by Colin Joyce, Accountancy & Insurance Talent Resourcer at Abrivia
In 2019 we seen huge developments in the recruitment process, and the implementation of new technologies or means by which we can get ourselves a new job. With that its massively important for us to consider our LinkedIn profile’s importance in grabbing the attention of a recruiter-whether you are actively or passively exploring the market.
Although we would still consider our CV as the single most important piece of material in a job search, with LinkedIn becoming the main port of call for recruitment, it begs the question; which is in fact more important?
In most cases, particularly that of a direct application the CV is most important, however an engaging and well put together LinkedIn profile could set you apart from other applicants or push you to the top of the queue in a recruiters LinkedIn search. With that said, at one point or another throughout the application process the recruiter will review both your LinkedIn and your CV, and so it is incredibly important that each one is as engaging as the other.
The importance of a strong CV:
Although technology is advancing each day, your CV is still the main way of giving a recruiter or hiring manager a factual and chronological insight into your career as well as skills learned to date. With that said it is massively important that your CV is in fact a fair and honest representation of your achievements or positions to date, however you may alter a CV to highlight certain areas of strength that you feel are more applicable than others to a specific role. This can be done by:
- Expanding on these strengths within your personal statement as well as highlighting your reasons for wanting this particular job, thus making your CV immediately attractive to the recruiter.
- Being clear and concise- avoid getting too wordy on your CV. This makes the recruiter’s life easier as they are able to find the buzz words and key skills which they are looking for without having to read through any excess information or unnecessary jargon.
- Following on from this, identify these key words from the job spec and incorporate them into your CV where applicable. This will hopefully push your CV towards the top of the list in any job boards search!
How and why a good LinkedIn profile can set you apart from the rest:
Due to that fact that LinkedIn is an interactive social platform it allows you to highlight your skills and interests through your own activity; be it blog postings, articles or pages that you follow. People who keep their LinkedIn up to date and build out their network have a better chance of being approached by recruiters. As a recruiter, there is nothing more frustrating than finding the apparently “perfect candidate” only to discover on further inspection that they haven’t updated their profile in ten years. With that it is incredibly important to keep your profile up to date with any new skills or jobs you pick up along your path and engage with relevant content where possible!
Some ways in which you can improve your LinkedIn profile are as follows:
- Have a professionally taken picture to give the best first impression of yourself possible.
- Use clear and concise headlines which will highlight your skills and interests as well as your current job title.
- Don’t shy away from voicing your opinions or giving professional insights where appropriate; build your brand and validate yourself as an expert in your field.
- Include any and all education or certificates you have achieved to date.
- Build out your network and include endorsements from previous colleagues or employers where possible.
With all of that said, there is no one more important than the other. However, it is increasingly important now more than ever, to use LinkedIn as a tool to get your profile noticed by recruiters or hiring managers as a prospective employee. While your CV is the document that is reviewed at the point of application it is important to back it up with a professional and factual representation of yourself on the leading employment social network today!
