Whether you’re a job seeker or a business decision maker, a LinkedIn profile is an absolute must-have. Here are some interesting statistics about this popular social media networking platform for professionals and businesses:

• LinkedIn has 690 million members and gaining at the rate of two new members per second.
• Nearly 95% of recruiters use LinkedIn as their primary source for recruiting talent.
• Around 100 million job applications are posted monthly.
• Every week, about 40 million people use LinkedIn to look for jobs
• An average rate of three job seekers are hired every minute on LinkedIn.

 

In the midst of all these impressive numbers, you might feel that your LinkedIn profile is like a needle in a haystack of needles. With recruiters sifting through hundreds of applications, including yours, what are the best ways that you can do to ensure that your profile stands out from the rest of the competition? By making tweaks on your profile, you’ll also make it easier for the recruiter to spot you as a noteworthy candidate. Here are some recommendations to consider.

1. Choose an appropriate profile photo

Did you know that you are 7x more likely to be noticed if you have a profile picture on LinkedIn? Your profile photo is how you introduce yourself to people who will form their first impressions about you. Use a recent photo, wearing appropriate office wear or business casual attire, and make sure that your face takes up around 60% of the space for the profile picture.

2. Add a background photo to your profile

Visual elements will always grab people’s attention right away. That’s why it’s important to put a background photo on your profile page. Choose a photo that gives viewers a little more information about what matters to you that will also attract potential recruiters. It’ll engage their attention and make you more memorable.

3. Go beyond the job title

Your headline is your “elevator pitch” — how you promote yourself in a short span of time or in just a few words. You can add more to your job title by mentioning how you see your role and what drives you to do what you’re doing. You can also add something personal – for example, “mother of 3 kids who rock my world” — to make you more approachable. Don’t use overused buzzwords but try to be creative when you describe yourself.

4. Tell your story in the summary portion

You’ve piqued their interest with your headline. Now they want to know more about you. Use the summary field to mention not only a list of your relevant professional skills but also the impact that they’ve made. No need to go into so much detail yet since you can elaborate that further in your resume and in the work experience section. What’s important is that your summary should give the recruiter an overview of what you can do and how will your skills benefit the organisation that is looking for your kind of talent.

5. Create a results-driven profile

Your LinkedIn profile isn’t just a resume that lists down your previous work experiences and core responsibilities. You need to indicate the significant accomplishments in your role. Be specific and talk about results. Mention initiatives you introduced that have brought about a positive effect in the organisation. Or how your promotional efforts have increased sales. Adding verified statistics to those results makes it even more impressive, such as a 30% increase in monthly sales or a 65% increase in leads.

6. Show your skills assessment results

Take LinkedIn’s online skills assessment and, once you have the results, you can display a Verified Skills badge on your profile page. You can always take a re-test if you weren’t able to pass before. Showing proof of your capabilities provides more support to your personal brand on LinkedIn. Not to mention that, based on research, candidates with verified skills are 30% more likely to land the job that they applied for.

7. Make more connections

Synch your LinkedIn profile with your email contacts so you’ll be notified of LinkedIn’s recommendations on relevant members that you could connect with. Be selective of the prospective connections. If you’ve received LinkedIn connection requests, make it a habit of responding to them. Perhaps you’d like to request a meeting with them, open a conversation about common work interests, or make relevant comments in their feed from time to time to keep you in their radar.

8. Follow relevant influencers

When you follow influential industry leaders or renowned organisations on LinkedIn, this presents a picture of your professional interests. Your engagement with their posts appears on your Activity. This also gives recruiters more information about what you value, aside from what you’ve already mentioned in your profile.

9. Share relevant content

Since you follow these professional influencers, you can “warm up” your LinkedIn profile by sharing their content or other relevant information that you see in your feed. This will help you maintain an active presence within your network since what you share appears in their feed as well. Share content that you find interesting, that’s relevant to the field you’re in, and that’s aligned to your point of view. This will also catch the attention of recruiters who want to make sure they’ll get the right person for the job by exploring the interests of the candidates.

10. Complete your profile

Some members don’t bother to complete their profile, thinking that attaching their resume is enough or they find it tedious to go through the rest of the steps. But research has shown that a complete LinkedIn profile can get you 21x more views and 36x more messages. If your work experiences are lengthy already, you can post 2 or 3 of the most relevant ones with significant results of your accomplishments. In fact, by showing at least two previous work experiences on your LinkedIn profile, you’ll be 12x more likely to be discovered by recruiters or hiring managers.

The experts in workforce management consultancy in Vietnam

The Talent Consultants brings together job seekers and companies who need the most qualified candidates in their organisation. As the leading recruitment agency in Ho Chi Minh City, we provide multinational businesses with access to a rich source of highly skilled talent across the Southeast Asian region, whether for junior levels or c-suite roles.

If you’re looking for new employment opportunities, visit our job vacancies page and discover rewarding career options. Feel free to browse through our online resources and learn practical tips such as preparing for interviews or check our blogs for more information that will help you in your job search and career development.

If you’re a hiring manager who needs professional assistance in sourcing the best candidates, visit our website to learn more about our recruitment services. Give us a call on +84 28 7309 7991 or book a free consultation with us here.