4 Reasons Why A Recruiter Views Your LinkedIn Profile But Doesn’t Contact You

Caroline Ceniza-Levine

Recruiters and others look at my Linked In profile all the time but I get no further queries. What can I do, as a job seeker, to improve my chances? – Sarah

If you have a premium account on LinkedIn, you can see who looks at your profile, and if you haven’t heard from that person, you might assume that they saw something in your profile that made them decide not to reach out. If you see multiple views from different recruiters and no outreach, you might start to worry that there is an outright turn-off on your profile. What do you need to fix to improve your chances?

Your marketing – whether it’s your LinkedIn profile, your resume, your networking pitch or something else – can always be improved. You should always review your marketing as your interests change, you gain more experience or update your skill set or as market conditions change and you want to appeal to different types of companies or industries. It is good practice to identify ways you can improve.

That said, there might not be anything wrong with your LinkedIn profile, just because someone views it and then you don’t hear from them. As a longtime recruiter, I have done hundreds of LinkedIn searches. Sometimes I click through to the profile, if the headline is enough to make me think the person is a fit for my opening. Sometimes I contact that person, if the profile has something in it to make me think the person is relevant to my search. But when I do not, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with that profile.

Here are four reasons I have viewed a profile but then decided not to reach out:

3 - Your profile matched a keyword but didn’t have enough of it for further consideration

Sometimes your profile gets swept up in a specific search tied to a keyword, but there isn’t enough of a match upon further review. For example, I once did a search for a designer who needed to have knowledge of Affer Effects, an animation software. I actually found the hire within the company’s existing candidate database, but something this specific is also searchable on LinkedIn. If I got to your profile and saw that After Effects was used many years ago and not since, I may decide not to call, if I have many other candidates with more recent experience.

It could be that you mention After Effects in just one role, but I see others who have used consistently in their career. Or you listed it as a skill you have, but it’s not named in any of your jobs, so it doesn’t look like you have used it substantially. Depending on how many other candidates I have and the quality of their experience, I may not go any further with your profile because it matches a little but not enough.

4 — You’re still on the radar but haven’t been called yet

In the above example of having some After Effects but not enough, I still might call you. Let’s say that it looks like there are other candidates with more relevant experience so I set your profile aside (reason 3). But then, as the search gets underway, it becomes apparent that After Effects is but one criteria and actually there are other things the employer prioritizes, so they’ll go lighter on the After Effects for someone heavier on…team management experience or B2B marketing knowledge or some other criteria or [INSERT other criteria the employer wants]. Jobs are usually not just decided on a single factor.

In this case, you might have seen that a recruiter checked you out two months ago and then crickets. But, if you have that management experience or B2B marketing, etc., you might still get a call. At this point, the search might have been handed off to another recruiter and so it looks like you were dismissed by the other recruiter, but actually you weren’t.

Given that a lack of outreach isn’t necessarily a bad sign, why don’t you reach out directly?

If you’re interested in getting to know that recruiter – say, they specialize in your target industry or role so it makes sense you should know each other – reach out directly. Let them know they popped up on your LinkedIn feed and since you run in the same circles, it makes sense to connect. Offer to help them on their searches – recruiters LOVE that.

Of course, you should be prepared for the recruiter to accept your invitation and even to schedule an exploratory interview. Time your outreach for when you’re prepared to introduce yourself effectively

See reasons 1 and 2 plus the full Forbes article

17 LinkedIn Profile Writing Tips To Make You Standout

Robin Ryan

Today, my first phone call was from a Baby Boomer who asked if she really needs a LinkedIn profile? She was not job hunting, and she didn’t realize that employees, customers, clients, and other colleagues might be checking her out. “Oh no,” she replied. “No one will be impressed if they see what I have up. I haven’t updated it in years.” She was mistaken to think only job hunters use LinkedIn. However, US News reports that 95% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find and evaluate job candidates. It seems everybody is using this professional network. One of the best things you can do for your career is to have a terrific LinkedIn profile. These 17 useful tips will help you create a profile that will impress others.

