Things Recruiters Want To See On Your LinkedIn Profile

The right recruiter can put you in front of dream job opportunities. This is especially the case for higher-level positions because there are employers who will not publicly publicize a job opening, but solely rely on recruiters to source the right talent.

The good recruiters are paid by employers (as much as 20-30% of the annual compensation for the position) to find the right people for the job, so when you work with one, understand that their loyalty is to the employer. They are not necessarily there to help you find a job unless you have what they need to fill the job opening. In order to spark interest in recruiters, you have to show you meet most – if not all – of the qualification requirements for the job. Here are six things they’re looking at on your LinkedIn profile:

Headline

Your Headline on LinkedIn is essentially the descriptive line that comes with your profile (before people click on it). By default, it will list your name and current job title. Recruiters depend on this piece of information to decide whether or not to look into your profile.

What you can do: Tell the recruiter what you have to offer in a few words. A job title is okay, but it has to inform the recruiter of the specific industry as well. For example, Account Manager doesn’t say a lot, but Healthcare PR Account Manager says a lot more.

Summary

Your LinkedIn Profile Summary is very much like the Profile Summary for your resume. It needs to succinctly inform the reader what you bring to the table.

What you can do: Include information on your specialty as well as your core skills and accomplishments. Applying keywords and phrases that are relevant to the job will also help increase the chance of your profile showing up in recruiter’s search results.

Experience & Skills

Recruiters want to know you can do the job and do it well. Detail what you’ve accomplished and how you’ve used skills to achieve success and results.

What you can do: Present measurable results. In some instances, results aren’t easily quantifiable so present qualified results. Recruiters are also doing searches based on skills, so you want to include key skills for the job in your profile and get them endorsed. 

Connections

Recruiters look at Connections for a combination of quality and relevance. Quantity is less of a factor (but you do want to have at least 50 quality contacts) because if you have 500+ connections, but 95% of the contacts aren’t related to the field or industry for the job, it doesn’t offer much value.

What you can do: Begin to engage in conversation with relevant contacts in the profession and industry by joining the same Groups and participating in discussions, commenting on their post or articles, seeking the help of Connections you both have in common to help with the introduction, and sending a direct connection invite offering reason to connect. 

Recommendations

Recommendations on LinkedIn are like doing a pre-check of your references. Recruiters want to see that you have other professionals in the field or industry vouching for your experiences, skills, and capabilities. The best recommendations to have are ones that come from your supervisor, clients, and senior colleagues.

What you can do: Depending on the type of relationship you have with your contact, ask if they wouldn’t mind writing a recommendation on your LinkedIn profile. You can assist in the matter by reminding them of an experience that can serve as a focal point for the recommendation. Also, when you write a nice recommendation for others, they will usually reciprocate in the act, or be willing to do it if asked.

Profile Picture

A profile picture with your LinkedIn account increases the chance it gets clicked. It informs others that your profile is likely complete.

What you can do: Include a profile picture that allows the recruiter to envision you in the position you’re applying for. For example, if you’re looking for a job at an investment firm, have a headshot with a suit on, not a jersey shirt.

Get your LinkedIn profile in tip-top shape with these tips if you want to hit job opportunities that only recruiters may have access to.