Does this sound like you…

You FINALLY decide to set up a LinkedIn account. You quickly fill out a few sections of your Profile, search for a few of your friends and send them Connection Requests, and apply for a few random jobs that look interesting. You sit back for a moment and glance at (what seems to be) the remaining jumble of menu options on your screen, thinking, “I don’t know what the HELL to do with the rest of this!”, and so you quickly log (scurry) out.

A week or two go by. No emails or phone calls from recruiters or potential employers. No requests to join your network. Nothing. Nada. Perplexed, you wonder, “Why isn’t this THING working like I’ve heard it’s supposed to?” and frustrated, you decide that “LinkedIn is for the birds”. Then you swear you’ll “never set foot on it again”, or “only when I absolutely HAVE to”.

But the FACT of the matter is that things are radio silent because, frankly, your profile… STINKS!

As a former recruiter and headhunter, I lived on LinkedIn for years, using it extensively to recruit candidates for some of the world’s most prestigious companies, I can tell you this ain’t no lie, no joke, and I’m NOT blowing smoke.

And, as 97% of recruiters are on LinkedIn, and two-thirds of them are using it EXCLUSIVELY to find candidates like YOU (!), your stinky Link is, inadvertently, unbeknownst to you, sabotaging your job search.

HOW?

In every day, practical terms, what you DON’T know is that your current method of using LinkedIn is:

• Adding unnecessary, duplicate work and effort to your job search (so you’re spending more time actually looking and apply for jobs, vs. fielding calls and going on interviews)
• Limiting your exposure to recruiters and potential employers (so you’re searching and chasing after them vs. the other way around)
• Costing you the career of your dreams (thud!)

In fact, most people have little-to-no idea of what they’re doing on LinkedIn…and, being THE #1 social media website for professionals, with over 225 million users and growing, not understanding how to use this powerful career resource to its full advantage is no longer an option.

But here’s the GOOD news…

You’re not alone!

The truth is, MOST people have had a similar experience and frustration with LinkedIn as you have, AND, they also feel exactly like you do, right at this very moment. And unless you’re a recruiter or human resources professional (or someone who uses LinkedIn regularly and extensively from a recruiter or HR professional’s insider perspective), then you wouldn’t actually know that the REAL reason why your LinkedIn Profile is NOT getting any interest or response actually has NOTHING to do with your qualifications, your ability to learn and understand LinkedIn, or recruiter competence (and that’s why I wrote a book about it!).

The REAL truth is that, out of the thousands of profiles I’ve viewed, these THREE reasons are above and beyond, the most common, and most hazardous to your job search as a whole.

1. You haven’t thought about your purpose and target audience (the ‘WHO’)

As a whole, WHO exactly are you looking to appeal to in your job search RIGHT NOW? Who is your target audience? Think of your ideal goal (for job search purposes) is to get in front of as many people who can potentially say “yes” to you. Specifically…

*What specific position, company or industry/field are you pursuing?

(You must have an idea of the exact role/s you want and be able to focus your mental and physical energy and actions on that, so you take smarter steps, that get results, faster.)

*What are the known, ideal, desired qualifications, skills and characteristics/traits of people in that type of position or company?

(You need to find different ways to research and assess this, so you can assume this identity yourself as much as possible, in the content you choose to represent yourself with. Your profile should be the exact, ideal answer (solution) to your target audience’s question (need), with timely and relevant content and keywords, just like you would in your resume and cover letter.)

2. Your Profile is bare or incomplete (the ‘WHAT’)

If your Profile is missing content in certain, crucial sections, then you are missing key elements that can not only bring you up to the top in recruiters and employers’ advanced search results, but can also successfully help distinguish you from the (many) other LinkedIn users out there (aka your competitors!)

*Do you know your ‘Profile Strength’?

(Knowing and using this automatically generated audit tool on your Profile page enables you to make sure you’ve populated the key sections of your profile; sections that are not only more physically visible to first-time viewers of your profile, but that are also most commonly used in advanced searches performed by recruiters and employers, when seeking potential candidates.)

*Do you have the right fields of your Profile populated?

(According to LinkedIn, in order to be complete (aka good strength), your Profile should include at least: your current position (with a description), your industry and location, at least two past positions, your education, at least 3 skills, a profile photo, at least 50 connections.)

Incidentally, per LinkedIn, users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities!

3. Your Profile is not VISIBLE (the ‘WHERE’)

If your Profile is not physically visible, then recruiters, potential employers and connections can NOT see or find you in their search results. And THIS can make it extremely difficult, time consuming, and frustrating for them. And given that time is money, if it takes a recruiter more than 1-2 minutes to get the information they need to assess your potential candidacy, they will quickly pass you over and move on to the next candidate without even blinking an eye (I know, I was one of them).

*How do you maximize the amount of jobs and opportunities coming your way?

(If you’re truly actively involved in a job search, and you seriously want a new job sooner rather than later, then making your profile visibility setting to allow everyone to see your information will enable the largest amount of potential opportunities to come your way.)

*How do you promote yourself, but with concern for personal security and safety?

(Many people, for fear of ‘the unknown’ or ‘strangers’ having access to their background and contact information, populate their LinkedIn Profile with very limited content, or, worse, list an incomplete version of their name. DON’T do this; it will severely limit your findability and inhibit your ability to effectively market yourself and develop your personal brand. Furthermore, LinkedIn takes great care to keep safe the privacy of its users. So, you can always NOT list a phone number and just list an email address, or create a new address specifically for LinkedIn use, in your Contact Info.)

So, that wasn’t so bad, was it?

And once you get these THREE elements handled, you will, believe it nor not, have actually gotten MUCH farther than most LinkedIn users…and you’ll also have begun to address some of the most basic but critical requirements for a solid foundation upon which a powerful LinkedIn profile is built.

But that’s just the beginning!

If you’ve gobbled up everything you’ve just learned, and you’d like to go deeper inside the mind of recruiters and employers and learn the saavy techniques, tricks and tools to take your LinkedIn profile and presence to the highest level possible, then you’re ready for my in-depth how-to LinkedIn guide, Headhunter LinkedIn Super Secrets.

Or, if you want to ‘take it up a notch’ and learn:

• How to create timely, relevant and kick-ass content that distinguishes you as a VIP candidate
• How to determine and use the crucial keywords that ensure you rise to the top of search results
• How to use LinkedIn Groups and other FREE (and largely unknown) LinkedIn features to amplify your image, establish credibility, and build yourself you as an expert in your field.
• And MORE…

…then a LinkedIn Coaching Session is right up your alley (get my expert eye and customized analysis of your LinkedIn profile to help you SEE real, tangible results FASTER than you would by trying to do it on your own). Contact me to schedule yours today.

LinkedIn is here to stay and it’s a crucial part of your personal marketing and job search strategy…so what are you waiting for?

Keep ROCKIN’!
Vicki