“Help me help you.” These are the words of Matt Kerr, Director, Executive Search & Talent with Chicago-based executive search firm Grant Alexander. LinkedIn is one of the tools Matt uses to conduct executive searches.
For anyone who doesn’t know, LinkedIn is a business oriented social networking site. With more than 120 million members and growing, a professional, up to date LinkedIn profile is an essential tool for every business professional.
Matt says that to maximize the benefit you receive from LinkedIn, your profile should be searchable and reflect a personal branding statement.
To make it easy for recruiters to find you and connect you with the right opportunities:
- Your profile should provide a clear description of what you do and the type of work you’re seeking.
- It should include key words that are relevant to your industry. If you aren’t sure what those key words are, check out position descriptions on Indeed or Simply Hired.
- Use standardized job titles that reflect the nature of your work even if it doesn’t match your actual job title(s). Indeed and Simply Hired can help you with that, too.
Recruiters use Boolean operators (e.g., AND, OR, NOT) and key words (e.g., job titles, industry jargon, functional terms, position scope) to find potential candidates.
When describing your experience, Matt recommends that you include two components incorporating searchable key words into both:
- a description of the company and
- a description of the nature and scope of your responsibilities.
You should also make it easy for a recruiter to connect with you. LinkedIn suppresses the last name of individuals who are 3rd degree connections. Get around this by:
- adding your name to your headline and
- adding your name and e-mail address under the “contact me for” box.
Some final advice: Matt advises that you don’t need to include your entire work history, just your last few jobs. He also suggests not adding your resume to your profile. Give the recruiter a reason to call – make them want to learn more about you.
Finally, don’t forget to leverage your own contacts on LinkedIn. Asking people in your network to introduce you to people in theirs is a great way to tap into the hidden job market.
========================
Matt Kerr is Director, Executive Search & Talent with BPI Group Company Grant Alexander, an executive search firm dedicated to helping clients find exceptional candidates who can contribute in meaningful ways to their businesses. They have five locations in the U.S. with a local office in Oak Brook Terrace.
Comments