Many people wonder whether they need to set up a LinkedIn profile when they are looking for a new role. Whilst a LinkedIn profile is not essential, many people find it very helpful to set up a LinkedIn profile to support their job search
This blog post outlines how a LinkedIn profile can benefit you, as well as outlining when it may be less beneficial.
What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is a professional networking site, designed to help colleagues and businesses stay in touch. LinkedIn sell recruiter licences to companies and recruitment agencies who wish to use the site to headhunt people who may not actively be looking for a new role and therefore cannot be found on internet job sites such as Monster, Total Jobs and Indeed etc.
What are the benefits of joining LinkedIn?
One of the main benefits of joining LinkedIn is that many companies and recruitment agencies use LinkedIn to headhunt people who may not actively be looking for a new role. In order for recruiters to approach you, you need to set up a LinkedIn profile, which contains the keywords recruiters use to search for candidates for their roles.
A public LinkedIn profile is one of the first results which appears when someone googles your name, so this allows ex-colleagues, managers and recruiters to contact you. LinkedIn charge for their recruiter licences, and not all companies purchase a licence, so you may wish to include an email address or phone number in your profile, as this widens the number of companies who are able to contact you.
Many companies post jobs on LinkedIn, so you will need to have a LinkedIn profile if you wish to apply for these roles.
Many companies use LinkedIn to research potential applicants, your colleagues can endorse your skills and write recommendations and this provides more of an insight into your background, than simply reading your CV.
LinkedIn is a networking site which can be used to grow your network, which can lead to career opportunities. Many people find online networking less daunting than attending networking events. You can expand your network by joining groups.
When can LinkedIn be less beneficial?
Most companies search for candidates on LinkedIn for specialist roles, when they do not receive enough applications from qualified candidates. Whilst it’s almost always worth setting up a LinkedIn profile, it can be less valuable for junior roles which typically have a high volume of suitable applicants, such as school leavers, graduates, administrative and assistant level roles. You are also less likely to be approached about roles if you are looking for a career change, because most recruiters are searching for candidates with specific experience in a specific sector.
How is a LinkedIn profile different to a CV?
Most people set up a public LinkedIn profile which can be viewed by anyone, including their current company and their clients. Whereas your CV is a sales document which you send to external companies. Whilst it is appropriate to include metrics, client lists, and key achievements on your CV, it may be inappropriate to make this information publicly visible to a wider audience on LinkedIn. Most people do not want their LinkedIn profile to make it obvious that they are considering career opportunities, as this can be viewed by their current company. Whilst it is possible to make your profile only visible to connections (and recruiters), most people prefer to have a public LinkedIn profile.
What else should I consider when setting up my LinkedIn profile?
Recruiters search for profiles using keywords and job titles, and therefore you will need to optimise your LinkedIn profile for the relevant keywords to ensure this is visible to recruiters. You may wish to read this article on how to keyword optimise your CV and LinkedIn profile.
When you set up your LinkedIn profile you can choose the type of information you wish to receive (e.g. jobs, reference requests, and expertise requests). People can only contact you through Linked In if you have selected this option. Most people select all options, so it’s not obvious to their current company that they are considering a new role.
It is advisable to fully complete the main sections on your LinkedIn profile, because this will make your profile rank higher when the recruiter searches for the relevant keywords.
Once you have set up your profile, you do not need to regularly network via LinkedIn if you do not wish to. However, if you do not regularly use LinkedIn, please be aware that LinkedIn use their own messaging system called InMail, so you may wish to set this up to forward messages to your email address, so you do not miss any messages.
Do you need professional assistance in writing your LinkedIn profile, so your experience stands out to recruiters? I offer CV writing help including a CV writing and LinkedIn profile writing service which includes a telephone consultation to discuss your experience, so I can write and tailor these documents for you. Please don’t hesitate to contact me.