2) Job Titles

Your profile headline and job titles are weighted heavily in LinkedIn’s search algorithms. State the most accurate name for what you do to clarify to a reader if your formal title isn’t clear. For example, “Tech 3” might be the internal title, but “Network Engineer” is the actual work you do, so you would want to use that instead. You have 100 characters available so add anything distinctive, example: Product Manager - Global Emerging Countries

4) Keywords

You need to display a distinct skill set, noting your key strengths and accomplishments. You must create the right keywords if you want LinkedIn to be an effective tool for you. Peruse current job openings that you are a fit for and note the critical skills and experiences they want. Identify 5-10 typical job tasks you perform and list these keyword job skills deemed imperative to perform the job. Make sure you pepper these keywords throughout your profile.

10) Open to Work/New Job

Let recruiters on LinkedIn know you’re open to new job opportunities by turning on this section seen only by Recruiters unless you use the “OPEN to WORK” tag (which I don’t recommend displaying). You can specify up to 5 job titles that you are interested in and your preferred location. LinkedIn does an excellent job shielding you from your current company’s recruiters. They take steps to prevent LinkedIn Recruiter users who work at your company and related companies from seeing your shared career interests, although they don’t guarantee it.

15) Connect to recruiters on LinkedIn

Chances are, some recruiters specialize in your industry. Make sure you know who they are and that they know you. The easiest way to do this is to conduct a search on LinkedIn for recruiters that source talent for your industry. Use LinkedIn’s search box designating PEOPLE, and type “Recruiter AND [the name of your industry].” Scroll through the results and click on profiles that look interesting. When you find a match, send the recruiter a PERSONALIZED MESSAGE (no resume) with the connection request.

See all 17 tips and the complete Forbes article

Catch Recruiter Attention: 5 Critical LinkedIn Profile Elements Recruiters Want

By Biron Clark

Recruiters can help you get more interviews if you are an active job seeker.

They can also bring you the occasional career-advancing opportunity even if you are not looking.

It all starts with catching their attention, though.

Recruiters sift through hundreds of LinkedIn profiles in a typical week.

So, they do not have time to read each profile carefully.

In this article, I’m going to share how the typical recruiter reads your LinkedIn profile and how to grab their attention so you can get more interviews and hear about more opportunities.

The 5 Elements Recruiters Need to Find on Your LinkedIn Profile

You have many opportunities to gain attention on LinkedIn. Start with these five ways to make a big impact for your job search:

1. Information in Your Headline

Your LinkedIn headline is the first thing I see when landing on your profile. It is also one of the few things I can see before clicking on your profile when sifting through LinkedIn search results, so that makes it even more important to optimize.

If your headline is totally unrelated to the type of jobs you are applying for, or unrelated to the rest of the content on your profile, that is a big red flag. And, you are out of consideration.

Make sure your LinkedIn headline is clear about what you do and aligns with the types of jobs you want to be considered for.

You can put your role or job title, but add more.

Numbers and metrics are a great way to make your LinkedIn headline stand out.

For example, if you are a Project Manager, your headline could be:

"IT Project Manager at XYZ Company. Leading Projects with Budgets Exceeding $2MM"

Or, you could say:

"IT Project Manager at XYZ Company. 49 Client Projects Completed in 2019"

You can also add an additional keyword to show what industry you’re in (this is a good idea if you want to stay within that industry).

For example, if you’re in the software industry and only want to hear about Project Manager jobs in this space, your LinkedIn headline could begin with:

"Software Project Manager"

If you need more ideas of what to put, look at some of your colleagues and peers in your industry. There are thousands of great LinkedIn profiles that you can take inspiration from, and this is much easier than starting with a blank page and trying to write from scratch.

Do not plagiarize, but do take general ideas and make note of what sounds best on other people’s profiles. Use the ideas as inspiration for your own headline.

4. Skills & Keywords

After checking your work history, I’m going to search your profile for important keywords and skills that are required for the job I’m considering you for.

