It’s no surprise that nowadays most employers are using social media as part of their company’s recruitment strategy.

According to a 2017 CareerBuilder survey, 70 per cent of employers use social media to screen candidates during the hiring process. 

Out of the social media sites, LinkedIn was the #1 social media site that employers use to review candidates. 

In fact, 98 per cent of HR Managers in a 2016 Ivy Exec Survey say that they check a candidate’s LinkedIn before an interview. And nearly a third of HR Managers said that a candidate’s use (or lack thereof) of social media have led them to hire one candidate over another.

There are a number of reasons why employers look at a candidate’s LinkedIn, including:

1. Cross-referencing your experience with your CV — Unlike a CV that should be kept under two pages, candidates may be able to talk about previous roles in more detail on LinkedIn. This could include your portfolio, website or blog, which they may not have been able to see with your original application.
2. What others say about you — Whether it’s endorsed skills or recommendations, what people say about you says a lot about your level of professionalism.
3. Who you know — Mutual connections are a great way for employers to learn more about you. It also shows how much influence you may have within your industry.
4. Personality — You spend half of your waking life at work. So making sure you’re a great addition culturally to a company is important. LinkedIn also gives you the opportunity to showcase information that wouldn’t usually be on your CV, like volunteer work, causes you support and your personality. 

So, to make sure employers are getting the most out of your LinkedIn profile, we’ve compiled some of our top tips to build your online brand and help you land your next role.

6 Smart Ways To Attract Employers To Your LinkedIn Profile

Use the headline

That little tagline under your name? It’s the first thing people see about you on LinkedIn — whether they’re on your profile or are searching for you in the results.

Use keywords that will help employers find you in the search results. Usually, your current job title and company works wonders. However, if you’re changing careers, use the job title you’re targeting and ensure that you have the qualifications and experience listed below to show that you’re capable of the role.

Break out that elevator pitch

Just under the headline section is the About section, where employers can learn a little more about you. This is the place to inject a bit of personality, and also to break out that quick, 30-second description of what you do and who you are.

Start by showing what you can offer your reader. This could be what you offer in terms of your service to clients, stakeholders or potential customers, or even what skills you can bring to future employers.

People want to know what you can offer them before they decide whether or not they want to invest their time into further reading. You can talk about your experience and any projects/measurables you contributed to in the following paragraphs.

Try to keep your About section short – 5 short paragraphs tops.

Don’t cut and paste your resume

As we mentioned above, employers are looking to learn more about you through your LinkedIn profile. Seize that opportunity!

Instead of cutting and pasting your resume, describe your experience and abilities in your Experience section as though you’ve just met the person. Don’t be afraid to use your voice — it’s a social networking site, after all! 

Briefly explain what the company does and what you did/do for them. Take this opportunity to show how you helped your current/former company move toward their business goals. 

So, for technical roles, focus on capabilities: What apps, systems, or languages do/did you use?

In more functional roles, focus on deliverables: What was the project scope, budget and time frame?

Adjectives, colourful verbs, and active phrases (i.e. “managed an IT Sales team” instead of “responsible for IT Sales Management”) are encouraged.

However, be sure to write for the screen. Short paragraphs and simple sentences look a lot less scary than a never-ending paragraph.

Build out your background & accomplishments

Use this same format to build out your education, licenses & certifications, volunteer experience, and accomplishments sections.

By explaining what the organisation does and what you did for them/specialised in, it helps further showcase your qualifications, interests, and values-all things that will optimise your LinkedIn profile for potential employers.

Maximise your skills

Adding your skills to the ‘Skills’ section is an easy way for the LinkedIn algorithm to see that you’re qualified for roles using those skill sets. 

Any industry buzzwords go here, as well as any soft skills, interests and personal values you bring with you to every business.

By outlining your skills and relevant industry buzzwords, this allows potential employers to find you easier and use the keywords you identify yourself with to determine whether you’d be a good person to work with. 

It also enables your existing LinkedIn network to endorse you for these skills. Feel free to reach out to former and existing colleagues to endorse your skills, as this shows that you’re not the only one confident in your abilities.

Request recommendations

Fun fact: 88 per cent of people trust online reviews as much as they trust recommendations from personal contacts, according to BrightLocal.

So, take advantage of this often-overlooked section and reach out to former and existing colleagues to recommend you. A great way to do this is by mentioning a recent project or capability (i.e. coding language, system, etc.) you helped them with, and ask them to write a recommendation for you on LinkedIn.

You’re able to do so by clicking the “Ask for a recommendation” button under the Recommendations section in your profile.

Through referencing your previous work, your recommendation will show how you contributed to the overall success of the team and make your overall Experience, Skills and Accomplishments sections stronger.

Now that your LinkedIn profile is ready to be found by potential employers, it’s time to take the proactive step of sending off your CV to new career opportunities!

Check out our blog post about how to make your resume stand out, according to recruiters, here.

We also have new career opportunities in the Technology, Business Support, Sales & Marketing, Blue Collar, and Accounting & Finance spaces, so be sure to check out our job board to apply for some of Australia’s top companies using your new resume!

We look forward to your applications!