Open to Work Profile Do's & Don'ts

What recruiters & most job seekers miss on their profiles when they are #opentowork.

Unexpected layoffs continue to hit all segments of the workforce. The recruitment industry has been particularly affected this year as there are 95K candidates with the title "Recruiter," listed as ACTIVE TALENT, and 200K with the title "Recruiter," that are marked "Open to Work," here in the United States.

The 95K that are Active Talent, are those who "have shared a profile update, a public resume on LinkedIn, or work at a company that may be experiencing layoffs." - LinkedIn Talent Insights (Recruiter).

So, today, we are talking about those who are publically open to work. Most likely showcasing the Open to Work banner, applying for roles, accepting interviews, and networking to their next opportunity.

Layoffs are traumatic, and we all react differently.

Layoffs create knee jerk reactions.

One of my connections explained to me, as he was wrapping up his layoff call with Amazon, he was already on LinkedIn changing his status, and sharing his open to work post. He hadn't even hung up from the bad news call yet! This is more common than you may realize!

Please take the time to update your profile before sharing your "Open to Work" post!

Here are my PROFILE Do's and Don'ts for Open to Work people - Those in a public job search that can use the Green Banner.

DO'S

?? If laid off take a few days to process your layoff and focus on self care.

?? Make sure your profile photo is professional and within the last 2-3 years.

?? Update your headline to include at least 1-2 keyword searchable job titles that are recognizable by LinkedIn.

?? Click the blue button under your headline "Open To," Finding a new job, "Show recruiters and others you're open to work.

?? Add the relevant job titles to your Open to Work status. I recommend maximizing ALL 5 job titles.

?? Update locations, start date, employment types, and your visibility of your open to work status.

?? Update your ABOUT section. Think about where you have been, what you have done, what people say about you professionally, and what you want people to do when they land on your profile.

?? Make sure you've updated your EXPERIENCE section to reflect promotions, and have most recent/relevant job titles attached to your roles. Try to remove any GRAY boxes by retyping the company name (oftentimes the correct company logo will appear).

?? Audit your SKILLS section. Make sure you are prioritizing skills that align with the skills of the roles you are targeting.

?? Review your EDUCATION section and make sure all the information is accurate.

?? Update VOLUNTEER section and add any other certifications.

DON'TS

? Let the gray box be your cover image of your profile. The cover image is your billboard along the LinkedIn highway.

? Sell your old employer in your EXPERIENCE section. Remove company links, and corporate verbiage about the organization. Focus on sharing the impact you made!

? Use acronyms in the NAME section of your profile. Use your name, add the acronyms in the headline.

? Don't put "open to work," in the headline if you have the banner turned on.

? Have your settings on "Private Mode."

? Show as "not having any activity" in last 90 days. Be active on the platform!

? Have a profile that has ZERO recommendations. Social proof in today's job market is important.

? Forget to update your CONTACT info, and primary email address.

? Write your ABOUT section in 3rd person. It's your profile, use YOUR voice, and speak to your ideal hiring manager.

? Ignore the "Add Profile" section. Review the Core, Recommended, and Additional prompts available to you.

So, why take a hot minute to update your profile before you make that OPEN TO WORK post?

Because clarity is everything.

With social media we "generalize and distort" information we consume and if it is confusing people move on.

You don't want people to land on your profile and be CONFUSED!

You want you to be FOUND by your next dream employer!

You want to get conversations started and interviews booked!

Does your profile help you accomplish that goal?

Take the TIME to make the updates, build your profile to tell your story!

Start with these Do's and Don'ts and you will be a step ahead!

THEN, make that open to work POST.

HOW to make the OTW post is a whole other newsletter and mini course coming soon!

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Anna ??