Today 95% of the recruiters utilise LinkedIn as a major sourcing tool to find candidates (Source: US News).
And with the current pandemic environment where the time spent online has increased multifold, you as a job seeker have to mandatorily build an online presence on LinkedIn.
Most job seekers take their LinkedIn profile for granted and do not pay attention to it. If you are making the below 5 most common mistakes that job seekers make while using LinkedIn you would be losing out on job opportunities as employers will not get attracted to your profile:
1] Incomplete Profile:
Ensure that you have completed all the sections of the profile with a special focus on the headline, your profile pic, and the summary. Also, upload your outstanding presentations or media coverage if any.
2] Confusing Headline:
Recruiters glance through a profile where the headline needs to catch the attention. You need to clearly spell out your area of expertise which positions you as an expert in your field and also tells your target audience what you can do for them.
3] Copy Paste of Resume:
LinkedIn is a branding platform and offers you dynamic features. Do not simply copy-paste your resume content. Write your summary bringing out your nuances and individuality. You have to use your profile to showcase what you cannot do in a resume. For example, add your outstanding presentations, awards, certificates, media coverage, and such supporting docs that help you build your brand.
4] No Recommendations:
What people say about you makes your brand credible and stronger. Ask for recommendations from your ex-bosses, ex-colleagues, team members, and clients.
Last but not the least :
5] Being Passive:
LinkedIn offers you an excellent opportunity with interactive features to have conversations with recruiters. Make use of the platform to interact, do research, and add value to the potential employers’ lives.
I would like you to take one immediate step which will help you make progress. Just spend 4 minutes on going through your LinkedIn profile and see if you have made any of the 5 common mistakes. If so, take corrective action on one of them today. You can just rewrite your headline. Then set a deadline and ensure that you do improve on all 5 areas.
Sarabjeet Sachar
Seasoned Career Coach, Founder & CEO, Aspiration