5 MUST-KNOW LinkedIn Profile Tips for Job Seekers!

Summary

The video script offers valuable insights into optimizing a LinkedIn profile to increase the chances of being noticed by recruiters and hiring managers. It emphasizes the importance of having an All-Star profile, which is significantly more likely to be contacted by recruiters and to appear in search results. The presenter, Jeff, shares five key tips to achieve this status: 1) Use a high-quality profile picture and cover photo, 2) Craft a headline that includes your title and the value you provide, 3) Include relevant keywords in your 'About' section to improve searchability, 4) Add five endorsed skills to your profile, and 5) Utilize a custom LinkedIn URL for better SEO and professional presentation. The tips are designed to be surprisingly easy to implement, providing viewers with a competitive edge in their job search.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Having an All-Star LinkedIn profile can significantly increase your chances of being contacted by recruiters and showing up in hiring managers' search results.
• 📸 Use a high-quality profile picture where you're smiling and your chest is visible, and a cover photo that can be created using free tools like Canva.
• 🔍 Turn off the visibility of your LinkedIn activity to your network if you're making changes and don't want current colleagues to know you're job searching.
• 🏷️ Customize your headline to include your title and a sentence that conveys the value you bring to future employers.
• 🔑 Include relevant keywords in your LinkedIn 'About' section to improve your profile's visibility in recruiter and hiring manager searches.
• 📈 Use a word cloud generator to identify frequently mentioned keywords from job descriptions and incorporate them into your profile.
• 📈 Add five skills to your profile and get endorsements for them, as only endorsed skills count towards the All-Star profile requirement.
• 🌐 Obtain endorsements from people who have the same skills as you, as these carry more weight on LinkedIn.
• 🔗 Use a custom LinkedIn URL that makes sense and is SEO-friendly to improve your profile's visibility in search engine results.
• 📝 Edit your LinkedIn 'About' section following a structure that includes an intro line, specific examples with quantifiable metrics, and the types of opportunities you're seeking.
• 📧 Include your LinkedIn URL in your email signature for increased visibility and to make it easy for recruiters and potential employers to find your profile.

Q & A

What is the significance of having an All-Star LinkedIn profile for job seekers?

An All-Star LinkedIn profile is 40 times more likely to be contacted by recruiters and 18 times more likely to show up in hiring managers' search results, providing a significant advantage in job search.

What is the bonus tip for job seekers regarding LinkedIn activity visibility?

The bonus tip is to navigate to settings and privacy, then to visibility and turn off the option to share profile updates with the network, allowing job seekers to make changes without alerting their colleagues.

How can one improve their LinkedIn profile picture?

Use a high-quality photo where you're smiling at the camera with your chest in the frame. Use a tool like Remove BG to remove the background and Canva to create a clean or fancy background.

What is the recommended size for a LinkedIn cover photo?

The recommended size for a LinkedIn cover photo is 1500 pixels, which is the most updated size.

How should a job seeker's headline on LinkedIn be structured?

The headline should equal your title plus the value you bring. For example, instead of just listing 'Product Marketing at Google,' you could say 'Product Marketing at Google - Bringing boring ad products to life.'

Why is it important to include relevant keywords in the LinkedIn about section?

Keywords play a big role in how often you show up in recruiters' and hiring managers' search results. The about section is a great place to add relevant keywords to increase your profile's visibility.

How can one find relevant keywords for their LinkedIn about section?

By analyzing at least 10 job descriptions for the desired position, copying and pasting them into a Google Doc, and then using a word cloud generator to identify the most frequently occurring keywords.

What is the recommended structure for the LinkedIn about section?

The about section should start with an intro line including your years of experience and specific value, followed by three specific examples with quantifiable metrics, and end with the types of opportunities you're looking for.

Why are endorsements for skills important on LinkedIn?

According to LinkedIn, only skills with at least one endorsement count towards your profile, and you need five such endorsed skills to meet the All-Star requirement.

What are the benefits of having a custom LinkedIn URL?

A custom LinkedIn URL makes more sense when included in resumes and can increase the chances of hearing back from employers. It also helps with the SEO of your profile, improving its ranking in search results when someone Googles your name.

How can one add a custom LinkedIn URL to their profile?

On your profile, click 'edit public profile and URL' and then click the pencil icon to change your URL to something more personalized and professional.

What is the final step recommended for job seekers after optimizing their LinkedIn profile?

