Optimising Your LinkedIn Profile. A Job Seeker s Must-Have Guide

Transcription

1 Optimising Your LinkedIn Profile A Job Seeker s Must-Have Guide

2 Table of Contents Introduction The Key Elements Name Professional Headline Profile Picture Background Picture Location Industry Contact Info Vanity URL Summary Experience Education Skills and Endorsements Recommendations Additional Profile Sections Adding Pizzazz to Your Profile Images and Documents Bullets & Symbols Final Note About Remote Work Hub Remote Work Hub P a g e 1

3 Introduction Despite some members' reservations, we have to tell you that when it comes to securing a remote role having an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile is as important for your job search as a resume. LinkedIn is a powerful online platform to network and connect with potential employers. However, there are over 414 million members 1. In order to distinguish yourself from other potential hires, you need to complete your LinkedIn profile (only 50% of people do) AND you need to put your best foot forward with your digital brand so that you stand out, for the right reasons. The only way employers will notice your unique set of strengths, talents and experiences is if you present them the right way. It s important you make a powerful impression and do so in the most efficient way so that you stand out to hiring managers and recruiters, and any other potential connections. This ebook will take you step-by-step through the process to optimise your LinkedIn profile and make it seriously shine. This process will also help in getting your profile 100% complete according to LinkedIn standards. Nothing is off-limits, you can customise every aspect of your profile. Before you get started be sure to have a copy of any information you might need to refer to (such as your CV with employment dates, courses completed etc) and set aside an hour or two without interruptions. Let s begin Remote Work Hub P a g e 2

4 The Key Elements Name First Name: 20 characters. Last Name: 40 characters. We don t need to tell you what to enter here, but do keep it short and simple: First and Last Name only and avoid nicknames, contact information or keywords in this field. Professional Headline 120 character limit. Think of your professional headline as your mission statement. It appears in various places on LinkedIn and is the first thing people see when they visit your profile. It s also used by the LinkedIn algorithm to rank you in search results. Your professional headline should be descriptive and reflect your personal brand promise. Think about what it is that makes you unique. What value can you bring to a business and why are you the best choice. Then think about this in terms of keywords. What words do you hope to be found on if an employer or recruiter does a search? If possible, put these keywords into your headline but don t stuff the headline with keywords. Make sure it still flows naturally and fits into the overall message of your brand promise. For example Instead of Marketing Professional how about: Social Media Guru PR & Marketing Communications Expert Instead of Freelance Writer how about: Writer of Powerful Content Storytelling Enthusiast Dedicated Blogger 2016 Remote Work Hub P a g e 3

5 Another way to grab some attention is to include a so what? statement that instantly showcases something you have accomplished in your role. These headlines also catch the eye of the recruiter. Here are some examples Instead of Project Manager how about: PMP-Certified Project Manager Successfully Managed Multi-Million Dollar Projects in the Middle East Instead of Teacher how about: Primary Teacher Motivating Pupils with Enthusiastic, Imaginative Teaching Methods LinkedIn is full of headlines that don t take full advantage of the space. With a bit of thought and effort, yours can totally stand out from the crowd. Note: You can also spruce up your headline (and other parts of your profile) with bullets and symbols. We ll cover that later in this section: Adding Pizzazz To Your Profile Profile Picture Size: Between 200 x 200 and 500 x 500 pixels This is another very important element of your LinkedIn profile as your photo can make or break that crucial first impression. You need a good quality headshot for your profile picture. Your LinkedIn profile picture should not be a selfie photo, company logo or a picture of you and your partner, pet or children. This is not just the first picture a potential employer will see of you, it might be the only picture they see of you, so keep it professional. Try to look confident, positive and have a relaxed expression, not serious and stern. Be yourself Remote Work Hub P a g e 4

