LinkedIn for Job Hunters – Create a Must-Read Profile

Article Summary:  LinkedIn for Job Hunters outlines three very important suggestions for creating a must-read profile. LinkedIn^® is an integral part of your job search. LinkedIn^® complements and extends your credibility and therefore enhances your attractiveness as a job candidate. Imagine you were an executive comparing two candidates—both with stellar credentials. One has only a resume, while the other presents a resume and a well-messaged LinkedIn^® profile, complete with glowing recommendations from former bosses, colleagues, staff, and clients. Whom would you prefer to interview? The power of LinkedIn^® is the access it provides to information about you, information that you define and control, and information not available anywhere else. This article focuses on optimizing your LinkedIn^® content and messaging. [This article was originally written for the American Marketing Association Executive Circle]

LINKEDIN FOR JOB HUNTERS – CREATE A MUST-READ PROFILE

Copyright © 2010. The Chief Storyteller^®, LLC.
Ira J. Koretsky
November 2010

LinkedIn^® is an integral part of your job search. LinkedIn^® complements and extends your credibility and therefore enhances your attractiveness as a job candidate. Imagine you were an executive comparing two candidates—both with stellar credentials. One has only a resume, while the other presents a resume and a well-messaged LinkedIn^® profile, complete with glowing recommendations from former bosses, colleagues, staff, and clients. Whom would you prefer to interview?

The power of LinkedIn^® is the access it provides to information about you, information that you define and control, and information not available anywhere else.

Some food for thought:

• There are 80,000 million members of LinkedIn^®
• Most of the Fortune 500 has at least some of their executive team on LinkedIn^®
• For some companies, LinkedIn^® is used as a crucial filter to determine whether to bring someone in for an interview
• In a typical Internet search of a person’s name, LinkedIn^® appears on the first page of search results, and usually in the first five links

This article focuses on LinkedIn for Job Hunters. To help you optimize your content and messaging.

Here are some three suggestions to create a must-read profile.

1. CREATE A MEMORABLE PROFESSIONAL HEADLINE

Use the Professional Headline field to make a first impression that screams, “Read me now.” By default, LinkedIn^® populates your Professional Headline with your current title and company (see picture below). Many members do not change it. Click the gray pencil beside your title and customize it to a powerful headline that grabs the reader’s attention. A compelling headline is the foundation of business storytelling. Think of it as your personal brand statement. This is what we call your Better Tomorrow Message™ – how you are going to improve the prospective company in terms of efficiency, expertise, money, time, etc. As in Example 2, it should summarize your potential value.

Some examples include “Building Great Brands for 25 Years,” “Growing Departments into Divisions,” and “Positioning Fortune 2000 Companies for Explosive Growth.” Your headline should represent your personal AND your professional self.  [Note:  To see Ira Koretsky’s current LinkedIn profile, please visit here]

2. MAKE YOUR SUMMARY ENGAGING AND COMPELLING

Follow up your memorable and customized Professional Headline with an informative and compelling Summary. Make it easy to read and engaging. Use bullet statements, short sentences and paragraphs, search-engine friendly words and phrases, and industry buzzwords.

For content in your Summary, read “How to Write a Resume Summary That Gets Screams ‘Schedule an Interview with Me Today!‘” There, you will find several specific suggestions with examples. Ensure your LinkedIn summary contains the exact same information from your resume, fleshed out with relevant details. Choose details to pique your reader’s interest and help you stand out. As in business, know your audience. What would your readers find interesting about you? Examples include brief success stories, high-impact accomplishments, guest lectureships, volunteer activities, experiences with hot trends, etc.

3. IMPROVE YOUR CREDIBILITY

Ask for recommendations to demonstrate your credibility and capability. Recommendations from professionals who know your work first hand differentiate you. They serve as “mini” business stories to tout the benefits of working with you and your organization. Ask current and former bosses, staff, co-workers, colleagues, partners, clients, and vendors.

In fact, offer to help write it to ensure your key words and messages are included in the testimonial. Each recommendation should tell a different and complementary story about your personal and professional life and successes. I suggest you create a spreadsheet and group your skills logically per recommendation (see below).

SPEND THE TIME

Use the LinkedIn^® search function. Type in your desired position title. See how people already in these positions present themselves. By spending just a few hours, you can create a LinkedIn profile to be proud of. And, over time, ask for recommendations, tweak the search-engine-friendly terms as well as industry buzzwords, and continually add to and update your content. Ask friends and colleagues for feedback. And then accept the feedback with a smile and say thank you. LinkedIn^® should be an important tool in your job search. LinkedIn for job hunters!