The vast majority of LinkedIn members are passive users with static profiles. But only an active, up-to-date profile achieves visibility.
Thinking ahead
When international career coach Annika Harloff takes on an expat / repat partner as a client, often they have yet to relocate, physically speaking. “You can still update your location (virtually) on LinkedIn!” says Annika. “Otherwise, Artificial Intelligence won’t show you results relevant to your new location / industry, nor will headhunters / recruiters find you as they also rely on AI to source candidates. Make sure the job title in your profile is the one you’re now actively seeking!”
Makeover montage
Besides being aligned with the algorithm, a profile has to stand out to the human eye. “When a headhunter or prospective employer looks at your profile, and sees your avatar and billboard (banner image), they should get a strong sense of your personality and values,” says Annika. “The first two lines in your ‘about me’ section are vital. Make them count.”
Build up your network
“You will also need to build up connections, especially if you have less than 500. Don’t be shy! Ask your contacts for recommendations. When you connect with people, introduce yourself, tell them who you are, what you are seeking,” says Annika. “Follow groups relevant to your field and connect with employees of companies that you’re targeting, so when their HR colleagues find you on LinkedIn, it will look like you’re already part of the community and share their values.”
Like, comment, post!
According to Annika, roughly 95% of LinkedIn profiles are static; just 4% ‘like’ and comment, and only 1% maximise the platform by liking, sharing, commenting and, crucially, creating content: “Make a post, at least once a week. Don’t bother on Monday (everyone’s too busy catching up with emails / work) – wait till Tuesday and between the hours of 11am and 3pm (in your new or future time zone). Be sure to use hashtags! For example, the names of companies you would like to work for and other key words. When someone else in your field likes or comments on your post, their network will see it too.”
Keep momentum up
According to Annika, the beauty of an active LinkedIn strategy is that the headhunters and recruiters come to you : “In four weeks with four posts you can get five interviews and from those five interviews two proposals. But you have to believe in it and keep the momentum going!”
This article was originally published for the thousands of expat partners that Global Connection supports around the globe. It is reproduced here in its original form.
