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A candidate recently asked me “why do recruiters check my LinkedIn profile but not contact me for job opportunities“. Given this is something that can be confusing to job seekers, I’m sharing some advice for clarity. Let’s explore a couple of different scenarios that may explain why your views don’t convert to job opportunities and most importantly how you can change this.
Scenario 1: The views you get are irrelevant
The LinkedIn search functionality works using SEO principles. Getting views means that you have included keywords that are in demand by recruiters. However, it does not necessarily mean that these keywords are the right ones for you based on your background, skills, and career aspirations.
If you attract attention from recruiters for the wrong reasons, here is what to do. Put all your experience, achievements, and skills on paper. Then, define your dream job and find some actual job descriptions you want to target. Analyze these jobs and find key qualifications required as well as keywords representing these.
Then, install these keywords in your LinkedIn profile. Keywords shouldn’t look like a list, instead, they should be integrated strategically into sections including the profile summary, the professional experience, and the skills section. This exercise will maximize the searchability of your profile for relevant roles.
Scenario 2: You already get relevant views
If you already get relevant views, it means your profile includes the required keywords. However, it also means the rest of your content is not helping you in your job search. In this case, you can skip all actions related to researching for, identifying, and installing keywords, but you will still benefit from taking action to refine your profile.
Start by following the same steps to document your experience and strengths, analyze your target jobs, and understand what are the most relevant themes for your LinkedIn copy. Then, use these themes to create content showcasing how you are a qualified and motivated candidate. Keywords will help you be discovered, but won’t take you further without being supported by a description of the benefits you can bring to employers, an outline of your key skills, and a focus on relevant responsibilities/achievements, and related certifications/education.
Recruiters, hiring managers, and other decision-makers will spend less than 10 seconds going through your LinkedIn before deciding to shortlist you or move to the next profile. The golden rule to getting shortlisted is making it easy and fast for them to access all relevant content in a concise, succinct, and to-the-point manner, excluding anything redundant that creates noise. The above strategy will enable you to achieve this making a difference in the number and quality of opportunities that land in your inbox.
How to get started?
“How can I find out which scenario is applicable to me”, I hear you asking. Well, there are a couple of things you can do:
- Check whether recruiters who visit your profile are focusing on your industry/job function.
- If the above proves to be challenging, send a message and ask them. It is recommended to be straightforward and say “I saw you visited my profile. I am currently actively considering job opportunities and I was wondering whether I can help you in any of the roles you are managing at the moment?”
Anything else?
Even if you have the perfect LinkedIn profile, please remember that what will really set you apart from other candidates is proactivity. Here are three tips to incorporate into your strategy:
- Apply for jobs you are interested in
- Network with relevant people – recruiters, hiring managers, decision-makers
- Create content positioning you as a thought leader in your domain
