Getting Noticed on LinkedIn
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our health physically, mentally, and financially. It literally shut down the entire world! We are experiencing unprecedented times: unemployment numbers have far surpassed that of the 2007-2009 Great Recession, the terms “quarantine” and “social distancing” are understood theories (but not strictly practiced), children are starting off their “virtual learning” school year, parents are becoming teachers (in addition to their trained occupations), and masks are required to be worn in public. If you are not considered an “essential” worker, then you are, for the most part, confined within the walls of your own home.
In the last few months, we have seen companies layoff a large portion of their workforce, businesses file for bankruptcy, and even industries become obsolete. As much as these are true statements, we must also realize that this crisis has created new types of work such as the individuals who scan your temperature upon entering an establishment. I was lucky! I survived two rounds of layoffs at my corporate job. Even though I was untouched, I was still anxious about my future. Rather than get comfortable, I decided to take matters into my own hands and continued to search for better opportunities that were more stable and had the cash flow to withstand the current economic climate. Despite what was taking place around the world, I was able to land a new gig amidst the COVID-19 chaos.
Not all companies are in a hiring freeze. I did a quick search on LinkedIn for a program manager role in the San Francisco Bay Area, which resulted in 3,764 jobs! This list included the following companies: Sephora, Pinterest, Twitch, and of course, FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix,Google). Even companies that had layoffs earlier this year, such as Lyft and Airbnb, had active listings. With that said, let’s not lose hope as there is something out there for everyone. We just need to stand out from the crowd!
Now that we are living in the “new normal,” digital, and virtual world, recruiters, sourcers, and potential employers will be conducting their search online even more than before. Oftentimes, they start by reaching out to their network for referrals. Since LinkedIn is a popular first stop destination for their search, I am going to share five steps that you can take to level up your LinkedIn profile to stand out from the rest:
Use a professional headshot
Add a carefully worded, targeted tagline
Include a summary about yourself
Fill out every major area of your profile: Experience, Education, Licensing and Certifications, and Volunteering
Take time to fill out the Skills and Endorsements and Recommendations sections
Research shows that if you fill out all the major sections of LinkedIn, including a photo, you have a better chance of being discovered. Below I dive deeper into the five steps to level up your LinkedIn profile:
Use a professional headshot
How do you make a good first impression? Let’s start with your appearance! LinkedIn is a professional networking website. This is not the time or place to feature a photo of you with your dog or best friend. If you don’t have a professional solo headshot, barter with one of your talented, photographer friends who may be willing to shoot you. Make sure you choose a high-quality photo that features the top third of your body, preferably with a plain background.
Add a carefully worded, targeted tagline
I’ve seen some people write traditional, common taglines such as the following: Engineering Program Manager at Apple, Experienced Product Manager for Consumer Packaged Goods, or UX Designer. On the other hand, I have seen more intriguing and catchy taglines such as the following: A different kind of people leader, Helping women get a seat at the table, Passionate about people and operations. This gives people a little insight into your personality. Keep in mind, it is a bit easier to narrow in what someone’s background and skill set is when a traditional, common tagline is used. Though, if you choose to use a more catchy tagline, make sure it says something related to your expertise and passion.
Include a summary of yourself
The About section should include information about who you are, what you can do and contribute, your skill set and expertise, and where you want to go and do next. For example, I am someone who thrives off problem solving and formulating solutions and strategies to help executives and companies make smart decisions. Hence, it makes sense that I spent a majority of my career in consulting and program management.
Below is an excerpt of what I’ve included in the About section of LinkedIn: Versatile and results-driven professional with a proven track record for achieving C-level alignment, operational excellence and executing strategic initiatives. My unique experience and passion for solving complex business problems have made me an expert at bridging the gap between strategy and execution, turning ideas into action and results.
In this section, I’ve seen people speak in third person. Though, speaking in first person makes it a bit more personable. It’s a personal preference on whether you want to be more formal or casual.
Fill out every major area of your profile
The Experience section serves somewhat as your digital resume. Start out with your most relevant work experience. This is not limited to full-time positions. You should also include unpaid and freelance work, as long as it is relevant. Similar to your resume, start with the most recent position. It is also important to use the correct grammar tense. If you are currently employed, you should use present tense (for the most part). For previous roles, make sure to use past tense.
The information you share should be consistent with your resume. The bullet points should be written in the STAR format: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Organizations want to know what impact your presence has had. What have you been able to accomplish and do during your time there? This can be expressed with numbers: percentages, number of people, amount of money saved, etc.
In this section, it is important to use keywords that are known in the industry and the types of roles that you are looking to apply for. This is very important for your resume, especially because recruiters will be looking for keywords from the job requisitions. Most of them use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), which is a machine that will be searching for keywords that exactly match what is asked for in the job posting.
If you are a creative, be sure to use rich-media where possible by including links to your website, portfolio, and publications. This gives you a chance to show off your work right then and there. Recruiters will be able to view your work without having to ask you. That’s less work for them.
The Education and Licensing and Certifications sections are key sections to fill out. Add your school, degree, and any relevant academic coursework and extracurricular activities. It is important to show that you are continuing to grow and work on your craft. List out any licenses, certifications or training that you’ve completed under the Licensing and Certifications section. For example, in my industry, popular certifications are Agile and Project Management Professional (PMP).
Employers also want to know if you’re well-rounded and not just a bookworm. This can be fleshed out further in the Volunteering section. This gives employers more insight into who you are as a person, what do you do outside of work, and what causes are important to you.
Take time to fill out the Skills and Endorsements and Recommendations sections
The Skills and Endorsements section is an inventory of your skills: things that you can do, things that you know, and roles that you play. In this section, people from your network can “endorse” you for specific skills.
The Recommendations section serves as a Yelp review on you. It tells potential employers what others’ experience was working with you and the quality of your work. Just as others write recommendations for you, make sure to contribute to your network.
Above all, make sure to use your authentic voice, be truthful and accurate. Build your network using the Alumni Tool, join LinkedIn groups, follow companies and hashtags of topics of interest. Like any other social media platform, engage with content by adding comments and reactions to others’ posts. But remember, keep it professional! Once you’ve built up your network, make sure to share and tell your story. Do not keep your job search a secret. If others don’t know what you’re up to or what you want, they won’t know how to help you. Before you go out sharing, take the time to get yourself — and your communications strategy — together so that when you do talk to people, you are prepared and effective.
If you’d like to learn more on how to level up in your career, you can find more information at: https://www.inherpurpose.com/level-up-your-career. You can also follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jennredondo.