6 According to a study 2 conducted by researchers at New York University, the best profile pictures are those where you appear slightly happy not too happy. If your photo is more than a few years old, it s probably time to get a new one. You may look fantastic, but you don t want an employer expecting someone entirely different at the interview. In terms of what to wear, we suggest business dress as a default option something classic, timeless and work-appropriate. But you should adapt your style to suit your (future) job/industry. If you re not sure what approach to take, find people on LinkedIn already working in the industry and look at their profile pictures to determine what might be appropriate. Here are some tips for capturing a great photo: Go for soft, diffused lighting. Turn off your camera s flash and avoid direct sunlight. It can work well if you stand near a window, but not directly in front of it. Headshots look best with a solid-coloured background. If you don t have one, iron a sheet or piece of fabric and hang that up behind you to set a portrait-like backdrop. Avoid black or very dark backgrounds, particularly if you re wearing dark colours (a floating head is not a good look). Get someone else to take the photo for you it s usually obvious when a photo is self-taken (unless you re a professional photographer!) Take several photos, experiment with angles and lighting to find the most flattering combination. A moderate amount of photo editing is acceptable, but don t beautify yourself so much that you re no longer recognisable. Keep it natural Remote Work Hub P a g e 5

7 We recommend using the same image across all of your social media channels to keep your personal online brand consistent. Background Picture Size: 1400 x 425 pixels This is a feature that was added to LinkedIn in 2014 and provides another opportunity to personalise your page even more. Keep in mind, the picture still needs to look professional but you can be creative and choose an image that fits with your niche/industry. It s another way to stand out from the crowd. Location This may not be as relevant when you re a remote worker, however, you still need to put a location on your profile. And remember, there are remote roles where employers need you to be based in or near a specific city or within a particular region, so location can still be important. Industry Think about what a potential employer might be searching for. Perhaps the industry you re currently working in is different to the one you re hoping to secure a job in. As a job seeker you want to attract the recruiters and managers that you want to connect with, so target your industry accordingly. Contact Info The whole purpose of being on LinkedIn is to make connections with other people, so make sure all of your contact details are entered on your profile and up to date. Note: Your address, phone numbers and address are only visible to your 1 st level connections. When you re looking for work opportunities it s a good idea to add your contact address to your Summary Remote Work Hub P a g e 6

8 Vanity URL 29 character limit (after When you first create your profile on LinkedIn you are assigned a default URL. This includes a bunch of letters and numbers at the end and makes the URL quite long. We recommend you change it to help people find you and make publicising your URL so much easier. For step by step instructions see Customizing Your Public Profile URL on LinkedIn Help. Summary 2,000 character limit. The Summary is a very important aspect of your LinkedIn profile. It s your opportunity to pitch to potential employers - don t make it salesy though. It needs to capture the attention of decision-makers and make them want to know more about you, but it must be authentic and represent your real-world self. Essentially, your summary should build on the promise of value statement in your headline. In summarising your experience, skills and industry knowledge think about what type of impression you want to make on people who view your profile what qualities are you known for? And be sure to sprinkle some keywords throughout the summary relevant to the role you re currently looking for. You can write your LinkedIn profile in the first or third person either is acceptable. It is becoming more common to see summaries written in the first person with a conversational tone. The summary is an area where you can inject your personality, let people know your values and passions and even discuss what you do outside of work. This all helps to engage the reader and encourage them to want to know more about you. Ideally your summary should be around 3 to 5 short paragraphs long. Skills and qualifications can be listed as a bulleted list if need be Remote Work Hub P a g e 7

9 There are also particular words you should probably steer clear of, like Motivated, Creative and Enthusiastic voted the Top 3 overused buzzwords by LinkedIn in Think of other ways to get your point across in a few words and actively demonstrate how you are these things by highlighting causes you care about or uploading examples of your creative work. The idea here is to show not tell. Lastly, when you re looking for job opportunities, it s a good idea to include a call to action in your Summary section as well tell your audience how best to get in touch with you or where they can go to get more information (eg. providing a link to your website or online portfolio of work). So that your well-crafted Summary is clearly visible on your profile, be sure to position it at the top, before your work experience. Don t make the mistake of hiding it at the bottom. Tip: To rearrange sections on your profile, hover over the top right corner of a section to view the double-headed arrow, then click and drag to a new location. Experience Company Name: 100 character limit. Job Title: 100 character limit. Position Description: 200 characters minimum, 1,000 characters maximum. So now it s time to get your resume out and start entering your work experience. As you do this, most importantly, ensure your resume and online profile are consistent. There should be no discrepancies in your job history, employer names, dates, etc. Employers will be trolling through your online profile and your resume so make sure they both offer the same information and value proposition. Your job descriptions should describe your responsibilities and key accomplishments. Most people stop at dates and job titles, but this is a wasted Remote Work Hub P a g e 8

