Why is your LinkedIn Profile Important? | iknowho

Danni Uglow • Apr 27, 2018

I’m not looking for a job, I’ve got a CV I can update, I’m too busy to be updating another form of social media. If this is how you are thinking about your LinkedIn profile you are missing the point, and potentially opportunities!


As a HR & Talent Specialist, I am always keeping my eye out for fantastic talent as well as looking at how companies are representing themselves to potential candidates. LinkedIn is a powerful tool for both companies & individuals to represent themselves.



So, although you aren’t actively looking for a role, if a career-defining opportunity was to show itself would you be interested in exploring it? Yes? So how do you make sure these opportunities don’t sail straight past you? That’s a really big question, but here’s the answer to at least one channel for you to review and consider.


The best talent scouts, be that in the sports arena or business world, are those who seek and don’t just wait for talent to answer an ad they put on a job board. They are actively looking… for you!


Using your LinkedIn profile as more than a bare-bones CV will ensure that any talent scout looking for someone with your skills will find you through searches and gain enough information to want to find out more.

On top of this, the new LinkedIn algorithms will help point you in the direction of jobs that suit you and linking you to employers. The more defined your skill set the better.


With just the bare necessities on your profile – job title and years, it is highly unlikely that you will be attracting the attention you desire. Consider how a talent scout will work;


Searching for candidates with skills and experience that align with the role;


Assessing;

  • each potential candidate with the information provided, to look for skills fit;
  • the businesses the potential candidate has worked for, to look for cultural fit;
  • how the potential candidate presents themselves, to look for professionalism


Reviewing the professional testimonials to see how connected the potential candidate is and how others speak about them, as well as how many people have endorsed them with a personal note – not just the click endorsements.


All this information is going to help you cut through if someone is looking for your skill set. If they have enough information to realise you could be a candidate they are more likely to get in contact. Giving you the opportunity to listen and decide if you are interested or not – much better than not even knowing about the opportunity.


If you are looking for a job, let LinkedIn help you! The more detailed your job descriptions, skills and profile the better the job matches. Many companies are now using the new LinkedIn Life Page and job titles. When you visit their life pages jobs that suit your experience will be listed for you, allowing you to explore opportunities with them.


LinkedIn is a growing platform, it’s a tool for your career. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there for the world to see how great you are!

By Kahli Fenn 27 Mar, 2024
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the word freelance is written in scrabble tiles next to a keyboard
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