How can you help recruiters find you on LinkedIn? Use this secret hack to increase your chances of showing up in LinkedIn search results... When you want to find something, what do you do? You probably Google it. And when you Google something, you search for specific keywords that relate to whatever it is you’re looking for so Google’s algorithm shows you the most relevant results possible. For example, if you’re looking for a better brand of dog food for your best bud, you’ll probably search for something like “best dog food brands” or “highest rated dog food.” When you use specific keywords and phrases like these, Google will show you all of the most relevant results tied to your search quarry. Well, guess what, recruiters do the same thing when they’re trying to find job candidates. There are a lot of people out there who don’t realize that LinkedIn is like a search engine for recruiters. When they need to source potential job candidates, they pop over to LinkedIn and leverage its database of 467 million users. But with MILLIONS of LinkedIn users, how can you stand out to recruiters? What can you do to increase your chances of showing up in a recruiter’s LinkedIn search? Let’s think back to our Google example. Why do certain websites show up in a search result anyway? Well, their webpages are designed in a way that showcases the very terms you’re searching for on Google. They’re keyword optimized in a way that allows them to be found during an online search. LinkedIn also uses an algorithm. And when recruiters search for candidates, they typically search for specific keywords relating to the jobs they’re looking to fill. Those keywords are skill sets. For example, if a recruiter is looking for a social media manager, he or she could search for candidates on LinkedIn using terms like “social media marketing” or “social media management.” These are both keywords AND skill sets. And if you want to show up in the search results, you need to showcase these keywords on your LinkedIn profile. So, if you want to help recruiters find you on LinkedIn, take a look at your profile. Are you showcasing the right skill sets? Do you have enough keywords on your profile? If not, you’re making it harder for recruiters to find you.
