Jan 7 / Richa Bansal

Is Your LinkedIn Working As Hard As You Are?

I’m not going to sugarcoat it.

Job search is hard. Period.

Anyone who is trying to tell you otherwise is lying.

You got to do the hard work needed to land the interview: network with strangers, complete lengthy online applications, and keep going even when rejection hits the inbox.

But you also need to make sure that every tool you have in your corner is working as hard as you are to 10X your job search.

Yes, I am talking about your LinkedIn.

If you have not optimized your LinkedIn profile, you are leaving qualified jobs on the table.

Here are just some of the examples of how my optimized LinkedIn profile has constantly attracted Senior and Director level opportunities in Product Management, Program Management, and Talent Strategy.
So, in today's newsletter, I am sharing my top 5 tips on how to optimize your LinkedIn profile and make it work as hard as you are for fast-tracking your job search:

👉Add a professional headshot

People make their minds up about you within 1/10 of a second of seeing what you look like. Put on a jacket and ask a friend to take a portrait photo of you from your phone. It’s as simple as that.

👉 Have an All-Star profile

Users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn.
Ensure you have updated all sections of your LinkedIn profile to claim the “All-star profile”. This means have these 8 sections complete:
  • Profile picture
  • Summary
  • Headline
  • Industry & Location
  • Experience
  • Skills
  • Education
  • Connections (at least 50)

👉Optimize your Headline for SEO

Your headline is the most important asset on LinkedIn that makes your profile searchable by recruiters and hiring managers. Optimize your headline for SEO by using the right keywords your industry and the role you are seeking. 
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PRO TIP: Update your headline on your Phone to get 240 characters instead of the 220 characters you get on the desktop!

👉Reword your Job Titles

I cannot stress this enough. Rewording your job titles is not called lying, it is called translating. Titles are industry specific. So as long as you can demonstrate that you have managed equivalent responsibilities and scope, go right ahead and reword the job title to the industry and role you are interested in. This means changing Project Manager to Program Manager and Sales Guru to Sales Executive.

👉Get Recommendations

You are a company of one. And recommendations are like testimonials for your one-person brand. Have at least 5 recommendations on your profile. What is the easiest way to ask for one? Give one.
The best time to update your LinkedIn was yesterday. The next best time is today!

Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways I can help:

1. THE FEARLESS HIRE: The only job search accelerator for mid-senior women in male-dominated industries. Get the proven playbook, personalized coaching, and accountability you need to land your next $200k+ offer on your own timeline, and become recession-proof. 

2. WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ACCELERATOR: The only women's leadership accelerator for mid-senior women across the Government of Canada. This 6-month leadership program will give you the confidence, skills and network you need to fast-track your growth to executive roles.

3. CORPORATE TRAINING AND PROGRAMS: Bring our award-winning keynotes, training and women's leadership programs to your organization to solidify your DEIB efforts. 

Your dream career begins here.

Every Saturday, get one actionable strategy to level up your confidence, career, and compensation in less than 5 minutes.
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