ORLANDO, FLA. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Seventy-two percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to find talent. According to Finances Online, new hires found through LinkedIn more than doubled in the past quarter. That’s why, whether you have a job or are looking for one, you need to focus on your online profile.
Susan Pagan Hilton uses LinkedIn for hiring and for helping university students find jobs. But with 83 million users, how can you make your profile stand out.
Hilton gives her opinion on what she looks for in a profile.
“It’s all about branding for me. You want to make sure you have a professional, friendly, colorful, bright headshot,” she said.
But no selfies!
Hilton relays another point of advice.
“The other important thing that really stands out that a lot of people kind of neglect is the title, the headline that comes under your name,” she said.
List the professional skill sets directly under your name. Instead of manager, put manager slash content creator slash multimedia specialist slash project leader. One big mistake people make. Not filling out contact info.
“it’s imperative, especially if you’re a creative to have your website, your demo reel your portfolio.” Hilton states.
Another big mistake, leaving the summary blank.
“You want to make it 80 percent professional and 20 per percent, you know, like fun or friendly.” Hilton said.
Be sure your resume and LinkedIn profile match. Don’t skip recommendations.
Hilton states. “It not only shows that you know what a professional you are, but how you work with others.”
And don’t forget to update it regularly.
“You constantly have to nourish it and feed it and grow it and develop it. It’s your brand, it’s who you are.” Hilton shared.
Be sure your resume and LinkedIn profile match and how many connections you have is also important. Less than 50 can be a red flag you are not connected in your industry, or don’t care enough to stay up to date with current trends and learn more from others in your field.
Also, remember this most employers spend less than 15 seconds scanning a profile before deciding to continue or not. An incomplete profile is the number one reason employers move on to the next profile. So, be sure to fill in all the blanks.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer and Editor.