many other profiles and applications with similar skills and experience.
• Tell your story and what makes you tick. Give recruiters a glimpse of the real you so they might see you as someone worth meeting, with the personality and social skills that would fit well in their team.
• Just add what you know – don’t make anything up or include words and industry lingo that you don’t understand. 

LinkedIn is far more than a job board and in addition to these simple steps, it is important to actively network on a regular basis. Happy LinkedIn-ing!

Lawson Delaney is a leading executive search and professional recruitment firm based in Melbourne. We specialise in recruiting CEOs and leadership teams, and accountants of all seniorities for accounting firms. Contact us on 03 9946 7300 or support@lawsondelaney.com.au to learn more about how we can assist you with a vacancy or new role today.