Does your LinkedIn profile support your job search?

In addition to allowing you to search for new career opportunities and roles, LinkedIn is an excellent way to build your personal brand, network and engage with potential employers – which is why your profile is so important.

You could think of your LinkedIn profile as an enhanced, digital CV which gives recruiters and prospective employers an insight into who you are and what you’ve achieved – and potentially a whole lot more.

Remember that your profile, and the posts you publish and engage with, will also give them a view of your network, interests, writing style, personal life, attitudes and opinions, so it’s worth considering how you present yourself and how you want to be perceived in a professional setting.

How can I use my LinkedIn profile to impress potential employers?

It’s up to you to decide how much or how little of yourself you want to share but from a job hunting perspective, we suggest you complete as much of your LinkedIn profile as possible to impress and reassure potential employers who will almost certainly be checking you out.

A complete profile which uses lots of keywords that recruiters and prospective employers will be looking for will also help you appear higher up and more often in search.

Review our handy checklist below to make sure you’ve got everything covered:

1. Photo and background

Use a high quality photo that you feel is appropriate in a business context – or in your line of work. The image you portray on LinkedIn shouldn’t be too far removed from the version of yourself that you put forward for a job interview.

If you choose a background to accompany your photo, try to pick something that’s relevant to your industry sector or work environment. It doesn’t have to of course, but whatever you choose should reflect you professionally.

2. Summary

Think carefully about this bit as it’s the first thing people will see when they land on your profile, so you’ll want to make it as interesting and engaging as possible. This is an opportunity to write in the first person, let your personality shine through and go into detail about your approach, the work you enjoy most and the aspects you’re most proud of. Remember to include the most important elements in the first few sentences.

If you’re actively looking for a new role, then say so if your circumstances allow. If you haven’t yet given notice or your current employment contract prohibits it, then obviously you can’t – but if you are in a position to set out your stall, then go for it.  This is a great opportunity to describe what you’re looking for and what you have to offer.

3. Experience

Make sure you use this space to detail your paid and voluntary work experience and career history, focusing on contributions you have made and any achievements. Add photos, graphics, videos, presentations or blogs to support this.

4. Education

Provide an overview of your educational background, including all qualification achieved and courses completed.

5. Skills

Create a comprehensive list of skills that demonstrate your ability to perform the role you’re looking for. Contact everyone you can think of who may be willing to endorse these skills, including former employers, managers, team mates, teachers and tutors, sports coaches and other connections – as appropriate. It gives you a good reason to get in touch with people and let them know you’re job hunting. They may even be able to help.

6. Recommendations

As mentioned above, take this opportunity to reach out to carefully selected contacts you know well or have worked closely with, to ask if they would be willing to give you a short testimonial. Third party endorsement is valuable and can be really persuasive.

Allen Associates is an Oxford-based recruitment agency and we’re here to help!

Our friendly team is made up of recruitment consultants working on permanent and temporary vacancies in Oxford and across Oxfordshire. We specialise in roles at all levels in PA and Administration, Marketing, HR and Finance.

If you’re actively looking for your next job opportunity in Oxfordshire and haven’t registered with us, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

You can also browse our latest jobs and apply online.