To do this, I will click on CTRL+F in my web browser, to activate a search of the page I am viewing, and then type in the most important keywords for the role. This is usually between two and four keywords, focused on the skills required for the job I'm filling.

This quick search saves me time and prevents me from having to read your whole profile if you’re missing the top one or two skills that are required for the job.

What does this mean for you as a job seeker? If you are targeting a certain type of job, make sure the essential keywords appear on your profile.

Look at the job descriptions of the positions you’re applying for, and include as many of those skills and keywords as possible and appropriate for you.

Pay extra attention to skills that are listed as “required” and/or skills that appear near the top of the job description. (This usually indicates that they’re more important).

Notice if something is mentioned multiple times. If so, it is more likely to be important to the employer, too.

Once you have identified the most important skills for the types of jobs you want, find ways to include these in your Experience section and your Skills section on your LinkedIn profile.

Not only will this help you get contacted by recruiters, it will also get your profile seen more because these keywords will help your profile appear in more search results when recruiters conduct keyword searches.

Read all 5 elements and the complete job-hunt.org article

Four Ways To Dominate With LinkedIn Video

Lacey Abbacchi

Since being introduced in 2017, LinkedIn Video has become a popular type of content on the platform — and for good reason. It can help you build your online presence and build trust and credibility with your target audience. Having created more than 450 videos myself, I can certainly attest to the opportunities it will bring your business.

However, though I believe video should be a part of every business's marketing strategy, many people are still lost when it comes to knowing what to say and how to say it on video. There is so much content floating around that sometimes, it can feel like your message is just going to get left in the dust.

Below are four strategies I've learned that can help you dominate with LinkedIn Video and stand out above all the rest.

1. Always give value.

Whether you're giving sales tips or sharing a life lesson you've learned, always aim to give your audience value — no matter what you're talking about.

There has to be something in it for them. Ask yourself the question, "Why should they care?" That's not meant to make you feel bad, but to remind you to always have a takeaway for your audience.

Make sure that when someone has finished watching your video, they walk away having learned something. You should always seek to educate, inspire or motivate.

And remember, their curiosity is a huge opportunity for you. They’re spending time watching your video for a reason, so make it worthwhile for them.

4. Don't be afraid to get personal.

No one cares about what you do until they know who you are. This sounds harsh, but in my experience, it's the truth. Contrary to popular belief on LinkedIn, people actually want to know more behind the professional.

Historically, the platform was only about business, and (sorry, LinkedIn) I found it a bit stuffy. However, when video was introduced, I believe LinkedIn took a whole new turn. Now it's a beautiful mix of professional and personal content that gives others context and meaning into your career.

So, one of the best ways that you can dominate on video is to simply be you. Don't be afraid to tell your story and get a little vulnerable. Share your failures, lessons, life experiences and how your journey got you to where you are now. People buy from people. They want to see that you're human, too.

Be open, and share things with your audience that you feel they could learn or get value from. But no matter what, always come from a place of honesty and authenticity.

See all 4 ways and the complete Forbes article

4 New LinkedIn Features for Job Seekers

By Jane Jackson

LinkedIn has been busy rolling out multiple new features in 2020 to help job seekers to build their brand on this platform to make applying for jobs, getting noticed by hiring managers & recruiters, and preparing for job interviews easier.

Let’s take a look at my favourite 4 features for job seekers that LinkedIn has added recently – some of them are VERY exciting, others are definitely worth experimenting with.

2. The Build a Resume Feature

This is handy LinkedIn feature if you don’t have a resume and decide to create your LinkedIn profile first. I have no idea why anyone would do things in that order, but assuming you do, then LinkedIn’s Build a Resume feature makes it easy for you.

What’s handy about it is that it pulls all your LinkedIn information within seconds into a document that is already formatted into a resume. Yes, within SECONDS! I tried it out and ended up with an 11 page document which is far too long and required a huge amount of culling to get it succinct enough for a resume! Remember this:

A RESUME IS A SYNOPSIS OF YOUR CAREER HIGHLIGHTS THAT IS RELEVANT TO THE READER.

