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The current pandemic causing businesses of all types to go through some challenging times.  

Some are forced to reduce their workforce, cut hours and more – if you are one of the many unemployed, going through a transition, or just looking for a change, here are my top 5 tips to beef up your LinkedIn profile (written by Justin Novello, recruiter for Team GaryVee). 

Are you Open to New Opportunities? 

You have the ability to update your profile to flag to potential recruiters you are looking for a different job, without having your current employer know.

The setting can be made to full time, part time, remote work, contract, and/or freelance. I recommend choosing as many of these types of employment you are willing to do.

When it comes to choosing a title, be smart about it. You can actually just keep this open. Titles can mean different things at other companies, so if you leave this open, recruiters can approach you. 

This gives people a chance to go through the hiring process again or feel free to say no thank you. I always recommend answering every inquiry from a recruiter, you never know if that recruiter will have a job you want later!

This is what recruiters see using LinkedIn’s recruiter package

Update your personal summary

This is the place you can reel potential employers in. 

You’ve got their attention for a few seconds so you’ll need to make an impact upfront.  

Make sure these first lines are humble, consumable to the layman (i.e. not too technical), and, most importantly, you demonstrate how valuable you’d be for those who hire you. 

Make the reader feel something. You can show your career aspirations, explain your strengths, but I need to emphasize, keep it humble. 

Lastly it is good to show you are also a human. Give the reader personal context so they can relate to you personally. For example, if you have a side hustle, major hobby or fanatical about something write it in here. Add your website, blog site, GitHub and or portfolios here. 

For example, check out Madison Russell’s profile from ONE37pm – her personal summary is solid: 

Example of what a good personal summary looks like

Make your skills specific

Get specific! 

Show what you know, such as creative software, programming languages, project management software are all good examples. 

Be accurate. Adobe Creative Suite isn’t enough, add each program. Add any of these skills you’ve touched in your life.

The most impactful skills should be listed in your personal statement, all others can be added lower in the profile where you can create a list. See the example above on how to integrate your skills into your summary.

If you have any other skills such as leadership, languages skills, certifications that are all relevant to what your aspiring to add everything you can. There is a language section for LinkedIn, but if its important to your next job, add it in the summary. 

Remember: Your resume and LinkedIn profile are NOT the same!

Your LinkedIn profile should illustrate your work history in a manner which is digestible to the most ignorant about your field of expertise.

For example, stay away from industry specific acronyms on Linkedin, but you can be safe with them in your submitted resume.

Your resume should be reversed engineered from the job description you are applying for by using the most relevant examples of your job experience and skill sets. Never apply to jobs without adding something contextually relevant to your resume. Research the company to find context if you need to, its out there.

Your picture is more important than you might think

This is more important than people think.

You should have a profile picture, don’t leave it blank. The picture should show you in a tasteful, respectful manner. You don’t need to be in a suit and tie, but you also shouldn’t post a picture with a Snapchat filter on it. Somewhere in between is fine.

If you have more questions about setting up your LinkedIn profile, DM me @Justinnovello!