After optimizing the LinkedIn profile, job seekers should watch videos or read articles on best practices for messaging recruiters on LinkedIn to further enhance their job search strategy.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile for Job Search

Jeff, the host, emphasizes the importance of having an All-Star LinkedIn profile, which is significantly more likely to be contacted by recruiters and appear in hiring managers' search results. He provides a sneaky bonus tip for job seekers to adjust their LinkedIn activity visibility settings to avoid alerting colleagues. The first main tip is to add a high-quality profile picture and cover photo using online tools like Remove BG and Canva. He also discusses how to create an impactful headline that matches your job title with the value you bring. The summary includes step-by-step instructions for creating a professional-looking profile and cover photo, as well as how to craft a headline that stands out in search results.

05:02

📈 Enhancing Your Profile with Keywords and Skills

The second paragraph focuses on strategies to further enhance a job seeker's LinkedIn profile. It starts with the importance of including relevant keywords in the 'about' section of your profile to improve searchability by recruiters and hiring managers. Jeff suggests creating a word cloud from various job descriptions to identify common keywords. He also advises on structuring the 'about' section effectively, using an example for a student. The paragraph continues with the necessity of adding five skills to your profile and obtaining endorsements for them, as only endorsed skills count towards the All-Star profile status. Lastly, Jeff talks about the benefits of having a custom LinkedIn URL, which not only aids in search engine optimization but also increases the chances of hearing back from employers when included in resumes.

Keywords

💡All-Star LinkedIn Profile

An All-Star LinkedIn profile is one that stands out and is more likely to be noticed by recruiters and hiring managers. In the video, it is mentioned that such profiles are 40 times more likely to be contacted by recruiters and 18 times more likely to appear in hiring managers' search results. The concept is central to the video's theme of enhancing one's LinkedIn presence for better job opportunities.

💡Profile Picture and Cover Photo

A high-quality profile picture and cover photo are essential elements of a LinkedIn profile. The video instructs viewers to choose a profile photo where they are smiling and their chest is visible, and to use a tool like Remove BG for a clean background. The cover photo should be created with the correct dimensions and can be designed using Canva, with the video providing specific steps to achieve a professional look.

💡Headline

The headline on a LinkedIn profile is a crucial space that should reflect the individual's professional title and the value they bring to their role. The video suggests that instead of just listing the job title, one should include a sentence that summarizes their unique value proposition. This approach helps differentiate a profile from others with similar job titles.

💡Keywords

In the context of the video, keywords are words and phrases that are relevant to a user's professional background and are used to improve the visibility of their LinkedIn profile in search results. The video advises extracting keywords from job descriptions and incorporating them into the 'About' section of the LinkedIn profile to increase the chances of being found by recruiters and hiring managers.

💡Skills Endorsements

Skills endorsements on LinkedIn are a way for others to vouch for a user's proficiency in certain areas. The video emphasizes that only skills with endorsements count towards the All-Star profile requirement, and having five such skills is important. It also suggests that endorsements from people who have the same skills carry more weight.

💡Custom LinkedIn URL

A custom LinkedIn URL is a personalized web address for an individual's LinkedIn profile. The video highlights the importance of having a meaningful URL for better search engine optimization (SEO) and to increase the chances of being contacted by potential employers. It also mentions that including this URL in an email signature can be beneficial.

💡Visibility Settings

The video provides a tip on navigating LinkedIn's settings and privacy to control the visibility of one's activity on the platform. It suggests turning off the option to share profile updates with the network, which can be particularly useful for job seekers who want to make updates without alerting their current colleagues.

💡Word Cloud Generator

A word cloud generator is a tool that visualizes the frequency of different words used in a body of text. In the video, it is suggested to use such a tool to identify the most common keywords from a collection of job descriptions, which can then be incorporated into the LinkedIn profile to improve its SEO and visibility.

💡Endorsements

Endorsements on LinkedIn are a feature that allows users to confirm someone's skills. The video points out that for job seekers, getting endorsements for the skills listed on their profile is not just a matter of quantity but also quality, as endorsements from people with the same skills are more impactful.

💡Austin Belcak

Austin Belcak is mentioned in the video as a thought leader in the area of LinkedIn profile optimization. His advice on crafting headlines, using keywords, and structuring the 'About' section is referenced as valuable guidance for viewers looking to improve their LinkedIn profiles. His insights are used to support the strategies discussed in the video.

