How to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile for Your Job Search

 

Don’t think LinkedIn matters? Consider this: 94 percent of recruiters utilize the professional online network to find and vet candidates. And with over 400 million users worldwide, LinkedIn has become one of the most important tools for job seekers.

Employers use LinkedIn for a number of things when searching for their next hire:

  • Locate highly-qualified candidates who aren’t actively looking for a job at the time
  • Vet candidates before they are offered an interview or employment
  • Post jobs
  • Network with potential future hires

Making your LinkedIn profile the best it can be will increase your chances of being found by a hiring manager or recruiter. Even if you aren’t actively looking for a job, you never know when a recruiter for your dream job is scouring LinkedIn for candidates like you.

Do yourself a favor and follow these tips for improving your LinkedIn profile:

Edit the Summary Section to Target Your Audience

Some people on LinkedIn completely disregard the Summary section. Don’t make this mistake. The Summary section is a great chance to quickly state your qualifications in a way that will entice the reader to continue scrolling through your profile.

You want to write your Summary to target hiring managers in your industry. Find a handful of job descriptions for positions that interest you and write your Summary to reflect the responsibilities and qualifications for those positions. Include a few past accomplishments and the type of position you are seeking.

Choose a Professional Profile Photo

No party pics or group shots here. Your LinkedIn profile picture should convey professionalism, so choose a photo of yourself in professional attire.

Highlight Accomplishments

Like your resume, your LinkedIn profile shouldn’t just be a list of past responsibilities. Instead, you should highlight exactly what you accomplished using stats or numbers to back it up. For example, instead of saying “Responsibilities included business-to-business sales,” you could say “Drove $200K increase in business-to-business sales over Last Fiscal Year.”

Adding stats will help quantify your accomplishments and make you look more impressive to potential employers.

Add Multimedia

In the Experience section, LinkedIn allows you to add media — a document, photo, link, video or presentation — to each listing. This is your chance to bolster your accomplishments and expertise with something visual. If you had a particularly successful presentation in the past, add the PowerPoint to showcase your talents.

 

Don’t make the mistake of ignoring your profile. Employers are looking for candidates like you on LinkedIn every day. Don’t miss out on your dream job — improve your LinkedIn profile today.

 

Need more help with interviews and landing a new job?

Call the experts at Morgan Hunter. As one of Kansas City’s top employment agencies, Morgan Hunter has helped thousands of job seekers find the next great opportunity in their careers. We work with top employers throughout the Kansas City area, matching talented individuals with growing, thriving companies.

Contact us today to learn more, or search our Kansas City jobs now.