5 Ways To Attract The Attention Of Recruiters
When I speak with potential clients about their profiles, the majority of them tell me they want two things: more interviews and more recruiters reaching out to them. Well, these two things are directly linked and have nothing to do with how good your resume is!
Think of it this way, your LinkedIn profile is the magical portal where you get to meet and engage with people that you would have most likely never crossed paths with, and to get through that door, you just need to do a few things.
Here are my top 5 ways of attracting recruiters to your LinkedIn Profile:
MAKE SURE YOUR PROFILE IS COMPLETE
As a former recruiter, nothing was worse than matching with a candidate just to find out that they hadn’t updated their profile in years and were no longer available, in the location I needed, or had changed careers. Your profile should always be updated (plus, if you keep it updated, it won’t look suspicious if you update something to your current employer). At the bare minimum, make sure you have:
A current, high-quality headshot. This doesn’t have to be a professional photo but make sure it is good quality (not grainy), not a selfie, and no one is cropped out of your photo (the floating hand kills me every time).
A targeted headline that showcases what you do (or what you want to do) and the value you bring either using a value statement or skills.
Complete professional experience and education sections. Make sure this is always updated and has the company name, location, title, and a brief (1-2 sentences of what you did and highlight an accomplishment).
Utilized all 50 skills on your profile. Keep this relevant to the job you want. These skills are what recruiters search for in LinkedIn Recruiter.
ONCE YOUR PROFILE IS COMPLETE, OPTIMIZE IT
Your profile works similarly to a webpage. Certain things increase your visibility (think SEO). These are things like:
Keyword Optimization: Just like your resume, identifying and using relevant keywords associated with the type of role throughout your profile, including your headline, about sections, professional experience, and of course, your skills section.
Custom URL: Changing your URL from the generic one LinkedIn assigns to you to one that includes your name will make it easier for search engines to index you and people to find you.
Share External Links: Share links to your personal website or portfolio, if applicable. This can drive traffic to your external online presence and strengthen your profile's SEO.
CREATE AND SHARE RELEVANT CONTENT
The more you engage on LinkedIn, the more you get seen. That means more eyes on your profile. These are recruiters, hiring managers, and key decision-makers. This increases your opportunity to start conversations, share your value, and get interviews. Here are a few ideas to increase your visibility:
Regularly share industry-relevant articles, news, and updates.
Engage with posts from the companies that you want to work with. This includes liking, commenting on, and sharing the posts.
Publish new content such as articles or posts that are based on your opinions, knowledge, and thoughts that will provide value to your network. This will establish you as a thought leader and give you more authority.
NETWORK STRATEGICALLY
A larger network can help your profile show up more in search results. Strive to get a minimum of 250 connections so that LinkedIn will “unlock”. Once you have met the minimum number of connections, it’s time to be intentional about who you are connecting with.
Seek out, engage with, and connect with people who are in your targeted companies and industries. This includes recruiters and hiring managers. Now, this doesn’t mean connect and run. Start by engaging with their posts, if applicable. Liking, commenting, and sharing their posts will get you on their radar. Then, send connection requests AND engage with them to build relationships. Find an interesting topic on their profile (their job or company is a great topic) and start a conversation. Your goal here is to not only add these people to your network but to also build meaningful relationships.
LEVERAGE RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations is this fantastic feature on LinkedIn that, in my opinion, is poorly underutilized. This feature adds credibility to your profile and the more recommendations you have, the more you appear in recruiter search results.
I recommend a bare minimum of three recent (within the last 2 years) recommendations. These can be peers so that they can speak to your teamwork ability. This can be previous managers and supervisors so that they can speak to your quality as an employee and your performance, or they can be your old direct reports that can speak to your ability as a leader. While getting any and all recommendations is great, still be strategic here. Think of those that can provide the right information for where you are going.
And remember, reciprocity is important. Give as many recommendations as you are getting. Always ask those who are providing you a recommendation if you can give them one.
Whether you are just ready for a new job or are pursuing a career transition, your LinkedIn profile can be a powerful ally in your journey. By optimizing your profile, engaging with your desired industry, and strategically networking, you can attract more recruiters to your LinkedIn profile and increase your chances of landing your dream job. Remember that the process may take time, but with persistence and the right strategies, you will be successful. Want a little extra help building, optimizing, and utilizing your LinkedIn Profile? Check out my comprehensive guide to LinkedIn here.