If you’re looking for a job these days, the chances are a significant amount of your search will be done online. So many recruitment agencies now do a lot of their operations via the internet and although you might be asked to come in for a chat before they start putting you forward for jobs, you can send in a CV and check for available positions all from the comfort of your living room.
Distributing your CV isn’t the only thing you can do when you’re trying to find a new job. You should use the internet to support your application and set up profiles on professional websites such as LinkedIn. This can help you network, put you in touch with people within your industry and potentially open up doors when it comes to recruitment.
But how do you ensure you’ve created a successful profile that’s actually going to get you somewhere? Here are a few tips to get you started.
Be accurate and honest
Just like a CV, a LinkedIn profile should be a good representation of you and your achievements. You need to discuss your abilities and make yourself sound the best you can possibly be, but without lying so much you get found out further down the line.
Similarly, make sure your profile is accurate and free from any spelling or grammar mistakes – this just looks unprofessional. Paste anything you write into Word before posting to check for errors, and get someone to give it a second read-through.
Come up with a good professional headline
The professional headline is the section of text that sits just below your name on your profile. This is really important because it will be one of the first things people see when they look at your page. You must use this text to ensure you stand out from the competition – it doesn’t just have to be a place to note your job title, as people can see this in the employment section. Make it snappy and specific to you.
Get recommendations
These make you look good to any potential employers and give them something other than your own opinion of yourself to consider. Why not write a recommendation for someone you know – they’re bound to return the favour.
Make the employment history section as effective as possible
As well as listing your current job, you should also give details of previous positions. This is important for two reasons.
- Like a CV this will give you the chance to go into plenty of detail about your skills and achievements. Don’t be generic – if you want to use your profile to find a job you need to sell yourself, and that means talking about exactly what you can do – and how well you can do it.
- If you have previous companies listed on your profile LinkedIn will help you connect with more people and organisations, as it will list other individuals who have worked for the same employer. This is just what you need when job hunting.
Keep your profile updated
A profile that is regularly updated with fresh content and comment is going to be more effective than one that sits on LinkedIn, looking as though it has been discarded and forgotten about. Provide links to any conferences or events you will be attending, post updates with anything you have recently written or discuss the type of job you’re looking for if you want a new role.
This post was contributed by Christina Jones a freelance writer specialising in employment particularly IT recruitment.