My Proven Trick to Get Job Opportunities - Corporate Staffing Services

By Selipha Kihagi

The other day I was troubled by my LinkedIn profile. In the last few weeks, I noticed that I had not received any new messages and my requests for new connections had gone down. I knew something was wrong and I needed to fix it. However, I did not know what was wrong or where I would start with the fixing.

After wracking my brain for what seemed to be one hour, I decided to start with a random update by adding more information. But there was one problem. I didn’t have any new information to add. Based on my assessment, my LinkedIn profile was up to date and I was back to square one.

And then it hit me. It’s not about how much information you choose to include in your LinkedIn profile. It’s about how informative the information is.

My profile was up to date with all the information on my current job, previous work, education, articles published and anything else I thought important. Any recruiter, employer or potential business partner should have been able to see that and hit my inbox with an opportunity. But this did not happen.

You know why? Because while the profile had all the information, I had not edited it to match the changing times. Industries are evolving at a very high speed, especially with the ever-changing technology. Adapting accordingly is the only solution.

Knowing this, I now knew where to start and exactly what to do. It didn’t take me more than 15 minutes to make the changes. And the outcome? In the 4 days after making the edits, I received 2 new messages (both of which were from HR Managers), increased views on my posts and more connection requests.

Read Also >>> 5 Things You Need to Know about Using LinkedIn for Jobs

How You Can Use My Experience to Your Advantage

I don’t know your story. I don’t know when you created your LinkedIn profile, how well updated it is, or if you have received any job requests through it. But if you are wondering why you are not getting any messages or new requests, borrow from my story and wait for results.

By making a few edits to my profile, I was able to attract new views and job opportunity messages from recruiters. Even though I am not actively looking for a job. Why don’t you try a similar approach?

Below is exactly what I did, and you can implement the same.

1. I revised the contents of my headline

The headline is the brief information that appears just below your name, or next to it depending on how someone is viewing your profile. It lets people know what your profession is and what you do, without them having to dig deeper.

This is the area you will find some writing “looking for new opportunities” or “Certified Public Accountant” or “Hiring Manager/Head Hunter/Talent Manager”. I don’t know your profession, so I won’t tell you what exactly to write. But whatever it is, make sure it matches the job positions you are eyeing.

2. I edited my job titles (current and previous)

As I am in the Communications profession, and specifically online media (as LinkedIn puts it), I had to use relatable titles in the profile. In job title, I am a Communications Officer. But in practice, I relate to other titles as well. So I couldn’t just write Communications Officer and expect recruiters to find me. I needed to add some information.

So what did I do?

I added the titles Content Writer and Digital Content Marketer. While they are not my official titles, my daily responsibilities also fall under these two dockets. More importantly, a recruiter is more likely to search for the two additional titles than for a Communications Officer. This is how the communications industry is evolving.

The trick is to use a likable title. You don’t need to write that archaic job title you were given in your previous job or the current one. This is your LinkedIn profile, not your CV. As long as it’s related to what you do or your job responsibilities, it’s okay.

What to Remember

Your editing should not stop at these two sections. The reason I stopped at the two was because my summary section already reflected exactly what I wanted. Also, I had edited the duties and responsibilities for previous roles a while back and didn’t see the need to change that.

Your case may be different. But in general, make sure these sections are updated according to what is trending in your industry; Headline, Summary, Work History (job title & duties), Education and Published material. Implement this and let me know if you are successful.

Additional Tip: Go to your privacy settings and select ON under Career Interests. This will secretly alert recruiters that you are open to new opportunities. Your boss or colleagues will never have to know.