Many recruiters use LinkedIn as a primary resource for finding job candidates. These people scour hundreds of profiles each week, and all that experience allows them to eliminate lower prospects within a minute or less.

To avoid getting regularly moused-over by recruiters, you need to optimize your profile and expand your connections. Doing so will increase your visibility and increase your chances of landing the next big opportunity.

Flesh out your profile (and rank higher in search results)

Many people set up their LinkedIn profile out of a sense of professional obligation, and that causes recruiters to see a lot of half-hearted profiles, missing everything from educational background to a profile picture. These profiles give the impression you only do what’s necessary to get by professionally, so make sure your profile is as complete as possible and regularly updated.

Pay particular attention to the Experience section of your profile, and be sure to add any promotions or professional achievements. When recruiters see someone with a history of advancement, they see someone who likely has even more potential in their future.

If you’re looking to leverage your profile even further, optimize it to show up in the site’s search results. Identify keywords and skills in your field and include them in your profile. Accumulating endorsements and recommendations from your connections will also boost your profile in search results.

Beef up your network

Recruiters also want to see someone who is actively networking on LinkedIn. If you’re new to the site, start by making connections with old classmates and co-workers. New connections can also be found by searching a skill or looking up alumni from your university or college.

A great, but more difficult way to build your network is to participate in LinkedIn groups for your profession. Groups not only help you meet others in the field – they can also be a way to keep up-to-date in your field.

Express some personality and engage

A LinkedIn profile isn’t a resume, so don’t treat it like one. Use your LinkedIn profile to express your personality and tell your story in your own natural voice.

The Summary section is a great place to start when trying to express your personality. Use this section to explain why you are working in your chosen field and what you’re working towards for the next chapter of your professional life. Write in the first person and resist the temptation to use “office speak.”

After injecting some personality into your profile, you can expand on it by regularly posting news or other content related to your field and adding your take. Recruiters will appreciate you staying current within the field and showing passion for what you do on a daily basis.

In addition to posting your own content, be sure to like, comment or otherwise engage with the content posted by your connections. This only takes a couple minutes, but it reinforces the connections within your network.

At ZDA, we know that a digital footprint is just the first step. If you’re looking to connect with supply chain recruiters and companies in real life, contact us today and we can get started on making face-to-face connections.