So I suggest you try it out and then spend time tailoring it to suit the job to which you wish to apply. It needs to attract the attention of the screener and have the right key words so that you’re a good match.

Here’s my YouTube video that explains exactly how to find the Build a Resume feature and how to use it.

3. Job Interview Preparation Feature

Now THIS new LinkedIn feature is truly wonderful for job seekers as it guides you, step-by-step to prepare for job interviews and provides the opportunity for you to record yourself.

You can watch how you did and also send the recording to your career coach to critique and provide feedback. In fact, you can send the recording to anyone you’re connected to on LinkedIn who is willing to give you feedback!

I know you might feel a bit shy about recording yourself but if you get used to seeing yourself on camera, and you become comfortable with speaking to a webcam, it’ll be good for you when you have your video job interviews via Zoom or Microsoft Teams or whatever your recruiter or hiring manager may schedule for you.

For a step-by-step guide to this feature click here

See all 4 new features and the complete article

10 LinkedIn Profile Mistakes You Want to Avoid and Why

by Neal Schaffer

LinkedIn Profile Tips. A lot of people tell you what you should be doing, but what about what you shouldn’t be doing?

LinkedIn is the place to not only find others but also to be found. And that is why you need a profile that not only helps you get found but also will entice people to contact you once they view your profile. I see many people making fundamental mistakes that actually work against them in this aspect. If you’re going to spend time putting together a profile, I assume you want to maximize your chances of being contacted by the right people, right?

With that in mind, I have created an easy-to-understand list of a few LinkedIn profile tips to check for with my reasoning. If it sounds like an exercise in search engine optimization, you are on the right path. Just like any website owner, you want to stick out and be found!

LinkedIn Profile Tips: The 10 Mistakes You Want to Avoid and Why

LinkedIn Profile Tips. A lot of people tell you what you should be doing, but what about what you shouldn’t be doing?

2. Headline is Not Branded Enough

See that space underneath your name? That is your “Professional” or Profile Headline. It will appear in search results next to your name, as well as next to any questions you ask or answer. It is, in essence, your elevator speech in a few words. Are you just putting your title and company name here? Don’t! This is the place where you need to appeal to anyone who finds you in a search result to reach out and look at who you are. Your Profile Headline is the single most important piece of real estate you have, and you need to brand it as such..

6. Too Few Connections

This is a topic for debate, but too many people have too few connections on their profile, and thus are not getting found. The idea is simple: when you do a search you will see results from your network. And vice-versa. So the more connections you have the more search results you will appear in pure and simple. Combining this is the fact that Windmill Networking is about finding value in online networking with people that you don’t know. So what are you waiting for? If you don’t know who to invite, here are 15 Ways to Grow Your LinkedIn Network as well as 10 LinkedIn LIONs & Super Connectors You Must Connect With!

8. Not Claiming Your Personal URL

When you sign up to LinkedIn you are provided a public URL which you can then include on your email signature or wherever else you want to lead people to your profile from. You can customize this when you edit your profile. Claiming your name here is one of the first things you should have done on LinkedIn. For instance, I can memorize my LinkedIn Profile URL, which is www.linkedin.com/in/nealschaffer, because I customized the last text to “nealschaffer.” If you have a common name, make sure you claim your URL before others do!

See all 10 mistakes and the full article

Seven Tips To Improve Your LinkedIn Presence As An Entrepreneur

Chris J "Mohawk" Reed

LinkedIn gives wannabe and current entrepreneurs an amazing platform to achieve their entrepreneurial goals, not just locally, but regionally and globally, too. It is a catalyst to become a successful entrepreneur if used wisely. Here are seven tips on how you can become a rock star entrepreneur using LinkedIn.

1. It’s who you know, not what you know.

My grandad told me this when I was 9 years old, and I have never forgotten it. It describes being an entrepreneur on LinkedIn perfectly: It’s all about who you network with, who your first connections know and who your second connections know. That’s your network: millions of potentially interesting people who you can help and who can help you.

