To an outstanding LinkedIn profile

Written by Market Street Talent | November 25, 2014
Feature Story

Did you find a technology position that you feel would be the perfect fit? Do you really believe that simply submitting your resume is going to boost your technology career? Do you know that the majority of hiring managers and technology recruiters use LinkedIn to locate qualified technology professionals and evaluate technology candidates before setting up an interview?

Capture Attention
Hiring managers and technology recruiters go through a plethora resumes that are submitted for the open positions they offer. That said, each candidate has a small window of opportunity to capture the attention and interest of the person screening their curriculum vitae. In order to ensure that your resume catches the eye of the reader, describe your profile in a brief sentence and state what your objectives are. Try to keep it simple but comprehensive and remember that you are able to provide more detailed information about your technology career and your technology skills in other sections of your resume.

Concise Summary
Once you capture their attention you have to make sure that you provide the necessary information around your technology career with a concise summary of your background. This is a great place to use industry keywords and terminology that the hiring managers or technology recruiters are looking for. Speak to your expertise as well as your niche in the market and what separates you from the other candidates. Avoid lengthy and vague statements and focus on the technologies you have worked with and the technology skills that you have acquired.

Accomplishments
Apply-Now-FinalKeep in mind that your information technology LinkedIn profile has to accurately portray your accomplishments. Like your resume, your LinkedIn profile needs to showcase your recent achievements in regards to the roles you held and the places you worked. Since the technology industry is a space where things constantly evolve, list positions and work history that doesn’t go more than 10-12 years back. If you feel it is important to include more positions from your technology career, it is better to simply mention the company and role you held. Highlight and focus on your most recent experiences.

Solid Examples
A very crucial piece to include in your information technology LinkedIn profile is solid examples of what you have worked on. Be sure to provide specific and illustrative examples that exemplify your capabilities. Hiring managers are looking to learn about your technology skills, so avoid speaking to team accomplishments. If, for instance, you are a developer, list the latest projects you worked on or languages you excel in and open source technologies you use. Provide links to your work that speak to your expertise and give you the competitive edge.

Professional Look
A mistake technology candidates often make is that they rely heavily on their resume and forget about their LinkedIn profile. Unprofessional profile photos, poor formatting and missing information work against an applicant. With that said, it is important that your profile is consistent and up-to-date. Keep in mind that is serves as another means to promote your technology career, so presenting yourself professionally is mandatory. From technology skills, to education, to volunteer work, portray your background correctly and accurately.

Key Takeaways To an Outstanding LinkedIn Profile:
Capture their attention with a brief and comprehensive statement
Give a concise summary of your technology capabilities
Speak to your technology career accomplishments
Provide solid examples of your technology experience
Make sure your LinkedIn profile has a professional and consistent look