In today’s market, it can feel challenging to constantly be on the hunt for your next opportunity and wait for the right thing to come along. While the active search is energy- and time-consuming, there is also a passive side to finding your next opportunity. A little bit of work upfront can help you out big time in the long run. So what’s the secret sauce to standing out while putting in the minimal effort? Your LinkedIn profile. Yup, it’s not just about your perfectly curated CV and application - sometimes just having a super relevant profile is all a recruiter needs to see in order to know that this candidate is the real deal.
Check out our 5 simple steps for boosting your LinkedIn profile today:
Stay Current All too often a recruiter will be looking through a candidate’s CV only to check their LinkedIn page and find that the information doesn’t match. Make sure your profile is totally updated and aligned with your CV. That also means adding your latest workplace! It’s usually safe to add your newest job to your profile after the initial learning period (or sooner if you get clearance).
Say Cheese This is your chance to make a great first impression! Ideally, your profile photo should be a headshot that is clear (not blurry) and recent. Stay away from blurry photos, cropping a photo from your friend’s wedding (we’ve all seen those), or a picture where your face isn’t clear. Depending on the industry you’re in, you want this picture to be a combination of professional and friendly. In general, you can have a friend snap a great pic with some natural lighting on a phone with a good camera.
Be Open Let recruiters know you’re open to work by utilizing the “Open to Work” frame on your profile picture. Of course, this is only relevant if your search isn’t discrete, but if relevant, this is a great tool that alerts recruiters that you are ready for work! You can add this by clicking on your profile picture and then selecting “frames”, where it will give you the option to add the green banner.
Show Off Put your skills on display! Feature your relevant skills under each job experience to stand out and show that you’re relevant for the kinds of jobs you’re looking into. The best way to ensure your skills are super relevant is to carefully read the job descriptions of the roles you’re applying to, and then find ways to make keywords from that job description stand out on your profile.
Promote yourself Activate your LinkedIn network (one of the most powerful tools on the platform!) by sharing a post describing the types of roles you’re open to, and use the hashtag #opentowork. This helps your community (and the recruiters who may stop by your profile) get a clearer idea of exactly what you’re looking for and lets them know that you’re available. It’s totally possible that someone may stumble across your profile, see that, and reach out to you about it (we do it all the time at UpStart HR!)
We know the job hunt can be draining and time-consuming, but hopefully, some of these quick tips will boost your profile and help you lean into the sweet spot of the passive job search.