Often the biggest challenge in landing a first job is ensuring that company hiring managers get a chance to see your resume. Job applications today can be sent in seconds at no cost, which has left hirers inundated with applicants. What can you do to make sure those eyeballs at least scan across your name?
Robert Williams, an adventure racer and 2010 graduate of Butler University, was trying to land a job at a search engine optimization consulting firm, Slingshot SEO, according to a recent article on Inc.com. He took the normal steps, applying through Slingshot’s website, but the company didn’t even take the time to send him a rejection letter. Williams assumed his application was never seen and began taking steps to make it more noticeable to corporate recruiters.
Corporate recruiters are tasked with finding their clients viable applicants for job openings by sifting through resumes and online profiles. LinkedIn is increasingly gaining traction as a legitimate source for recruiters looking for qualified candidates.
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Williams realized that his LinkedIn profile lacked the keywords that would get him noticed by recruiters. He focused on making sure his SEO and social media skills were front and center on his LinkedIn account. Three days after he updated his profile, a recruiter for Slingshot contacted him for an interview.
Including keywords related to your field in your job title, work experience, and specialties listing can improve your search ranking on LinkedIn. You can also improve your LinkedIn visibility by filling out all parts of your profile, customising your URL and filling out more of your job history so that you come up in a wider variety of searches.
Williams’ profile changes didn’t just land him an interview: When he was able to explain to his interviewer how he’d leveraged keywords, he showed his future employer that he understood the changing technological landscape. Persistence and outside-the-box thinking can be a winning combination.
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“Make yourself stand out and be relevant,” Slingshot SEO co-founder Aaron Aders told Inc.com. “You can guarantee that recruiters and managers will search social media platforms, and even search your name on the Web, prior to an interview.”