Unless the profile belongs to a job seeker who understands that they need to show potential employers their skills and talents, many LinkedIn profiles are lacking in a very important area, experience. Showing on the profile below Summary, Specialties and any plug-ins may give one a false sense of security. However, the important point is that by including as much employment history as possible makes one more findable.
Here’s why. Many people are found on LinkedIn because of keyword searches. A profile robust in keywords and phrases is much more findable. So, with 2,000 characters available for each position added, a profile well built-out is much more findable than one just listing previous employer and title.
People ask what should be included. After all, this is the area of LinkedIn that is most like a resume. That may be so, and it is important that positions correlate with ones resume. However, being found is the most critical focus of this section. So here’s the methodology practiced at IA and recommended to our clients by the most experienced LinkedIn business strategist in the world, IA Founder, Mike O’Neil.
Answer these five questions when completing each position:
1. Who is the Company?
- For example, not everyone realizes that ACN is a distributor of video phones
2. What do they do?
- To carry forward the example, ACN distributes video phones and sells internet-based telecommunications solutions
3. Where do they do it?
- Nationwide, Regional, Locally?
4. Who do they do it for?
- Individuals or Companies, B2B, B2C, etc. What does a customer look like?
5. What is your role at the company; what makes you special?
- Briefly describe your responsibilities and one or two special achievements
This methodology is proven time and again in conversations with recruiters and employers who want to know that potential candidates have what they are looking for. It is also proven by sales, marketing and business development professionals who want to show potential customers that they and their company has the experience needed to get the job done.
For more information: check out Mike O’Neil’s LinkedIn Profiles Guide.
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