Attract Recruitment Agency Interest By Creating An Appealing LinkedIn Profile
In the not too distant past, preparing and mailing hardcopies of resumes and covering letters to prospective employers was a common approach used by job seekers. This was often a time-consuming and tedious task and a frequently frustrating process as well.
Fortunately, advances in technology over the last several years have provided a number of different ways for job seekers to both identify potential employment opportunities and make their candidacy and/or availability known to hiring managers, former colleagues, and recruitment agency personnel. One such avenue is the online network, LinkedIn.
It is well-accepted that recruitment agencies, staffing agency teams, and corporate human resources personnel use LinkedIn extensively to search for talent, whether to fill an immediate need or to establish a pool of potential candidates for future opportunities. However, much like the variability in reaction to a hardcopy resume, the formatting and content of a LinkedIn profile can have an effect/impact on whether these searchers are motivated to learn more about the individual.
A profile that merely includes a name, job titles, and dates is not only flat in its content but also lacks the depth and attractiveness that encourages others to read more. Hence, it will first and foremost be important to optimize a LinkedIn profile in these ways:
- Ensure 100% completion – no shortcuts or skipped steps/sections
- Include a professional photo – no selfies, cropped, or group pictures
- Remain factual – no exaggerations or content that cannot be verified
- Include a strong summary – skills, clearly-stated goals, value to hire
- Establish a wide list of contacts – increases the potential to be ‘found’
- Obtain as many recommendations as possible from these contacts
- Remain active – join groups, post links, endorse, congratulate, ‘like’
From the perspective of hiring managers and recruitment agency personnel, LinkedIn profiles are generally more attractive when they contain and/or reflect:
- A photo (often the first impression)
- Positive choices of words/phrases
- Action-oriented
- Behavioural examples
- Strong self-branding information
- Describing value and potential
More specifically, candidates can further enhance their competitive edge in the eyes and minds of these recruiters by incorporating the following in their LinkedIn profiles:
- An attractive headline – more than just a current job title
- Graphics, links, videos, and publications
- Information on volunteer and not-for-profit activities
- Endorsements (remember to give as well as receive)
The scope of LinkedIn is essentially worldwide, communicating and sharing information with an audience that is well beyond the reach of any independent job search initiatives. Since a LinkedIn profile is openly accessible to:
- Hiring managers
- Human resources staff
- Recruitment agency personnel
- Staffing agency representatives
it is also open to close scrutiny as well as comparison to many other profiles. Therefore, LinkedIn profile content must be developed thoroughly, accurately, and professionally in order to enhance one’s candidacy over the pool of potential competitors.
Synchronize Your Job Search Efforts With Professional Staffing Agency Services
While staffing agencies are continually searching online networks like LinkedIn in an effort to identify potential candidates for their client base, this should not preclude individuals from initiating contact with these recruiters on their own behalf.
Winters Technical Staffing has been supporting qualified candidates in identifying and securing employment in Toronto and the GTA for over 40 years. Throughout that time, we have developed a reputation as a leading staffing agency by successfully and continually matching candidate skill sets with employer needs within a number of industries including:
- Aerospace
- Electronics
- Engineering
- Manufacturing
Therefore, it would be advisable to capitalize on the expertise and existing networks of our staffing agency and, in a manner of speaking, synchronize one’s own job search efforts with the resources of a professional recruiter.
Contact Winters Today
Synchronize your online LinkedIn profile with the extensive resources of a professional recruitment agency. Call Winters Technical Staffing today at 1-877-495-7422 or contact us to expand your career opportunities.
