Having a strong presence on LinkedIn is more important than ever if you want to get noticed and for once, have recruiters reaching out to you as opposed to the other way around. While it’s easy to get started with the process of creating a LinkedIn account, there are some pro tips you can use to take your profile to the next level and help you stand out from your competition which as of currently, is more than 930 million users!

As an experienced recruiter who has reviewed thousands of LinkedIn profiles to find the best candidates, I’ve put together a list of 8 tips that anyone can use to make sure their profile is recruiter AND Applicant Tracking System (ATS) friendly!

1. Use a professional photo

• Invest the time to take a variety of headshots and then decide on the one that best shows you as friendly and approachable.

• Remember to dress for the job you want, not the job you have and also portray yourself respectfully and professionally. In other words, this profile picture is meant to attract employers, not your future partner so keep your expression, pose and attire professional. For more inspiration, check out the #dollypartonchallenge on Instagram to see which photos are best suited for LinkedIn… or feel free to ask us

2. Customize your LinkedIn URL 

• Taking a couple of minutes to customize your LinkedIn profile URL can really make a difference when recruiters and future employers are searching for your profile. Browse through the gallery below to see how you can personalize your URL to make your profile easier to find and also more professional looking.

3. Update your headline to reflect your professional persona 

• LinkedIn will automatically change your headline every time you get a new title so make sure you change your headline is always one that reflects your skills and expertise, not just your title. Here are some examples to draw inspiration from:

  • If you’re a sales executive at North American software company try using something like “Disrupting and innovating how tech companies sell SAAS in North America”

  • If you’re an HR professional consider something along the lines of “Helping Managers Attract & Keep Top Talent”

  • If you’re a software engineer try basing your headline on “Passionate about using technology to solve modern problems”

• Additionally, if you are currently not employed please don’t join the vast number of individuals on LinkedIn who have changed their title to read “Unemployed at Unemployed”. From a recruiter’s perspective, that says nothing about what you do, only that you are unemployed, and that doesn’t serve you in any way. Instead, share your expertise and then add “open to new opportunities” or “seeking new opportunities” or “ready for my next challenge”. For example, if you previously worked in Finance, try using a title similar to this “Experienced finance professional seeking new opportunities”.

4. Create a compelling summary of yourself 

• When someone visits your profile, the first thing they see one they start scrolling down your page is your summer so taking the time to write one is extremely important. write a creative and compelling summary about yourself

• Make sure the summary is written in first person and free of any errors

• Don’t forget to include something that will help you stand out such as an interesting skill or a cool project you have worked on or are currently working on.

5. Create a profile based on your accomplishments 

• Take the time to identify what you have accomplished in each role and list it in the Experience section. By doing so, recruiters will get a sense of what you’ve accomplished and see that you’re driven as opposed to just reading the tasks you’ve worked on which should only be listed on your resume.

6. Make your profile pop with multimedia 

• They say a picture is worth one thousand words so include any multimedia that can be used to showcase your skills such as images, documents and/or presentations. Note: make sure that the information your sharing is not confidential! 

7. Identify and focus on your most relevant skills 

• Even though LinkedIn allows you to choose up to 50 skills, recruiters agree that the focus should be on quality and not quantity. This means you should focus on approximately 10-20 or so skills and work on getting your connections to endorse you as many times as possible as opposed to having 40 skills but only one endorsement for each skill.

8. Follow those who inspire you 

• Take the time to look up key influencers and relevant groups and follow them. Not only will you learn more about the industry you are in/want to be in, you will also be able to connect with the right individuals who can assist you with your career.

I hope you found these tips helpful and easy to implement! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or contact me so we can discuss further.