💡Canva

Canva is an online design tool that the video recommends for creating a professional-looking LinkedIn cover photo. It provides a user-friendly interface for designing custom-sized images and offers templates that can be easily edited to fit one's professional branding needs.

💡Job Search Optimization

The process of optimizing a LinkedIn profile to improve its visibility and appeal to recruiters and hiring managers is a central theme of the video. This includes using high-quality images, crafting compelling headlines, incorporating relevant keywords, and ensuring skills are endorsed. The video provides specific steps and tips to achieve this optimization.

Highlights

All-Star LinkedIn profiles are 40 times more likely to be contacted by recruiters and 18 times more likely to show up in hiring managers' search results.

There are nine items to watch out for to achieve an All-Star profile, with five being discussed in the video.

A sneaky bonus tip is to adjust your LinkedIn activity visibility settings to avoid alerting colleagues.

A high-quality LinkedIn profile picture and cover photo are crucial, with tips on how to achieve a professional look.

Use the free online tool Remove BG to remove the background from your profile picture.

Canva.com can be used to create a custom LinkedIn banner with a high-resolution download.

The headline of your LinkedIn profile should match your title and the value you bring.

Adding a sentence that shows the value you bring can help you stand out among peers.

LinkedIn search works like Google search, with keywords playing a significant role in search results.

Use a word cloud generator to identify the most frequent keywords from job descriptions to include in your profile.

The structure of your LinkedIn about section should include an intro line, specific examples with metrics, and the opportunities you're seeking.

Only skills with endorsements count towards the All-Star requirement, and you need endorsements for five skills.

Endorsements from people with the same skills carry more weight on your LinkedIn profile.

Using a custom LinkedIn URL can improve your profile's SEO and increase the chances of hearing back from employers.

Include your LinkedIn URL in your email signature for increased visibility.

An All-Star LinkedIn profile optimized for job search should drive relevant traffic to you even when you're not active.

The objective of your LinkedIn profile is to receive messages and connection requests from recruiters and hiring managers.

Next steps include learning best practices for messaging recruiters on LinkedIn.

Transcripts

- So we all kinda know

that having a nice LinkedIn profile

is useful for job search, but you might not know,

All-Star profiles are 40 times more likely

to be contacted by recruiters,

and 18 times more likely to show up

in hiring managers' search results.

To hit All-Star, there are nine items to watch out for.

And in this video we'll cover the five

that most people think take a lot of effort,

but are surprisingly easy to get right.

So, let's get started.

Hi, friends.

Welcome back to the channel.

If you're new here, my name is Jeff.

Come for the career tips,

and stay for the unfair advantage you will have

with a Allstar LinkedIn profile.

Diving right into a sneaky bonus tip for job seekers,

you wanna click on settings and privacy,

navigate to visibility,

visibility of your LinkedIn activity.

Share profile updates with the network

and turn this option off.

This way, you can follow along and make changes today

without alerting your nosy colleagues.

I'm not looking for a new job right now.

I love my job.

I love my manager, so I really have nothing to hide.

So I guess I'll just leave this option on.

All right, first tip.

Add a high-quality LinkedIn profile picture

and cover photo.

First, pick a photo where you're smiling at the camera

and your chest is in the frame.

Don't worry if the background

is a bit messy and disorganized.

We'll sort that out later.

Then you wanna head on over to Remove BG,

a free online tool,

and confirm this is a photo you wanna use

because you only get one chance to download

the high-resolution version.

Then make a free account on canva.com.

I'll link it down below.

Then click, create a design, custom size,

1600 by 1600 pixels, and click, create new design.

Now, on your empty page,

you wanna first duplicate this page,

so you have two empty pages.

And on your first empty page,

drag and drop your photo without the background over.

And on the second empty page,

drag and drop the original photo with the background over.

You'll see why in a little bit.

Now, you have two options.

If you want a nice, clean background,

you can simply search for a gradient square

under the elements tab.

Select this option.

Pick two colors that you like, like so.

Make this expand and fill the entire square like that.

Position backward.

If you wanna get fancy, you can also rotate this,

and then drag the corners again to fill the entire frame.

Option two is for the photo with the background.

You wanna first click edit image, adjust, see all.

Move the brightness down by around 10,

saturation by around 15.

Blur, let's add 10 clicks of blur

and boost the vignette up to 50.

And then you wanna click the lock icon here.

