5 Reasons Your LinkedIn is Recruiter Repellent

Getting that job you want is just as difficult as ever. Yet with the rise of LinkedIn, people have been getting employment opportunities that would have been unavailable just a few years ago. But on the downside, a LinkedIn profile can also harm your chances of landing a job.

Here are five reasons your LinkedIn profile could be struggling to impress employers.

Reason 1: Your Profile Picture

It may seem like a fairly innocuous aspect of a LinkedIn profile, but the image you use is important. It will be one of the first thing’s prospective employers will see, so your profile picture should exude a professional demeanour. That means you should avoid blurry, pixelated and poorly lit pictures, and ones in an unprofessional capacity (like an image from a party). Oh, and ‘selfies’ are a big no-no, too…

Plus if you don’t have a profile picture already, get one uploaded as soon as possible!

Reason 2: Using the Default Headline

The default headline on a LinkedIn profile displays your current title and company name. This is generated automatically for your convenience by the good folks at LinkedIn.

One problem: you shouldn’t use the default headline!

When it comes to editing your headline, you can add keywords that you want to associate with you and your profile. This will help increase your marketability tenfold when it comes to people searching on LinkedIn (and beyond).

Reason 3: You Haven’t Fleshed Out Your Profile

The best way to flesh out your profile is to use the summary section to your full advantage. It can be used to supply additional descriptions about a whole host of things like expertise, experience and awards. It also provides you the chance to show people who you are, your background and what you hope to achieve in the future. Links to work you’ve produced can also be included in the summary – a nice addition to any profile.

Also make sure to include as much information as possible about your past roles, no matter how irrelevant they may seem at present.

Reason 4: You’re Not Actively Networking With Others

If you are on a social network like LinkedIn, then guess what: you should be networking!

Make sure to constantly build connections, frequently update your status, join LinkedIn groups and participate in discussions, and try and share information to your connections that is useful and relevant to discussions. Do all that, and you’ll build up your presence progressively on LinkedIn and establish your profile.

Reason 5: Your Profile is Not Up-to-Date

Your profile should include all the latest up-to-date information when it comes to your employment history, recognition/achievements received, skills learnt etc. Not only does this help to further enhance your LinkedIn profile, but it also shows that you care about your career. LinkedIn is all about reflecting your professionalism, and being punctual with updating your profile is one way to display that.

via Business 2 Community http://ift.tt/1enCsxu