10 opportunity to promote your experience and add important keywords to your profile. There are differing opinions regarding the best way to handle employment gaps on your profile. Some suggest leaving the gaps and explaining them to a potential employer only if questions are asked. Others recommend including those breaks you have taken as entries under experience. You might list working on personal projects, completing courses, travelling, volunteering, writing a book, being a parent or carer. You could focus on the personal development you ve achieved during these times. Whatever approach you decide to take, be authentic and truthful. Don t be worried about the gaps or try to cover them up. In this economy, it is not uncommon to hit a bump in the road during your career, and hopefully securing a remote job that gives you more flexibility and work-life balance will help you minimise the need for breaks in your career in future. Other tips when completing your experience section: Link each job to a company so the company s logo displays on your profile and you will show up as an employee who works/worked there. Keep From and To dates simple it is common practice to skip adding the month and just specify the year in the date fields. This also helps to cover short periods of unemployment between jobs. Try not to include words like Unemployed or Made Redundant when describing your current status as these words have negative connotations. Instead, use words to point out your skills and value proposition to help define the role you re pursuing. If you have carried out short-term projects or temporary work for a period of time, it s best to group these under one job description use headings like Short-term Projects, Contractor or Freelancer rather than listing each project separately. Sometimes several short stints of employment on your profile can raise a red flag with employers as they might be concerned with your ability to stick around for the long term Remote Work Hub P a g e 9

11 It is acceptable to include 10 to 15 years of experience on your LinkedIn profile. For the roles you undertook early in your career, it s not necessary to include much information in the job description you re just providing a timeline. Education Description: 2,000 character limit. When it comes to adding your education history to your profile, you could theoretically go all the way back to preschool or kindergarten, but it is common place to start from your high school or undergraduate college. Include all forms of vocational education and any other stint at an educational institution that matters to your career or personal direction. The description section is also a good place to discuss how your schooling might be relevant to your future career. You have plenty of space available here, so use it as best you can to promote your value. Skills and Endorsements Up to 50 skills 80 characters per skill. Endorsements of your skills are like social proof from those people you know and have actually worked with. While not as powerful as Recommendations, having your skills endorsed can increase your credibility. We recommend adding a minimum of 10 core skills but you should provide as many as you can. After all, the broader your skillset the more likely you are to appeal to a potential employer. As you begin typing skills, you ll see a list of related skills display. These are the skills others have used or searched for, but you can add new skillsets if necessary. Be sure to check off that you want to receive endorsements for your skills Remote Work Hub P a g e 10

12 As your connections endorse you (they ll see the option appear at the top of their profile), your top 10 Skills will display with the most endorsed at the top and any others skills will be listed underneath. As your connections endorse you, it s common etiquette to return the favour. Recommendations When you know you ve done a great job on a project or your hard work has been appreciated in an organisation, ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn. Tell them what you would like the recommendation to be based upon and encourage them to be specific regarding what you achieved. Generic recommendations (Wendy did a great job!) are nice, but they re not very helpful. If possible, asked for one Recommendation a month from people you ve worked with - colleagues, management, people you manage, vendors or customers. You can also be strategic in your approach and suggest different skill sets or experiences to be highlighted in the recommendation. If you get a recommendation that s not great, or perhaps poorly written, you can easily hide it from your profile Remote Work Hub P a g e 11

