How to Optimize your Professional Brand on LinkedIn
Allison Kruse
Head of Global Employer Brand and Recruitment Marketing at Baxter | Senior Talent Acquisition Strategist | #ThisIsWhere our work matters
Over recent years, your resume has taken a back seat to your LinkedIn profile – and has become widely recognized as the very center of your professional brand.
Your professional brand plays a pivotal role in your career. Regardless of if you are currently looking for a new job or not, it is important to strategically design and actively manage your digital persona.
LinkedIn is the social media channel of choice for recruiters; they seem to be on the site more than any other occupation. The professional networking site is often the first place they go when looking up job candidates online. Take advantage of this busy beehive of recruiters.
Demonstrating your traits most desired by employers
Nearly half of businesses surveyed by Accenture reported a skills gap, meaning they don’t have the skills they need to compete effectively in the coming years. Many companies are responding by increasing their commitment to training and are placing more emphasis on hiring for potential.
It’s become a more sustainable approach for companies to hire based on “potential fit” and certain characteristics as predictors of success.
Top traits employers are looking for in 2019:
- Curiosity
- Resiliency
- Problem solving
- Social media competency
- Ability to align strategic vision with execution
- Thrives in ambiguity
- Highly skilled in inspiring others and engaging them to act
- Interpret and build strategy with data analytics
To stand out from your peers, your LinkedIn presence must establish you as a respected, recognized leader in your industry.
Content: your competitive advantage
Here are two ways to demonstrate that you have these traits on LinkedIn: by optimizing your profile and by sharing and discussing industry-relevant content.
LinkedIn is king when it comes to recruiting on social media, and it’s typically a recruiter’s first stop to look up candidates after receiving their application. If you email a recruiter, what she sees (or doesn’t see) on your LinkedIn profile may be a deciding factor on whether you get a response. When you apply to a job, your recruiter may spend very little time reviewing your resume, but will likely carefully review your LinkedIn activity.
Every moment counts when a recruiter or hiring manager is sizing up your skills, experience and approach to work, and comparing you with dozens – if not hundreds – of other candidates.
A stellar LinkedIn profile isn’t enough to show recruiters that you are the best person for the job. The way you interact with content on LinkedIn could be why you get the interview and beat out those other guys.
This is accomplished by telling your story via your LinkedIn profile and the content that you share, like and comment on.
To get targeted content directly in your LinkedIn feed:
- Take advantage of LinkedIn's suggested stories and follow trending topics in your industry
- Add topics, thought leaders and company content into your feed
- Grow your network by either inviting people to connect, or if you don’t know the person, follow them instead
If you have an employee advocacy program at your company, in which you are sent suggested content to share with your networks, take advantage of it! It can be time-consuming to find your own high-quality, targeted content – let alone write social media posts, include the best hashtags, and attach attention-grabbing images.
When you share content, add why this content is meaningful to you in your own words. Simply clicking the Share button without adding your two cents doesn’t demonstrate your expertise or curiosity.
If you’re openly looking for a new job
It’s no secret. You are looking for a job and not concerned about who knows. There are special considerations for active job seekers to optimize your professional brand and get noticed by recruiters.
- Privately signify to recruiters that you are looking. Click here for how to do that.
- Mention networking events and job fairs you are attending. It’s a subtler way of saying “I’m looking for a job.”
- Follow your target employers on LinkedIn, and pay attention to the topics discussed on their LinkedIn company page. Join the conversations by asking thoughtful questions and leaving comments that reveal your passion for your industry and your focus on continuous learning.
- Use content to start conversations with recruiters. As they post content that interests you, like, comment and share. You never know where a conversation with a recruiter can lead! Network with the networkers, and reap the benefits.
Using your LinkedIn profile to promote your professional brand
Optimizing your LinkedIn profile is an important step to develop your online presence and professional brand. Demonstrate throughout your profile that you are the best candidate for the job (even if you are not actively looking for a new job right now). Tell your story. You never know when a recruiter is looking for people with your skills and experience. That recruiter may have your dream job open, but they must find you first.