No matter how you look at it, getting found by the right recruiter at the right time can help you advance your career in ways you never thought possible.
Now more than ever, we as recruiters enjoy a myriad of tools for sourcing qualified candidates. The reason being is there are so many channels for people to publicize their resumes: Personal websites, social media profiles, company profiles – the list goes on.
If you would like be found by recruiters in your field, one of who just might have a game- changing opportunity to present to you, the question then becomes: How can you use your online presence to your advantage, i.e. making you more visible to the people who can actually help you advance?
The Right Words
The short answer is to use the right words. It should come as no surprise considering the nature of web search that the primary ‘clues’ used by recruiters when sourcing online are words. Therefore, when you create your LinkedIn profile, personal website or other social media/online profile or CV, it would be wise to place a strong emphasis on selecting the correct words to make yourself stand out.
Unleash Your Inner Writer
Sit down in the morning (I find it easiest to write in the morning) with a hot cup of coffee and unleash your inner writer. It’s in there somewhere. Tell us your professional story. Tell us where you’ve been, what you’ve done, and where you want to go. This is your opportunity to share both the nitty-gritty details of what you do as well as let your unique personality shine through.
Be Expressive and You Will Get Found
Make it extremely obvious what you do: I’m on LinkedIn a lot. I’ve seen my share of great LinkedIn profiles and those that are not so great. What makes for a stellar profile from a recruiter’s point a view? The three “C’s”: Clarity, Clarity, Clarity. Not every recruiter will be adept enough to understand industry jargon. Tell the world what you do as plainly as possible without skipping on anything important. Try be careful not to bury your main skills and accomplishments somewhere on paragraph 2 line 6 of your summary or in a description of a position you held from 2002-2007. Be as clear as possible so that you don’t get looked over by a befuddled junior researcher, tasked with finding candidates for a senior position she/he doesn’t understand all that well.
Be Clear and You Will Get Found
Tell us what you’re looking for: Whether you’re a happy in your work or actively seeking a new opportunity, it’s important to express what you are passionate about doing now and in the years to come. A recruiter will immediately pick up on a statement like: “Passionate about delivering highest quality market research to international organizations…”
This not only crystallizes your professional skills and personal branding. It also demonstrates enthusiasm and automatically signals recruiters that you are a potentially attractive player for any senior-level international market research position because this is what you really want to do. (As a side point, if you are seeking new opportunities, make sure to include that in your profile (hint: I often perform searches in LinkedIn with the keywords “seeking new opportunities” or “looking for” or “open to”.)
Be Bold and Professional and You Will Get Found
Recruiters can be useful to you. We make it our business to learn about exciting career opportunities in our areas of expertise. Staying on recruiters’ radar screens is therefore an important part of a broader strategy for advancing your career. Remember, all marketing material – especially self-promotion – are works in progress. For some us, our perfectionist tendencies might be a barrier to actually putting something out there that may not be up to our over-scrutinizing standards. Don’t let that stop you. Having a profile that meets the criteria outlined above, even if it’s a little sloppy, is much better than nothing. I would suggest revising your online profiles every month or so. Every time you do, you will inevitably improve it. Perhaps even ask a friend or spouse to go over it for you. There’s nothing like a pair of fresh eyes to rejuvenate a piece of writing.
Continue to improve and you will, undoubtedly, get found.
