LinkedIn has evolved in recent years from primarily a platform for recruitment, to a site for building your professional profile and industry ranking. Many professionals are using LinkedIn to establish themselves as ‘thought leaders’ in their field, some becoming mini-celebrities in finance, HR, marketing, business leadership etc. as they attract followers and make valuable connections. 

But at its heart LinkedIn is still about progressing your career, whether that’s by using it as an online CV, making new contacts, or building your professional reputation. 

For recruiters, it is a great tool for sourcing candidates and for vetting candidates that have applied for a specific role. Here at Howett Thorpe we find LinkedIn invaluable for sourcing ‘passive’ candidates – individuals who are not actively looking for a new job but for the right opportunity would consider a move. Often candidates can be found on LinkedIn by an employer before a job has even been advertised.

This means that for ‘active’ candidates – job seekers who are looking for a role – it’s a crowded marketplace. Not only are you competing for roles with other job hunters; you’re also competing with people who are not even looking for a job.

That’s why it’s really important to get your LinkedIn profile in shape so that recruiters not only find you, but also get enough information from your profile to make contact with you.

Here’s what they’re looking for: 

If this has inspired you to update your LinkedIn profile, a quick word of warning! If your current employer doesn’t know you’re looking for a new job, updating your LinkedIn profile is a sure-fire way of letting them know! 

You can avoid this problem by turning off ‘Sharing Profile Edits’ in your privacy settings. This prevents your LinkedIn network being notified every time you tweak your profile.

Please get in touch if you have any questions about your LinkedIn profile and how to optimise it for your job search. Call 01252 718 777 or email us on [email protected]