Archive for day: Thursday, November 10th, 2016

In today’s digital landscape, your LinkedIn profile holds a significant importance in a job application.  In fact, many online job postings even require you to include a link to your profile when applying.  That being said, it can be difficult to know what employers are looking to find on your LinkedIn profile when you’ve also sent a resume and cover letter.  To clear up any confusion, we asked recruiters from The Execu|Search Group about what they look for on a LinkedIn profile when they’re assessing a candidate.  Continue reading for their list of what should or shouldn’t be on your profile: You should have a strong network of connections “While you don’t necessarily need 500 connections, it should be clear that your connections include more than just your immediate circle,” says Jaimee Cascione, a Senior Director within The Execu|Search Group’s Office Support & Human Resources division.  “This shows that you are actively networking, which is a sign of a motivated and well-connected professional.  The connections you make on LinkedIn could effectively change the course of your career, and those who take it seriously will benefit from that.” You should keep it professional “An unprofessional photo is one of the first ways I can tell that this is not a high quality candidate,” says Lisa Morano, a Senior Director within The Execu|Search Group’s Temporary division.  “If they have a selfie or a grainy photo, this not only implies that they don’t understand how to act in a professional environment, but it also means that they don’t understand the importance of a first impression.  This is one of the best ways for an employer to put a face to a name, so your profile picture should reflect what you want to present.” “Not only does this apply to your photo, but also what you share on the site,” adds Kim Caruso, a Managing director within The Execu|Search Group’s Office Support & Human Resources division.  “LinkedIn should be treated differently than your other social media pages, which means you should only publish or share posts that are of a “safe for work” subject matter—and written in a professional tone.” You shouldn’t list every accomplishment “One of the advantages of an online profile is that you have the ability to expand on things that your resume can’t,” says Kim.  “However, this can also be its downfall.  While it can be tempting to add every award you’ve ever received, it can be better to pick a simple few that say the most about you as a professional.  This means that perhaps you don’t need to list winning the spelling bee, but if you participated in a sorority or fraternity in college, this could speak to someone else who had a similar experience.  By being selective and strategic about what you choose to include, you can present your best attributes to any employer.” You should carefully compile your experience “While you don’t need to add everything that’s listed on your resume, it isn’t enough to simply leave the descriptions blank either,” says Jaimee.  “A description that is left empty will let me know that this candidate does not take LinkedIn seriously.  Additionally, job seekers need to be very careful to avoid misspellings or grammatical errors on their pages, as they’ll be immediately disqualified.” “On top of that, I look for patterns in a candidate’s employment record,” says Lisa.  “If they have held several positions in a short period of time or switch industries a lot, they may not be very committed to their work.  However, if there is a record of stability as well as an increase in responsibilities, that is a high quality candidate.” “This is also another area where you don’t need to list every position you’ve ever held,” says Kim.  “If you held a position several years ago that is not applicable to your current job or your professional goals, there’s no need to list it on your profile.  This means that a summer job you held in high school or college can probably be removed.” You should have recommendations “When someone you don’t know is reviewing your profile, one of the best ways they know they can trust you is from recommendations and endorsements from people you know,” says Kim.  “When I’m looking to present a candidate, it is nice to have some reassurance that this is a high quality candidate.” “This also proves that you are still actively networking,” notes Jaimee.  “If you’ve kept in touch with old colleagues, it is a good sign that you are a well-liked and motivated person.”