When it comes to landing your next executive appointment, one of the most important tools you have at your disposal is LinkedIn. LinkedIn not only offers a way to connect with those in your network, build your personal brand and share helpful information about your company, it’s also the number one tool search consultants and recruiters utilise to find prospective candidates.
If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile or you never look at it, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage against the competition. And if you are going for an executive role, the competition will likely be fierce, so you need to do everything in your power to ensure you’re ahead of the game.
Here are some tips for using LinkedIn effectively, so that you get noticed by recruiters and headhunters.
Make sure your profile is up to date
Executive search consultants, recruiters and internal talent acquisition specialists actively search LinkedIn to find talent that’s suited to a specific role using tools like LinkedIn Recruiter to narrow down their options. Your LinkedIn profile offers you a chance to showcase your skills, experience and education. Make sure your information is up to date and that the settings are all correct.
“It’s incredibly important to update your LinkedIn profile, particularly when you’re going to do a job search,” says Executive Interview Coaching founder Richard Elstone. “Aside from getting your bio right, there are some settings just below your name that are important to go into, where you’re able to list the types of job titles you’re interested in. These are useful for executive search specialists and recruiters because they’ll appear in their searches. The more focused your keywords are, the better.”
There’s one thing Richard suggests you don’t include on LinkedIn – your achievements. “Those can be kept on your resume,” says Richard. “But you should include as much information as possible about the scope of your role, so that people conducting searches can find the relevant information on your profile.”
If you want to keep it confidential that you’re looking for a new opportunity, you can turn on your “open to opportunities” button (just don’t use the # option) and make sure you highlight ‘recruiters only’. This will let executive search consultants, talent acquisition teams and recruiters know you’re open to being approached about new opportunities (but it won’t be visible to your current employer). Be sure to include all the job titles (even ones you’re aspiring to move into), so that these teams can find you.
LinkedIn Premium is also a great option if you’re actively looking for a job. This allows you to send direct messages to recruiters and hiring managers, get exclusive insights and use advance search filters to refine your job search.
Get the imagery right
If your current headshot is of you riding a camel in Jordan last summer, consider updating it with something more professional. Those kinds of shots are best kept to your personal social media accounts, like Facebook and Instagram.
“A head and shoulders shot is best and I recommend wearing a jacket (no tie for men),” says Richard. “It should look formal, but you can be smiling.”
Richard says it’s important to ensure that all the logos (for previous or current employers, associations, etc.) are displaying correctly, too.
Connect with your network
The popular adage, "It's who you know, not what you know," has never been more relevant. Often, the right connections can make all the difference in landing your dream executive role.
LinkedIn is an invaluable professional networking platform for you to connect with your network, so that you remain front of mind should any job opportunities come up.
Richard suggests that you engage with others on the platform by liking their posts, commenting on their achievements and celebrating their milestones. Build as many connections as you can with colleagues, clients and even acquaintances, as it may pay off one day. It’s also important for you to follow all the companies that you are interested in working for too, as it helps the LinkedIn algorithms point suitable opportunities your way.
For more tips, check out our recent article: how to use your network to land your next executive role.
Need help with your digital profiles?
Executive Interview Coaching provides a range of services to help executives prepare for their next executive appointment. From finetuning your resume, to reviewing your digital profiles and assisting with interview preparation, we give our clients the upper hand in the executive hiring process.
“LinkedIn is incredibly important,” says Richard. “After the resume is created, the next thing I generally do is review the client’s LinkedIn profile. The reality is every single executive search firm uses LinkedIn Recruiter. If you’re not on LinkedIn, you’re not getting noticed.”
Get in touch today!
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