93% of recruiters have used LinkedIn to hire staff in 2012 compared with 86% in 2011. So, what do recruiters expect to see on your LinkedIn account?
Recruiters, above all, expect to see a professional looking career profile and track record. Recruiters want to see what you look like at work and not what you look like at home, on holiday or at a social event. Remember, that it is not appropriate either to have a cheesy grin or a ‘vogue’ pose. If you don’t have a picture of yourself on LinkedIn, you are likely to miss out on new career opportunities or leads.
Recruiters also expect to see complete, relevant and up-to-date information so that they can understand your career story. Avoid filling your profile with irrelevant and boring bits of information as recruiters can find this type of information a bit annoying. Focus instead on promoting your value to a prospective employer. The key is to show an organisation how they can benefit from you skills and expertise.
Recruiters also want to see that you are well thought of and have commendable skills. It is therefore vitally important that you have a credible number of connections and that you received endorsements and recommendations. Recruiters want to be able to view what your present and past colleagues and bosses have to say about your work performance. A professional track record is not something that you can build up overnight so you may need to work hard to obtain the necessary endorsements and recommendations.
Writing a top LinkedIn profile is also about creating your unique brand and highlighting your searchable skills and expertise. It helps too if you can pitch yourself as a real expert in your profession or field of work.
If you would like to receive some free tips on how to develop your LinkedIn profile, connect Sarah Berry on LinkedIn and I will review your profile and make some suggestions.