Then you wanna actually copy,

and then paste the photo without the background,

then move it down to your second page,

so it overlays and is on top of the blurred image, like so.

Finally, for this top layer, click edit image again,

adjust, see all, add 10 to the brightness,

another 10 to contrast, 15 to saturation,

and another 15 to warmth.

And this really helps you pop out

from the background.

For your LinkedIn cover photo, it's even simpler.

On your Canva homepage, create a design,

search for LinkedIn banner,

and make sure you select the 1500 pixel option,

because that's the most updated size.

And once you're in,

on the left-hand side under the templates tab,

again, search for LinkedIn banner.

And you can add a filter for the language that you want.

English US for me.

Apply filters.

And you can select

from one of these pre-populated templates.

I like to keep mine simple.

So after selecting one,

I can literally just double-click and start editing.

Once you're done, click, share,

download, and download again.

And now, you're ready to upload your new, sexy,

improved profile picture and cover photo.

LinkedIn profile tip number two for job seekers,

your headline should equal your title,

plus the value you bring.

This is what I currently have, product marketing at Google.

And if I perform a search for product marketing managers,

we literally all have the exact same headline,

which is just our title.

A trick I learned from Austin Belcak,

a thought leader in this area,

is to add one sentence that shows

the value you bring to future employers.

For me, an oversimplification of what I do

is that I explain complex features

within Google Ads in a way

that small and medium business owners understand.

Sexy, right?

I know, I get all the ladies.

Cutting that down, I might be left with something like,

I bring boring ad products to life.

And you'll be surprised at how hard it is

to summarize your entire job in one coherent sentence.

But when you do, you get to stand out among your peers.

By the way, an amazing point Austin makes

is that although different types of people

use LinkedIn for different purposes,

the objective of your profile stays the same,

to drive relevant traffic to you, even when you're sleeping.

And for job seekers, this traffic is messages

and connection requests from recruiters and hiring managers.

I'll link his full article down below.

Best practice number three for job seekers,

include relevant keywords in your LinkedIn about section.

I've made an entire video about this,

so check that out afterwards,

but essentially, three things you need to know.

First, LinkedIn search works just like Google search.

Keywords play a big role in how often you show up

in recruiters' and hiring managers' search results.

And your LinkedIn about section

is a great place to add relevant keywords.

Second, where do you find these keywords?

Well, go to at least 10 job descriptions,

and copy and paste all of them into a Google Doc, like so.

Then select all the text within the Doc

and paste it into a word cloud generator.

I'll link a free one down below.

And click, generate cloud.

Now, you can easily see

which of these keywords show up the most.

In this example, if I sort by frequency,

I can immediately see they want someone

who is customer centric, focused on growth,

and has to work well with sellers,

which is a shorthand for the sales team.

So you have to work well cross-functionally.

And third, follow this LinkedIn about section structure

from Austin Belcak, and include your keywords.

An intro line with your years of experience

and specific value you bring,

followed by three specific examples

with quantifiable metrics,

and close with the types of opportunities

you're looking for.

To prove this works for anyone,

I've added an example here for a student

looking for their first full-time job.

Note that I've intentionally sprinkled in keywords

throughout this summary.

LinkedIn profile tip number four for job seekers,

add five skills correctly to your profile.

"But Jeff," you might say, "Skills are so easy to add.

"I can probably add 50 in two minutes."

Well, yes, but actually, no,

because according to LinkedIn,

only skills with at least one endorsement will count,

and you need five of those skills

to satisfy the All-Star requirement.

So go back to your word cloud, pick five skills,

and add them to your LinkedIn profile.

Then get endorsements from friends,

families, and colleagues.

Pro tip, according to Austin,

endorsements from people with those same skills

carry more weight.

Tip number five, use a custom LinkedIn URL.

Two reasons for this.

First, if you watch my resume video,

you know that resumes that include a link

to your LinkedIn profile have a 71% better chance

of hearing back from employers.

So you want that URL to make sense.

Second, your URL actually plays a role in the SEO,

or search engine optimization, of your profile,

helping it rank better when someone Googles your name.

And small bonus, your email signature

is a great place to add the URL as well.

Changing this is super easy.

On your profile, click, edit public profile and URL,

and click the pencil icon here.

Now that you have an All-Star LinkedIn profile

optimized for job search,

make sure to check out this video next

on best practices for messaging recruiters on LinkedIn.

See you on the next video.

In the meantime, have a great one.

(electronic whooshing)