The more you curate your connections, the more you will see the power of your network. The more you say yes to people who wish to connect both online and offline, the more you will see the power of knowing the right people who can help you directly and indirectly. It’s all about who you know on LinkedIn. Embrace it.

3. Authentic personal branding is the key to success.

Being authentic comes in many shapes and sizes. For me, it’s wearing my mohawk, wearing my black rock t-shirts and ripped black jeans, and saying what I honestly feel, without caveats on who I might offend. For others, it’s wearing a suit and not "saying boo to a goose," as the phrase goes. Others just like a plain white t-shirt with blue jeans and to pick and choose their moments to say something.

The key is to be yourself. People will see through you if you're not. This applies to how you come across on LinkedIn with your personal brand, too. People can tell if you’re putting on an act. People find authenticity refreshing and are more likely to buy from you if you're authentic than if you're a great pretender. Be yourself and be authentic. As Oscar Wilde said, "Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."

5. Your posts on LinkedIn are not Shakespeare.

I’m always amazed that people spend weeks or months agonizing over their posts. It’s not Shakespeare. In 10 years' time, no one is going to look back and say, “Do you remember that post on LinkedIn that mohawk fellow did in 2020? Wasn’t that something?”

Your post is read (if you’re lucky), and it might spark a thought or smile. Someone might comment (if you’re very lucky), like it or share it. Then they move on. Another post or photo or video catches their attention.

Your post may go viral for a week or so, but then everyone moves on to something else. You build up your personal brand, but people forget the posts. So don’t overanalyze your post. Just get it out there. Then move on to the next one.

See all seven tips and the complete Forbes article

5 Ways To Supercharge Your LinkedIn Profile In 15 Minutes

Steven McConnell

You have probably noticed that very lucrative jobs are being advertised on LinkedIn these days.

It can be tempting to hit the “Apply Now” button and potentially be in the running for a job with better conditions, more interesting challenges, better perks and more responsibility.

However, if your LinkedIn profile looks boring and neglected, then doing so is unlikely to get attention of recruiters.

The good news is, you can significantly increase your chances of getting a job through LinkedIn if you invest some time to breath life back into your profile.

If you have time to do a comprehensive revamp of your profile, that’s great.

But if you’re short on time, you can still add a healthy dose of professionalism to your profile in less time than it takes you to grab a coffee.

4. Rewrite Your Summary.

When you’re writing your profile you try to showcase your skills – because that’s what you think recruiters care about, right?

That’s true, but it’s also true that one of the key factors which recruiters use to make hiring decisions is culture fit.

In other words, potential employers want to know if your personality will suit their team and whether your motivations are in line with philosophy of the company as a whole.

It means you must ensure that your summary communicate a healthy dose of your personality. Unlike a resume, it shouldn’t sound dry and mechanical.

5. Publish A LinkedIn Article (BONUS).

OK, this is a bonus because it should take you longer than 15 minutes.

However, I’m including it here because it will add huge amounts of authority and credibility to your personal brand.

LinkedIn recently opened its publishing platform to every one of its members. It which means you can now publish blog posts directly on your profile.

If you’re a manager at a law firm, for example, you could write an article which discusses the intricacies of moving from in-house to private practice and provides solutions to common problems. A recruiter who is taking a closer look at your profile is likely to notice it and take a closer look to find out more about how you think.

See all 5 ways and the complete LifeHack article

How to Write a Professional LinkedIn Headline (With Examples)

by Aja Frost

When it comes to icebreakers, "describe yourself in three words" is by far one of the toughest. You're a complex person, with unique ambitions, experiences, preferences, and traits -- how are you possibly supposed to distill yourself down to three mere words?

Unfortunately, get-to-know-you conversations aren't the only time you'll face this prompt. LinkedIn headlines are essentially the professional version: They ask you to describe who you are and what you do in just one line. It's not surprising most people end up with the platform's default option, their current job title.

