LinkedIn
makeovers
LinkedIn
makeovers
Why It’s Time to Take LinkedIn Seriously
Your unique story
Make sure your LinkedIn profile is polished and professional. It’s just another part of adulting.
Even more so than your resume, your LinkedIn page is your chance to show that you’re a unique individual, not just another applicant. Find out how LinkedIn can help you find job openings, make inside connections, connect with recruiters, and apply for jobs in the FAQs below.
LinkedIn 101
We recommend that working professionals have a LinkedIn profile, yes. Now that Microsoft owns LinkedIn, LinkedIn’s recruiter platform continues to become more robust and is now the top search engine for recruiters looking to fill open jobs.
It’s a mistake to copy and paste your resume into your LinkedIn page. The formal, third-person, facts-and-figures style of your resume won’t cut it on LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, you should tell your story, show a little personality, give people a sense of what it’s like to work with you, and provide details, images, examples, and stories to back up your resume’s claims.
Your profile’s “About” section can be up to 2,000 characters. We don’t have to use all of that space to tell your story, although we certainly can. When we write your LinkedIn profile, we will craft three to five short paragraphs, include some bullet points to highlight your key passions, skills, and experiences, and use a tone that projects your personality and style.
Some people prefer to connect only with people they know personally. Other people connect with anyone and everyone. Since there are good reasons to have a large network on LinkedIn, we recommend you connect with people when there’s a good reason to do so. For instance, you may want to connect with a friend of a friend who works at one of your target companies. The bottom line: have a personal policy regarding who you connect with and stick with it.
We recommend that if your LinkedIn URL includes a string of numbers and letters at the end, you create a “vanity” URL. This URL is a shorter, more memorable version of your profile’s URL. Here are instructions on how to customize your LinkedIn URL.
LinkedIn Upgrades
Because 94% of recruiters and hiring managers will look you up on LinkedIn at some point during the job search process, your LinkedIn profile is crucial to your job search. Working with a professional LinkedIn writer, who crafts LinkedIn profiles every day, ensures that your profile properly markets your skills so that you can be the most competitive jobseeker possible.
Whether you hire a professional photographer or not, the important thing is to make sure the photo you use for LinkedIn is solid. Wear professional clothes and take the photo with good lighting against a simple background. Before uploading, crop the image so that your face takes up 60% of the photo. Do not use an over-filtered image, a selfie, or a low-quality, grainy photo. (Many colleges and universities bring in professional photographers to take LinkedIn headshots for their students so, if you’re still a student, check to see if this is an option.)
If you’re actively looking for a new position, consider upgrading to “Job Seeker Premium.” A premium account offers several things you don’t get with your free LinkedIn account, including InMail (the ability to message someone to whom you’re not connected, such as a recruiter), the ability to see who has viewed your profile, and access to video courses and salary insights. Premium also allows you to move your application to the top of the list as a “Featured Applicant” (although recruiters can see that you’ve paid for that position, so take this feature with a grain of salt). You can try “Job Seeker Premium” free for a month; after that (as of early 2020), the fee is $29.99/month (no contract required).
When you get the LinkedIn app and turn on notifications, you’ll be able to network more effectively and respond to inquiries in a timely way. Having the app on your phone will make it super easy to use your down time to look for relevant job openings and research companies, interviewers, recruiters, and hiring managers.
On your profile’s dashboard, you’ll see your profile strength. You want to reach an “All-Star” rating so your profile is more visible. According to LinkedIn, your “All-Star” profile will be 27 times more likely to be found in recruiter searches and three times more likely to receive engagement from your feed and from connections in your network.
LinkedIn for Jobseekers
Even if you choose not to upgrade to “Job Seeker Premium,” LinkedIn can supercharge your job search. You can research companies and people who will be interviewing you, connect with recruiters, search LinkedIn’s job boards, and apply for jobs (either with or without using “Easy Apply”) all at LinkedIn.com. When you apply for jobs via a company’s online application, it’s becoming common to see a LinkedIn upload tool next to the resume upload tool. And, we include your LinkedIn URL right on your resume, along with your other contact info, to make it easy for hiring managers to find you online.
Under “Job Seeking Preferences,” there’s a section that allows you to “let recruiters know you are open to opportunities.” You can toggle the button to “yes.” In that same area, you can also “update career interests,” which helps ensure the roles you hear about align with your goals, preferences, and timing. Other ways to be more visible to recruiters include making connections with people who work at your target companies, liking/following your target companies, and engaging regularly (posting and commenting on content) on LinkedIn.
Some estimates say that, depending on industry and position, between 35-45% of jobs feature the “Easy Apply” option on LinkedIn. The main advantage of using “Easy Apply” is that you can apply for jobs much more quickly. But be smart about the jobs you apply for and avoid a scattershot (vs. targeted) approach. A main complaint we hear from recruiters is that people are reading job ads too quickly and using “Easy Apply” to submit applications for roles that aren’t suitable.
Opinions vary on this but our recommendation is to use your headline to state the job title you want (even if it isn’t your current title) within the first 30 characters since, on certain devices and when applying through “Easy Apply,” the headline is truncated. You don’t want a hiring manager to see your headline truncated to “Currently seeking a position in…” so we’ll write a headline for you that uses the space wisely, and is short, succinct, and aspirational.
When we post your new content to LinkedIn, we turn off all activity broadcasts so that your network won’t be pinged with each update as we make it. In addition, we can leave your headshot and headline alone until you’re ready, as these two updates are the most likely to be noticed. If asked about your updated profile, reassure your boss or co-worker that updating your profile doesn’t mean you’re unhappy in your job. In fact, when you look good online, you make your employer look good, too.
Ordering a Makeover
Yes, we recommend LinkedIn to every one of our clients because it’s such an important part of today’s job search. LinkedIn is just as important as your resume. And, if you go beyond the usual ho-hum profile, you can really shine and gain a competitive advantage over jobseekers who haven’t used it to its full potential (or aren’t on LinkedIn at all).
Our clients usually want us to write their resumes, but if your resume is up to date and working for you, we can help update your LinkedIn profile. When you contact us, just let us know about your unique situation.
The length of time it takes to write, revise, finalize, and post your new LinkedIn profile varies from client to client. People who turn around their copyedits quickly can have a fresh LinkedIn page in about a week, while some people take up to three or even four weeks to finish.
Yes, absolutely. Your LinkedIn profile should be optimized carefully so that your profile will be more visible to recruiters and hiring managers. Your location is important, as is your headline, your skills and endorsements, and of course your “About” section. By focusing on your target job and most relevant skills, you can increase both your visibility and reach on LinkedIn.
We’re so glad you have decided to work with us! Next steps: (1) You can contact us if you would like to discuss your job search or need help deciding which package is right for you; or (2) You can get started on your job search materials now by processing your payment and completing our intake form.
Did You Know…
OUR OWNER & FOUNDER DONATES HER TIME
Mir Garvy believes so much in the power of a polished LinkedIn profile that she volunteers her time to speak to non-profit groups such as Dress for Success and Back to Business.
If your organization serves jobseekers who face socioeconomic or other hurdles to securing gainful, meaningful employment, talk to Mir about a pro bono speaking event.