Are you getting the most from Linkedin?

The world of recruitment is changing rapidly, and the way in which businesses recruit new members of staff is very different now to a decade ago. With technology changing quickly, it’s often hard to keep up - Skype, Video Interviews, Glassdoor, LinkedIn.. words a few years ago that would have meant nothing to us. The fact that you are reading this article shows there is a good chance that you already have a good understanding of the social networking tool specifically designed for professionals; LinkedIn. This powerful tool enables you to create a network of like minded new professionals, businesses, and colleagues – putting you in touch with people who otherwise you would have no contact with.

More recently LinkedIn has been a major platform for advertising and applying for jobs... but are we making the most of our LinkedIn profiles to enable us to sell ourselves? There are a great deal of people who create a LinkedIn profile because the guy on the next desk has informed them they “must” join, but have no idea why, and consequently abandon the site and the profile. Here we explain how to get the most from your LinkedIn account.

Why do I need to be on LinkedIn?

More commonly professionals are using LinkedIn as a form of CV, some recruitment websites even allow you to hyperlink your LinkedIn page into your application. Now your paper CV is usually limited to one-two pages, but your LinkedIn resume can be expanded into much more detail because of it’s nature. There is no need to condense your experience and risk leaving out that specific skill that a prospective employer might just be looking for.

The ability to connect with people in your network is paramount, gone are the days of collecting business cards, which perhaps one day might make their way onto an electronic database somewhere. Connecting with someone on LinkedIn is quick, permanent, and provides you with not just their email address and telephone number.

If you are good at your job, and spend time using LinkedIn to it’s full capacity, you can accumulate recommendations and endorsements for your skills and talents. A brilliant way for prospective employers to see just how amazing you are. It can also replace the need for new employers to chase references which can be time consuming and sometimes awkward.

LinkedIn is interesting! It gives you the opportunity to read articles and blogs (just like this one!), as well as join groups that are related to your professional interests. This means that you are always learning, keeping on top of the market, and constantly learning new things. It’s so easy to keep your head down within one business, and not follow your industry news outside of the business you currently sit in. LinkedIn opens up doors for your to see the industry as a whole.

So, what do I need to do, to really shine on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to sell yourself. It’s the one place that you can really go into detail about your professional experiences and knowledge shamelessly, so let’s look at just how you can do this. Remember, potential employers won’t be searching for your name with looking for a prospective employee, they’ll be searching for skills and expertise – so you need to make sure these are written down. Content is key.

First impressions count – Use a clear, professional picture for your LinkedIn profile picture. Yes a picture of you sinking a tequila shot with a traffic cone on your head is hilarious, but it’s not what is going to land you your dream job. Something relaxed, but professional is best. Equally as important is your headline, this defaults to your job title, but should be changed to something that really highlights your main skills and industry.

Next, your summary. This is one of the first things that will be read in your profile page, and is your main opportunity to draw people in to read the real meaty information further into your profile. The key to this is to highlight your skills and experience creatively, writing a stock, robotic summary is not going to pique the interest of the reader and entice them in to learn more about you. Let your personality shine through with the right balance of professionalism at the same time. Do some research into other well written summaries to help inspire you to write yours. This is your one opportunity to introduce yourself, and goes back to that all important first impression.

Make use of every opportunity LinkedIn provides to tell readers about yourself, not forgetting to include all ‘relevant’ experience (nobody cares that you once had a paper round). You will also be able to include details on your education, your skills, endorsements and recommendations. Some of these will populate themselves over time, but by using LinkedIn regularly, and engaging with others, as well as spending time providing recommendations and endorsing others, your profile will populate much quicker, with current and ex colleagues much more likely to return the favour if you’ve spent a little time helping them too.

It really isn’t rocket science making LinkedIn work for you, but is so worth the effort you put in, like a lot of things, you get out of it what you put in. Spending time creating and nurturing your network is the way forward and puts you at the forefront of industry news and opportunities.

Zara Lilleycrop

Profile Personnel