Letting LinkedIn choose your headline for you is a mistake. With a customized headline, you'll instantly distinguish yourself, give prospects and recruiters a reason to view your profile, and start building the case for your product. You'd say that pay-off is worth the effort, right?

What should your LinkedIn headline be?

Now that you know what a LinkedIn headline is and why a custom one is the best choice, it's time to put pad to paper. One one hand, you want to simply describe what you do, but at the same time, you want your headline to be attractive to prospects (and avoid scaring them away).

To make coming writing your headline easier, here's a simple formula:

In this formula, X will represent your ideal prospect, and Y will be their ideal outcome or state of mind after using the services you're selling.

But how do you come up with the right wording for each of these elements? Read our 4 tips for writing the perfect headline.

How to Write a LinkedIn Headline

Tailor it to your audience.
Include your value proposition.
Use your prospect's language.
Avoid hyperbole.

1. Tailor it to your audience.

SDR, BDR, account representative, client advisor -- if you work in sales, you're probably familiar with these titles. Your prospects, on the other hand, typically have no idea that these are all code for "sales professional."

When you're prospecting on LinkedIn, using a job title that throws prospects off the sales scent is confusing at best. At worst? It'll make your prospects trust you less. After all, if you look like a sales rep, talk like a sales rep, and act like a sales rep, why are you going by "account growth manager"?

There's an easy fix: Use the title your prospects will recognize. That's probably "Sales Representative" or "Sales Associate," but if you're higher up, it might be "Sales Manager" or "Sales Director."

As a bonus, including "sales" in your LinkedIn headline will also make it easier for prospects to find you. People researching your product are much likelier to click on your profile if they can tell you're a salesperson, rather than a random employee. And the same goes for recruiters -- if they're looking for a rep in a specific industry or vertical, using the most common version of your title lets them easily track you down.

2. Include your value proposition.

Of course, simply calling yourself a salesperson would be pretty boring -- plus, it doesn't communicate the value you add. Use the next part of your LinkedIn headline to describe how you improve your customers' lives.

For instance, say your mobile IT solutions enable IT professionals to manage their infrastructure on the go. Your headline could be: "Sales Representative: Helping IT professionals provide support anytime, anywhere."

Or maybe you sell automated expense tracking software. In that case, you might go with, "Sales Associate: Saving companies time and money with automated expense reports."

Not sure how to describe your value? You can usually adapt it from your company's value proposition. Alternatively, try browsing through your company's customer testimonials for inspiration.

3. Use your prospect's language.

When you're creating your headline, watch out for company, industry, or role-specific jargon your prospects won't know. It doesn't matter how compelling your description is if they don't understand half the words.

To give you an idea, while doing research for this piece I found a rep with the headline: "Our ground-breaking PaaS integrates and abstracts underlying Hadoop technologies."

I asked a potential buyer if he had any idea what this meant, and he said no. But when I rewrote it in simpler terms ("Our software helps developers easily and quickly manage their big data apps"), he immediately said, "Oh yeah, sounds like something our team could use."

As you can see, there's a huge advantage to skipping the jargon. But thanks to the curse of knowledge, it's not always easy for you (an expert in your product or service) gauge if buyers (often beginners) will understand the terminology in your headline. If you're unsure, reread the first few emails from previous customers to see how they described their challenges and needs. Any words, phrases, or situations that show up, again and again, are fair game for your headline (not to mention the rest of your LinkedIn profile).

4. Avoid hyperbole.

Don't brag. There's nothing more off-putting (or less believable) than someone who publicly compliments themselves. For that reason, you'll want to strike these adjectives (and others like them) from your headline:

Expert
Top-performing
Winning
Capable
Proactive
Dedicated
Hard-working
Best
Superior

Even though these adjectives likely apply to you, they won't make prospects or recruiters more interested in you. On the contrary, you'll seem arrogant.

The best way to show off your skills is including customer success stories in your summary and prior experience. Lines like "Helped online bicycle retailer increase sales by 30%" and "On average, clients reduced support tickets by half" stand on their own without any commentary -- and as a result, are far more impressive.

LinkedInAdvice.com