As a digital marketer, your LinkedIn profile says a lot about you – from how much experience you have to how passionate you are about the industry. It's your online call-out card when you're looking for a job or in some cases not even looking, but instead headhunted for your experience and know-how.
LinkedIn is so popular amongst recruiters and HR pros that 95 percent are on the network looking for candidates according to Forbes. But with so much advice around on how to stand out, it’s not always clear what the correct approach is.
That’s why we spoke to a number of leading digital marketing recruiters and asked, “What exactly do you look for in a LinkedIn profile?” Now we’re sharing it with you to give you some advice and tips on how to get found and hired on LinkedIn.
1. Be an Attention-Grabber
Recruiters and HR departments get sent a lot of CVs and resumes. This means their time and attention is limited. So it's about making your LinkedIn profile stand out.
Get a friend to take the 'scan test' and ask them to feed back the key information that jumps out about you. We bet it’s things like your heading, titles, the keywords in your summary, and the number of times you’ve been endorsed.
To get attention on the social network, make sure that your bio is snappy, accurate, to the point and formatted for quick and easy scanning. Most importantly, save recruiters valuable time by identifying your value proposition instantly.
Top Recruiter Tips:
Alan Murphy, Recruitment Consultant From Sigmar Recruitment Says:
“Your job title could include a creative one-liner – this is your opportunity to sell yourself that little bit more so it could relate to an award/specialty (X winner 2023 for example).”
“The summary should be creative and concise as you will probably get about 10-20 seconds to interest someone. So tell me what you are good at and what you want to draw me in and then give me a little more information about your skill set.”
Keith O’Connor, Marketing Manager From Alternatives Says:
“Your summary is extremely important, you should think of it as your CV’s executive summary.”
Here's a great example of a bio and 'About' section on LinkedIn that tells a recruiter exactly what this person does but also shows off her passion, interests and personality.
2. Appeal to Your Target Audience
Before crafting your LinkedIn profile answer these very important questions: “What’s in it for recruiters?” “Why should they listen?”
As a digital marketer, you need to consider the impact your LinkedIn profile will have on your target audience. Will it engage, entice, intrigue? Does it communicate your value proposition?
Consider the information recruiters want and need to see before making an informed decision to recommend you. Speak their language and be kind, consistent and clear with your formatting.
Your best bet? Make their job easier by ensuring your profile is foolproof to read, understand and scan. Identify what they are looking for and give it to them in bold, beautiful headings and unmistakable bullet points.
Top Recruiter Tips:
Cecilia Desmond, Recruitment Consultant from Morgan McKinley said:
“Know your audience: “Jot down the key skills, competencies and points you want to convey and communicate these through your profile. Ask yourself, who do I want to read my profile? What do I want them to know about me? Be mindful of the reader: Read any content out loud & ensure it makes sense to the reader."
3.Show Your Professional Side
A recent study revealed that 95 percent of recruiters and business owners believe a LinkedIn profile acts as a business card today. So it's essential that you make the most of the visual power of your LinkedIn profile and reflect yourself in the best and most professional manner possible.
Don’t forget to take advantage of your custom background image too. Have a blog? Why not enter the URL and a call to action? Have you spoken at a conference? Upload a photo of you taking center stage for the instant “this is me” effect. Choose the best photo/image that truly reflects who you are in your career – the one that portrays your most confident and capable self.
Also, make sure to reach out and ask peers or colleagues for recommendations. These look great on your profile and show a recruiter that you are credible.
Top Recruiter Tips:
Keith O’Connor, Marketing Manager From Alternatives Says:
“Make sure your profile picture is professional and reflective of the platform. Giving a thumbs up while holding a pint is not an appropriate look!”
“You need to ensure the picture is professional, the company wants to see you as you would be in a work environment not out with your mates!” Alan Murphy, Recruitment Consultant From Sigmar Recruitment
Here's Neil Patel's background image which poses a question and shows exactly what he can do to provide a solution all in just one image.
4. Showcase Your Achievements
LinkedIn is no place to be shy. And now that the powerful social platform allows you to showcase your work and add rich, visual media to your profile it’s time you started taking advantage.
You can, for example, add text or video to your summary and individual job sections and education section (this is a great way to show examples of the marketing work you have completed).
On your profile, there's a section for 'honors and awards' where you can add any awards. You can add 'Projects', 'Publications' and take skills assessments to show the level of your knowledge. You can also use the 'Featured items' section to showcase something you're really proud of, like a video of you speaking at a conference or a webpage for a successful marketing campaign.
Top Recruiter Tips:
Cecilia Desmond, Recruitment Consultant from Morgan McKinley said:
“Display your work: If you have worked on projects you’re proud of, a website, a blog, or video production – you can link examples of your work to your profile – it’s advantageous both for the recruiter to gain an insight into your style and interests and of course it will increase your exposure.”
5. Connect, Engage & Get Involved
A quick glance at your LinkedIn profile can give recruiters a true insight into how serious you are about the industry. For example, they can check your connections, the influencers you’ve chosen to follow and the groups you’ve joined. If you’re looking to demonstrate passion (and you should do just that) make sure you’re following and engaging with the right people.
Create a list of your favorite thought leaders and the most inspirational people in your industry – and then seek to follow, engage and connect with them. Keen to stand out? Contribute your thoughts, opinions and content to relevant groups to get seen by those who matter (including recruiters).
Top Recruiter Tips:
Keith O’Connor, Marketing Manager From Alternatives Says:
“It’s important to be strategic in the groups and companies you follow on your profile page, ensure these interests reflect your career path.”
Cecilia Desmond, Recruitment Consultant from Morgan McKinley said:
“Groups & networking: LinkedIn is a powerful tool. Seeking out appropriate online communities, joining relevant groups and subsequent conversations will envelop you further in your field and make your name stand out.”
6. Be Honest & Accurate
Just because you need to engage and excite your readers does not mean you want to mislead them about your achievements, titles or duties. An honest profile is imperative for building trust with recruiters – that trust will go a long way when it comes to getting a recommendation for a particular job.
Maintain accuracy too. Recruiters want to get a sense that you are capable of doing the job before putting you forward for an interview. If your profile is littered with typos, inconsistencies, and poor grammar you risk the reader losing faith in your ability to effectively market to the masses.
Top Recruiter Tips:
Cecilia Desmond, Recruitment Consultant from Morgan McKinley said:
“Accuracy & consistency: Ensure your current & previous job titles, your tenures, your education and any other information you disclose is accurate. Spell check! So many people neglect this and as marketers, you are expected to have an eye for detail.”
Keith O’Connor, Marketing Manager From Alternatives says:
“Ensure that your job titles and employment dates are all correct with any gaps in your history fully explained.”
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