Spring Cleaning: Your LinkedIn Profile
As you find yourself with a lot of time at home during the pandemic, you may be taking the opportunity to finally clean out your garage, reorganize your closets and get rid of unwanted clutter. We suggest also dusting off your LinkedIn profile! Whether or not you are actively seeking a new opportunity, due to the uncertainty of our current job market and economic climate, we encourage everyone to keep their LinkedIn profile actively updated during this time.
What does this mean?
If you ARE currently “open to new opportunities,” be sure to change your profile setting to reflect this so recruiters and HR professionals are easily able to find and contact you! While some companies may be on temporary hiring freezes, often they are still actively searching for qualified candidates to keep in their pipeline. Additionally, make sure that your profile reflects the types of positions you seek title and function wise. If you are open to freelance or part-time opportunities or are able to work remotely, I recommend you clearly state this in your profile as well by editing and updating your settings.
Some candidates even use a compelling header like “Dynamic Strategist Seeking Branding Agency Opportunity.” This type of statement makes is very clear the type of opportunity you seek and might be helpful in preventing unwanted and off-target inquiries or messages. It also helps to differentiate you from other candidates by using unique and creative language and descriptors.
Even if you are not actively seeking new positions, I advise keeping your current title updated as well as your summary. Similar to a resume, describe or list your current job responsibilities so that recruiters and employers can better understand what you do with respect to open roles. Update and reorder your skills and endorsements to reflect your most current strengths and make sure to add any recent, notable accomplishments. Keep in mind that recruiters and talent professionals often use keywords and titles as a targeted way to find candidates with specific skillsets.
It is always useful and beneficial to include professional references in your LinkedIn profile. This is of course not a must. However, these references provide insight into your personality and work style as well as send a very positive message to the external world.
And last but not least, it is a great idea to include your resume in your LinkedIn profile. Make sure that your resume is up to date as well as this allows recruiters and HR professionals to dive into your detailed experience and ensure they truly want to make a connection with you.
If you are looking for more of an in-depth overhaul and need assistance in updating your LinkedIn profile, Tru Recruitment offers hourly services and would love to help you! Please email jodi@trurecruitment.com for more information.
