What about your LinkedIn profile?

We’re entering a busy season in the job market, according to newly released data from LinkedIn. October is the month when the greatest number of jobs are posted. Additionally, more than a quarter of professionals are looking or planning to look for jobs this-coming season. 

With that in mind, I want to dedicate a portion of this week’s edition of #GetHired to helping you spruce up your LinkedIn profile. After all, we’ve tackled resumes, cover letters, applicant tracking systems, interviews and many other aspects of the modern job search. I’d be derelict in my duty if I didn’t discuss LinkedIn.

I’ll tackle some of the questions you submitted since last week about LinkedIn and then follow up with some basics. 

Beyond the basics

A few of you asked about matching the information in your resume to your LinkedIn profile. You obviously want the titles and dates of your work experiences to align with your physical resume, but your LinkedIn profile is meant to be so much more. You can include more substance and creativity to the descriptions, for example. You can attach examples of your work. You can also show off your expertise by uploading videos or writing posts or articles. While your resume may be limited to a printed page, the internet gives you additional freedom to sell your skills.

Another valuable difference between your resume and LinkedIn profile is the tone. Many of you asked how to write your profile. For example, do you write in first person with “I” or “me?” Or, do you write in third person with “he” or “she?” While it’s ultimately up to you, I’d encourage you to write in the first person. As a writer, I know that people who write in the first person tend to tell their stories better and more authentically than those who write in third person.

Speaking of personalization and tone, I also received questions about crafting the perfect headline for your LinkedIn profile. The best advice is to not overthink it and don’t just repeat your title. Tell us who you are and what you want to do. I am a “journalist connecting people with opportunity,” which is why it’s my headline.

The basics

Still, the most important takeaway about having a great LinkedIn profile is to make sure you complete and fill out the various sections — not just your work and volunteer experiences. We know that people who take the time to add a photo, as well as their most recent industry, location, education and summary are more likely to get connections, attention from recruiters, InMails and more.

Your photo

• Having a recent and recognizable photo is important — profiles with photos receive 21 times more profile views, 9 times more connection requests and 36 times more messages. As someone with a pretty standard name, I want people to know they’re connecting to the correct Andrew Seaman. 

Your industry

• If you’re trying to get noticed by recruiters and hiring managers, it’s important to add your industry to your profile. Why? Many people on LinkedIn search by industry. As a result, you have a better chance of standing out.

Your summary

• Your summary on LinkedIn should basically answer the age-old interview question, “tell me about yourself.” Think of your summary as your elevator pitch — how would you spark a potential employer’s interest in 20 seconds? If recruiters and hiring managers remember nothing else, your summary should be what you want them to take away from your profile.

Your work

• One part of the LinkedIn profile that people tend to overlook is the space where you can add examples of your work. Instead of just telling people you managed marketing campaigns for your previous employer, you can show people the actual marketing campaigns. The media section of your profile can highlight photos, presentations and videos.

Your skills

• Adding skills and requesting endorsements on LinkedIn are important to get noticed. Members who add at least a handful of skills are many times more likely to get people to look at their profiles. I know how difficult it can be to identify your skills. You can try LinkedIn Skill Assessments, which is a way to validate the skills you have.

Do you have questions or tips about LinkedIn profiles? Join the conversation.

? The follow-up:

We covered cover letters in last week’s edition of #GetHired. While some people may question their use, Dana Leavy-Detrick, director and founder of Brooklyn Resume Studio, said it’s best for job seekers to have one prepared. She said you shouldn't reiterate your resume. Instead, Leavy-Detrick said to focus on what sets you apart from other applicants. Additionally, she told me that you should explain why you want the job and be mindful about applicant tracking systems. As for length, she said to fill about half to three quarters of a printed page. Here’s what people are saying about the advice.

? Other news to help you #GetHired: 

Holiday hiring is here. Retailers and other consumer-facing companies are looking for an army of temporary employees to join their workforce to help them with increased demand. Target, UPS, Amazon and Kohl’s have all started looking for holiday helpers. Target is looking to hire 125,000 people to work in its stores during the holidays, for example. UPS is also hiring about 100,000 seasonal workers to handle increased demand. Fortunately for job seekers, the country’s low unemployment rate means that these companies will be paying more for help. Here’s what people are saying about holiday hiring.

Amazon’s Career Day events popped up in several cities across the U.S. last week. The retail and tech giant says its hiring for more jobs than ever, with 30,000 positions available in the U.S. Long lines of job seekers formed at Career Day events in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, Seattle and Arlington, Virginia. While the company didn’t accept resumes or conduct interviews at the events, people got to learn about available positions and talk with recruiters. Here’s what people are saying about Amazon’s Career Day.

Should you think about your job search like a product launch? The release of Apple’s iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro on Friday were likely the biggest product launches of the year. You may want to follow in the tech giant’s footsteps when getting your own job search off the ground, BlueSteps Career Services’ Kathy Simmons writes in Forbes. Specifically, she calls out the idea of defining your brand and then developing your strategy. Here’s what people are saying about the advice.

? Up next:

I’m jetting off to Dallas this week for Talent Connect 2019, which is one of the world’s largest gatherings of recruiters and talent developers. My goal is to find out the latest trends in the hiring industry and get answers to the questions many of you submitted a few weeks ago. Stay tuned for next week’s edition to find out what I learned at the conference. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to this newsletter if you haven’t already.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to reach out to me if you have ideas on topics or questions I should address in future editions of #GetHired.