Here’s how to update your LinkedIn profile and get hired.
So…..do you need to update your story? Trying to create a resume or update an old one can be paralyzing. Finding a job in today’s fiercely competitive job market requires creativity and salesmanship. If you want to find a job, your resume must grab a recruiter's attention, tell a story and land you an interview. We work with our job seekers to create resumes, cover letters, professional bios and LinkedIn profiles that will get noticed. October is the month with the most job postings, - here’s how to update your Linkedin profile
First, Update That Profile Pic
Get this: LinkedIn profiles with photos receive up to 21 times more profile views, nine more connection requests and up to 36 more messages. Not sure how to snap a good one? Two words: Portrait mode.
Next, Take a Hard Look at How You Summarize Yourself
You know the “About” section at the top of your profile? That’s actually the most viewed part of your page, which means you want to make sure you update it regularly and that it represents who you are and what you’re looking for. (Pro tip: “Keep it to 40 words or less so it’s more likely to show up in a search.”)
Update Your List of Skills
This is another area that hiring managers look at, so you want to be sure you’re promoting them loud and clear. Not sure how to identify everything you’re good at? You can use LinkedIn’s Skill Assessments tool to verify skills and show that you qualify for job opportunities with specific needs, whether you’re looking to show off your proficiency at Microsoft Excel or the fact that you are a whiz at Javascript.
Make Sure Employers Can Find You
It’s a common quandary: When you’re employed at one place, how do you put the word out that you’re interested in working somewhere else? Enter Open Candidates, a new feature from LinkedIn that privately signals to recruiters that you’re just that—open to new opportunities. (You toggle it on behind-the-scenes on your personal LinkedIn dashboard, but it’s only visible to recruiters and won’t show up on your public profile.)
And That You Know How to Find Them
Final question: How do you find the influx of October postings? You should start by filtering your search on LinkedIn by job function, title, industry and more. You can also use the open search box to add key phrases like “remote” or “work-from-home” to find opportunities that meet your specific wants and needs. And keep in mind: Hiring managers post the most opportunities on Monday, so you want to be sure to set up Job Alerts so listings are sent to you in real time.
We are here to help - with mentorship programs geared toward updating your professional profile, and get your career headed in the right direction.
#TELLYOURSTORY with SherpaSocial.