More and more recruiters are going straight to LinkedIn to find job candidates to fill certain positions and there are ways you can make sure they search your profile.
A click of the mouse and your application ends up you hope in the right hands. There is an option for you to attach your resume, where recruiters will look for key words and determine if you're right for the job.
Dorothy Winn said, "Trying to figure out how to present yourself electronically is very different than going to an interview."
Today's job search has changed and for many of those looking for work, like 57-year-old Dorothy Winn, it is a frustrating experience."
Winn explained, "You don't sit around thinking of yourself as an action verb."
But career counselors like Eileen Williams says job seekers need to embrace the change. "It's becoming increasingly more important because recruiters are sourcing current and future openings a lot by using social media sites particularly LinkedIn."
Williams says your LinkedIn profile is more important than ever. And you need to make sure your profile is presenting you as a viable candidate. Someone employers are going to want to talk to.
"They are going to reach these candidates or find these candidates by the use of certain keywords," said Williams. "So you want to make sure your profile as searchable as possible."
Williams recommends that you load up your profile with certain keywords that will make you easy to find during a search. Google has a free service called Ad Words Keyword Tool, that can help you identify the important words associated with your profession.
Researching job postings is another great way to find out what skills employers are looking for. Williams says certain skills will show up over and over during your search.
Williams explained, "List these skills that you see over and over again on your LinkedIn profile in basically the same order you find them in the ads and that way you are giving employers exactly what they are looking for."
If you're using LinkedIn as a way to market yourself as a job applicant, then everything you post on it is important, from the picture you use. To getting the right people to recommend you, it's the total package that makes you an attractive candidate for the position you want.
Williams added, "You want to consider yourself as a job applicant now you want to consider yourself a product to be sold out to the marketplace."
All the more reason you can't ignore your LinkedIn profile. And just like your resume you should make sure it's current. If you decided to join a group on LinkedIn, be an active participant.
