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Consultant Headshot ImageBy Aniket Deo - Senior Consultant, Technology
(Saudi Arabia)

Ever wondered why your colleague sitting on the desk right next to you, and doing the exact same role as you, just got approached on LinkedIn about a dream job paying 40% more than their current salary?

The reason might be as simple as abbreviating your current job title (not as uncommon as you might think!).

Here are 5 LinkedIn profile hacks that will turn you into a recruiter-magnet, by Aniket Deo (Senior Consultant - Technology, Michael Page)

A picture is worth a thousand words

Although I don’t personally see not having a profile picture as a deal breaker, the stats suggest that you are more likely to be approached by headhunters if you have one.

Unfortunately, unconscious bias may also come into play when it comes to badly taken/inappropriate profile pictures. For this reason, I would highly recommend getting professional headshots taken.

Location, location, location

Use the ‘Location’ field to your advantage – make sure to mention the city, not just the country, you are currently based in as some recruiters may target candidates already based in the city.

There is also a handy ‘Job Preferences’ section on LinkedIn in case you’re considering international job opportunities – you are much more likely to be contacted by recruiters regarding international opportunities if you list the countries/cities you would be interested in/open to considering in the ‘Job Preferences’ section.

What’s in the job title

Avoid abbreviating words within the job title – for example, Senior and Manager instead of Sr/Snr and Mngr. Similarly, Cybersecurity instead of Cybersec and Supply Chain instead of SC.

Also make sure to specify the function or sub-function you work in within the job title. This is especially relevant for people coming from Professional Services as titles generally tend to be Consultant, Senior Consultant, Associate, etc.

Needless to say, make sure to double-check spellings especially within the job title field!

Keyword optimization

One of the ways recruiters find suitable candidates for vacancies is by using keyword searches – keywords could include things like strategy, roadmap, project management to more technical job-specific words such as SAP, Oracle, etc.

Optimizing your profile for keywords is more art than science – you will first need to reflect on the keywords that are most relevant to your job.

Then make sure these keywords are mentioned tactfully within the ‘Summary’, ‘Job Description’ and ‘Skills’ sections of your profile.

Generally, more is better – but avoid making your profile look like just a list of keywords.

*Top tip: keep in mind that it might be useful to include both singular and plural forms, or noun/verbs – for example strategy/strategies or budgets/budgeting. This could be the difference between your profile showing up in keyword search or not.

Certifications

In certain professions such as Cybersecurity, Technology and Finance, professional certifications can be mandatory requirements for certain jobs.

List all the certifications you possess in the ‘Certifications’ section – it might also be a good idea to list certifications beside your name and within the ‘Summary’ section to become more noticeable and optimize for keyword searches.

Again, when it comes to abbreviations, I suggest including both the abbreviation and full-form. For example, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) or Project Management Professional (PMP).

Doing the above will guarantee a full-proof LinkedIn profile that shows up at the top of recruiters’ candidate searches and get you one step closer to landing that dream job!

To learn more read our article ‘LinkedIn Profile Tips: How Should It Differ From Your Resume?

What's Next?

If you’d like to have a chat about hiring talent, exploring new challenges or better understanding the market, please reach out to me on aniketdeo@michaelpage.ae or request a call back.

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