13 Additional Profile Sections Now that you ve completed the key elements of your LinkedIn profile, you might want to consider adding other sections that are most relevant to you. Obviously the more information you can enter, the better. It all helps in getting picked up in search results and building brand YOU. You ll find the option to include additional profile sections towards the top of your LinkedIn page when viewing your profile simply click on the View More link as shown below. Courses: If you ve completed short courses, such as workshops and online courses, list them here on your profile especially those that are relevant to positions you are seeking. Courses demonstrate your commitment to expanding your academic horizons and once again help to build brand YOU. Language: List any additional languages you speak here noting your proficiency level. If the language is particularly relevant to your career, then you may want to include this information in your Summary as well. Volunteering experience: Many employers view volunteer experience equivalent to career experience, so if you re not including this information on your LinkedIn profile, you re not making the most of this valuable experience Remote Work Hub P a g e 12

14 Volunteering Opportunities: Tell potential organisations if you are interested in opportunities to volunteer your time or donate money towards a worthy cause. Organizations: Include any organisations you belong to which shows employers you are interested in keeping up-to-date in your industry. Honors & Awards: Have you been acknowledged for your achievements in the past? It s worth adding it here because it s another opportunity to tailor this information to fit with skills and talents that might help you in your target employer s industry. Character limit: 1,000. Test Scores: Another way to show your accomplishments. Patents: Showcase your innovation. Causes you care about: Another insight into what matters to you. Support Organizations: List the types of causes you care about. Projects: A great way to show your experience, rather than tell. Link to relevant projects and people you ve worked with. Publications: If you have ever written articles, blog posts, white papers or perhaps you ve published a book, this is where you should include these things and link to them if possible. Another great way to exhibit your area of expertise and credibility in your industry. Certifications: Members with a certification on their profile get double the profile views (according to LinkedIn stats). Advice for Contacting: Make sure you re found for the opportunities you re interested in. Posts: Here you can write an article directly on LinkedIn to increase your visibility Remote Work Hub P a g e 13

15 Adding Pizzazz to Your Profile Images and Documents A great way to make your profile look more interesting and stand out from the crowd is to add documents, photos, videos, presentations and links. You can do this on the Summary, Experience and Education sections of your profile. Bullets & Symbols Bullets and symbols are another great way to add appeal and visual cues to your profile. But be careful not to go overboard; it still needs to look professional. Less is more! The following article provides some great characters to use for bullets and symbols and the author has given permission for you to copy and paste them directly onto your profile. See How To Jazz Up Your LinkedIn Profile With Bullets And Symbols Final Note Optimising your LinkedIn profile is critical for getting noticed by employers and recruiters. And remember, your LinkedIn profile is always a work in progress. Tweak it regularly, update your skillset and upload new media to keep it fresh and interesting. This will ensure your profile stands out in the crowd. We hope you found the information provided in this toolkit helpful Remote Work Hub P a g e 14

16 About Remote Work Hub Remote Jobs. Employers Worldwide. Career Guidance. Remote Work Hub connects job seekers to remote jobs with professional companies across the world. Our research team hand picks and verifies every company and every vacancy for those wishing to work from home, or anywhere they choose. What Makes Remote Work Hub Different? We work in the best interest of YOU, the job seeker. We take the human approach every employer and every job added to our site has been individually selected and checked for authenticity. We care about quality. We have zero tolerance for unrealistic get-richquick schemes, multi-level marketing roles and underpaid jobs. We filter them out and present to our members only the best remote jobs we can find. We have decades of experience working virtually and freelancing. We share our tried and tested insights into the world of remote work. Our specific knowledge as employers, remote team managers and remote employees, means we have a wealth of experience to share Remote Work Hub P a g e 15

17 Remote Work Hub gives you Thousands of professional remote job vacancies, updated daily. A database of remote-friendly employers from around the world. Job Alerts so you can have the latest Jobs sent directory to your Inbox. Career resources and special offers through Hub Connect. Visit Remote Work Hub P a g e 16

18 Copyright 2016 by Remote Work Hub. All rights reserved. This book was written exclusively for users of Remote Work Hub. Users are not authorised to share or distribute this book with any other person(s). No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review. For inquiries, please contact hello@remoteworkhub.com 2016 Remote Work Hub P a g e 17