How to improve your rank during a LinkedIn search

If you had asked me 6 years ago, what was more critical for job search- resume or LinkedIn, I would have voted for resume. As an executive resume & LinkedIn writer, I always tell my potential clients that in today’s world , both-resume & LinkedIn are equally important. In few years from now, LinkedIn profile may even surpass resume in degree of importance.

LinkedIn has evolved into a most preferred portal to build your professional network where people go & find social proof of you are what you claim & know what you say you know. LinkedIn is “ THE” platform for recruiters to find & vet talent. 95% of the recruiters use LinkedIn as a key  sourcing tool to find talent pool for their client companies.

When it comes to LinkedIn search you should adopt the following strategy to differentiate yourself from others & make sure that you come on the top of LinkedIn recruiter searches?

1. A keyword rich headline: Even if you do nothing else, uncheck the box that makes your current job profile as default title on your LinkedIn headline. Job titles does not always explain what you do & quite often recruiters & hiring managers will search specific keywords to come with a list of potential candidates. LinkedIn allows only 120 characters to craft a keyword rich headline. So make sure to include keywords that are relevant for your profile & role you are looking to explore. Here is an example 

Default title- Head of Treasury at xxxx

A keyword-rich headline: “Treasury Operations/ Cash flow management |Risk management| Foreign Exchange Management| Insurance/ LATAM / FX”
The profile with maximum & relevant keywords wins because the more keywords you have, the greater are your chances to appear on top of recruiter searches. 

2. Summary section: When you bypass this section in LinkedIn profile, you are missing an opportunity to tell the reader about your story & you are missing the chance to include the relevant keywords. On the desktop first 282 characters ( or 40 words) & on mobile app first 147 characters show up. If you are intrigued, you have to click for more. By including keyword rich language in these limited characters, you portray why recruiters tend to hire someone like you. I recommend including in the summary are a skills section (an opportunity to insert keywords) and your contact info (providing reader with an easy way to reach out to you without having to make extra effort to find your contact info on your profile).

3. A complete profile: When you complete as many sections of LinkedIn profile as possible, not only would you be able to capitalize on LinkedIn search algorithm to come up higher on search result but also provide readers a clear sense of who you are as a person & throw light on your professionalism. Sections to complete include organisation, skills, certifications, honors & awards, volunteer experience. By adding new information in these sections, you can increase the chances of more recruiter views & increases connection requests.

4. The right photograph: When it comes to the picture, I recommend including a full-face headshot that does not include others, doesn’t appear like others are cropped out & doesn’t look blurred.

5. Customized banner: A customised banner can help you enhance your brand & presence. I recommend using friend & free site Canva.com for creating that perfect banner for your LinkedIn profile. You do not need to be a graphic wizard to create a banner which aligns with your profile & target role.

6. Engagement that  align with your target role & industry: Every time you engage in LinkedIn, either by commenting, likes or sharing your own content, post or blogs, you provide a basis on which others will perceive you. I recommend spending half an hour every week engaging & participating on LinkedIn to shape the brand you would like to convey. Consider sharing or writing articles of your interest to those in your network, industry & in various groups of which you are part of. Besides, also regularly comment on some hot & relevant topic which can help you showcase yourself as subject matter expert for that particular topic/discussion. Also follow industry leaders, influencers & industry leading companies.

As the founder and executive resume coach  at Sushant Kumar Ventures, I offer customized executive resume and LinkedIn profile writing services for modern day job seekers. Sign up here for our services/free consult.