LinkedIn and its LinkedIn Recruiter solution are both platforms used by hiring professionals to search for qualified candidates. With the rise of AI and the fact that there are close to 800M users on the platform, the platform has become increasingly algorithm-driven as a way to “whittle down” search.
Keywords (in this case Key Skills) are a critical factor in how LinkedIn’s algorithm ranks candidates. In plain speak, this means to increase your visibility, profile optimization is more important than ever and is a bit part of my LinkedIn writing service.
Here are 3 of my favorite tools for helping ensure my client’s profile are search-optimized.
#1 Resume Builder
LinkedIn’s Resume Builder allows you to create a resume directly from your LinkedIn profile. While I don’t use it for these purposes for a variety of reasons (a topic for another post), it’s a FANTASTIC tool for discovering keywords. Here’s how:
Go to your LinkedIn profile, click ‘More,’ and select ‘Build a Resume.’
Select ‘Create from Profile’
Then search for the job title. In this screenshot, I am searching for a Chief Financial Officer.
Boom! A whole slew of keywords will appear on the left side of your screen. Premium LinkedIn users (those who pay for the service) will see more skills than those who use the free version.
This may be one of those cases where taking advantage of the 30-day free trial might be a wise move!
I will select from this list to include relevant skills in the headline at the top of the profile and in the Skills section at the bottom. If there’s room, I’ll even capitalize on the 100 characters LinkedIn provides for job titles to incorporate keywords as position descriptors.
Here’s an example of what this might look like:
VP of Finance | M&A, Risk Management and Business Planning
XYZ Company
2016–2019
#2 Market Value Titles
Just as job seekers search for jobs on LinkedIn using specific job titles, recruiters and hiring managers do the same thing when searching for talent. The challenge for job seekers is that different companies use slightly different titles to describe very similar roles.
Plus, we’ve all seen companies that like to get creative with whack-a-doodle titles.
Make yourself as easy as possible to find by including a Market Value Title (i.e., the title in LinkedIn’s database) in addition to the one bestowed upon you by your company.
To locate yours, go to your profile and click on the pencil icon to edit your Experience section.
Next, select ‘Add Position.’
Begin typing in words related to your job title until you find those that most closely match your role and your target. Here’s what pops up when I began to search for a Chief Financial Officer target.
When adding or editing a new role, I’ll lead with the Market Value title, then add the original title if different. I’ll then use the remaining space to include additional keywords identified in Step 1.
Here’s what this might look like:
Acting Chief Financial Officer (VP of Finance, Planning & Analysis) | Risk Management, Budgeting
XYZ Company
2016–2019
#3 Identifying Skills from LinkedIn Job Postings
I’ve long called job postings a “treasure trove of intel.” Thanks to LinkedIn’s new (and IMO improved) look, the treasure has grown more valuable!
It’s easier than ever to add skills to your resume and LinkedIn to align with a specific job title. Here’s how:
Go to the ‘Jobs’ tab in your LinkedIn profile and search for any position. Sticking with the Chief Financial Officer theme, look at any job posting to find specific skills selected by the poster at the very top (directly above the Easy Apply Button).
Simply click on ‘Skills’ to see the Top 10.
A Competitive Advantage
Help the algorithm work for you by taking advantage of these 3 user-friendly tools to ensure your profile is keyword or, in this case, “key skill” optimized.
www.virginiafrancoresumes.com | VAFrancoResumes@gmail.com | 704-771-8572