Are You Making the Most of Your LinkedIn Profile In Your Job Search?

Although hiring appears to have picked up a little over the last month or so, some sectors are still cutting back.  We still talk to job seekers who are finding themselves out in the job market for the first time in a long time.  These candidates often feel overwhelmed and don’t really know where to start with their job searches.  Obviously, getting a polished, keyword-rich resume together is one of the most important steps.  For many, a step that is equally important is creating or updating their LinkedIn profiles.

Studies show that the majority of recruiters and hiring managers now use LinkedIn at some point during the hiring process.  So it’s not just important to have a LinkedIn profile but to have a complete profile that focuses on your brand and what you can offer the employer. You want your profile to show up in the top of search results and then convince the hiring manager to make contact.

LinkedIn also offers somewhat of a one-stop shop for a hiring manager trying to learn more about the candidate behind that fabulous resume on his desk (that would be you!)  If you have recommendations on your profile, your candidacy receives instant credibility.  If the companies you’ve worked for have created company pages on LinkedIn, the hiring manager can instantly learn things like how big the organization is and its Web site address without having to search around.  Your LinkedIn profile also offers you the opportunity to create a more personal connection and communicate additional information not included in your resume.

So what’s in it for you?  Besides allowing hiring managers to actively search for you or learn more about you once you’ve applied, LinkedIn also offers you a fabulous opportunity to research companies in which you’re interested.  There’s probably no other place on the Web where you can find information like what percentage of the employees at a particular company have a master’s degree or attended particular schools.  Wouldn’t you feel more confident walking into an interview knowing that 20% of an organization graduated from your alma mater?

If the idea of creating an attention-grabbing LinkedIn profile feels overwhelming, our professional branding experts can do it for you!  Learn more here.