1. Photos: Upload Professional Images
What are the characteristics of a good headshot? Does customizing your background banner photo make a difference?
Two primary photos create the initial personal branding people see
when visiting your profile: your profile photo and your background
banner photo. Make sure to use a professional profile photo.
First, upload a current picture of yourself. You should
absolutely include your face on your profile. The lack of a profile
photo tends to create a negative impression with recruiters. “The
absence of a photo on LinkedIn in some cases can cause distrust for a
particular account,” says Oleksandra Syzonets, a recruiter at Reply.io.
She says that when a headshot is missing, some employers may question if
a real person is behind a profile.
Emma Lindberg, recruiting manager at IT staffing agency Advantis
Global agrees that headshots make a big difference to recruiters trying
to differentiate between real and fake accounts. “Real accounts are
likely to have their background images personalized without stock
photos,” Lindberg says.
Second, the photo should be an actual headshot.
“Avoid using full-body shots or a photo that looks like a selfie or
includes a cluttered or busy background,” says Stacey Mallory, managing
director at Altis Recruitment. The photo should ideally not be cropped
from another photo because it rarely conveys the same level of
professionalism as a solo headshot from the shoulders up.
Third, your headshot should feel professional. “There’s
a delicate balance [between] having a profile picture that represents
your character or personality while still maintaining some
professionalism,” says Trent Cotton, senior global director of talent
acquisition at Hatchworks. While you may want to have your personality
come through, the picture should still be business focused according to
Maciej Kubiak, Head of People at PhotoAiD. “LinkedIn is not Facebook, so
the profile picture needs to be business-related,” Kubiak states.
Lindberg does concede that those in the arts, design, or fashion can
potentially break away from the typical ‘business professional’
standards of wearing neutral groomed hair, makeup, and formal clothing.
“However, across all industries, a clear, well-lit photo is the minimum
standard of a good headshot,” she says.
Finally, the image should be high quality. Mallory
suggests always using a professional headshot that offers a clear,
well-lit view of your face. “Anything that looks amateur or DIY can be a
turn-off for recruiters.” These days, you can take a high-quality
picture with most phone cameras in a bright room against a neutral
background.
“The most important thing is to have a flattering, professional
picture,” says Arno Markus, a former recruiter and founder of
iCareerSolutions. “This doesn't mean you need to go out and get a studio
headshot, but you want to make sure that the photo is recent, well-lit,
and shows you at your best.”
Customizing your background photo is helpful, but not mandatory.
Behind your round profile photo sits the rectangular banner image area
that appears as a plain grey box by default, but can also be customized.
Most recruiters I connected with stated that customizing your background image can be helpful but not absolutely required.
“Having any photo, whether it is a background or a headshot, is a
form of self-branding. First impressions are 100% real, and those two
images are the first thing people see when they visit someone’s
profile,” says Piotr Sosnowski, head of HR at hiJunior. “A background
photo is not a must. Some of our best employees didn’t have one during
their recruitment process, but it definitely helps recruiters understand
what type of person you are.”
According to other recruiters though, while customizing your LinkedIn
background image doesn’t hurt, it may not necessarily help either.
“Background images don’t really make too much of a difference when
you’re being sourced by a recruiter since they are most likely viewing
your profile from the LinkedIn Recruiter view, which does not show the
background image,” says Weronika Pajdak, talent acquisition manager at
Mighty.
2. Headline: Highlight Unique Skills
What's your view on candidates saying “Ex-[company name]”? What should candidates include in a headline?
Your headline is one of the first parts of your profile someone will
see, so it deserves some extra attention. “When we run a search on our
LinkedIn Recruiter account, the first thing that shows up underneath
your name is your headline,” says Pajdak. “More importantly, it’s the
only part of your profile in that search view that doesn’t get cut off
by a See All button. It’s literally a recruiter's first introduction to
your experience and a great place to make yourself stand out,” she says.
Selectively Articulate Your Unique Value
Use the 220 characters available in your headline statement to specifically and selectively
highlight the title, skills, or areas of expertise for which you want
to be known. Margaret Buj, a senior talent partner at Mixmax, shared a
few useful frameworks to optimize your headline for keyword searches:
1. Role | Specific achievement
- B2B Inside Sales Rep | $2.4MM generated in 2020
- Digital Ads Manager | 5 Years Experience Managing 7-figure ad budgets
2. Role | Years of experience in industry | Fun fact
- Human Resources Manager | 10+ Years of People Experience |Disneyland Annual Passholder
3. Role | Helping ___ (type of company) do ___ (result)
- Social Media Manager | Helping software start-ups manage and grow their social media to drive more sales
4. Role | specializing in _____, _____ and _____
- Content Marketing Strategist specializing in press releases, blog content, and social media
The vast majority of recruiters don’t prefer the use of Ex-Company.
“I'd advise against using ‘ex-[Company]’ in the headline because a
recruiter will be reviewing the candidate's whole profile anyway,” says
Mallory. “Use your Headline to list your job title, skills or areas of
expertise rather than using an ambiguous line.” Nathan Deily, chief
people officer at nth Venture agrees. “Ex-Company does a candidate no
favors in my book. Any recruiter or hiring manager who's paying
attention will see that the candidate worked those places without them
bragging about it in a headline,” Deily says.
Note, a small minority of recruiters felt there could be some upside
to mentioning your former organization in the headline. “Having a
well-known company name in the headline gives me the impression that the
candidate has already been vigorously screened and may be very capable
of delivering quality projects,” says Lindberg. Although she doesn’t
prefer to see “Ex-Company” in a headline, Sosnowski states some
recruiters and hiring managers will hire someone who worked at a
well-known company rather than someone with similar skills from a
lesser-known company.
Nima Mirpourian, a former recruiter and CEO of Will Be Live says
candidates should ultimately focus on crafting a headline that
highlights their unique skills, experiences, and accomplishments.
“Stating you worked for a well-known company does not provide any
specific information about your experience or skills,” Mirpourian says.
3. Summarize Your Unique Value
How long should this be? What's the ideal scope of info captured? Err
on the side of brevity. Most recruiters prefer candidates to get
straight to the point about their professional ambitions, personal
brand, and unique skillset in no more than two paragraphs. Mallory
believes the About section on LinkedIn is one of the most important.
“It's a career synopsis or professional summary of a resume. In one
succinct paragraph, candidates should summarize the types of industries
they've worked in, areas of expertise, projects they are proud of, and
key deliverables.” Mallory states this section also offers a glimpse
into a candidate’s writing style.
Selectively Highlight Non-Work Interests
While the About section should be primarily focused on your
professional life, selectively highlighting personal interests can help
humanize your profile. “Your summary doesn't need to be entirely focused
on your work,” says Kimberley Tyler-Smith, VP of strategy and growth at
Resume Worded. “A couple of details about your interests and activities
outside of the office will help you seem more relatable and
personable,” she says.
End With An Invitation
Markus also recommends including a clear call-to-action at the end of
your summary. “Let people know what you’re looking for and how they can
get in touch with you,” he recommends. For example, the call-to-action
could be an invitation to contact you, visit your website, or check out a
certain resource of yours.
Read all 10 Top Tips and the complete Forbes article
