You are in the job search phase and want to utilise LinkedIn to connect with recruiters. The number one platform for professionals and hiring managers is a go-to for finding a new job. To add recruiters to your network successfully to help with your job search, we have 7 key tips.

1. Update Your Profile

Your profile is your online curriculum vitae. Keep it up-to-date. Include any projects you may be currently working on if you are in between jobs. Or describe your current position. If you are freelancing, mention that and if you are part-time show that too. No matter what stage in your career you are in, you want to show your most current situation. The person viewing your profile will instantly be in-the-know.

About Profile

Be sure to update your 'About' section with a short summary about yourself. You can talk about your career experience so far in a nutshell. This should intrigue viewers to continue scrolling through your LinkedIn profile.

Recommendations

Ask for recommendations from referrers who have or are willing to do so. The more testimonials you have, the more your profile is upgraded. This is an instant positive aspect to include on your LinkedIn profile.

Volunteering/Charitable Work

If you have done n-monetary work, include this too. Recruiters can connect with you based on similar interests. You would be surprised about what can stand out to people coming across your profile.

2. Become More Visible

Toggle on your 'open to' work status just below your profile image. You can choose to show recruiters and others that you are 'finding a new job'. Your profile image will come up with a label on your image that shows you are open to work. It is instantly visible and eye-catching.

Join LinkedIn Groups

Connect with other peers in the same industry or industries that you are interested in. You can be active and engage with topics and conversations within the group. This activity will show that you are involved and interested in this industry. You can also share posts within the group.

Be Active

If you are a good writer, you can share things you have written or external articles in your activity. Recruiters visiting your LinkedIn profile will also be able to see that you are active this way. They can also see what you are interested in and how often you engage with the LinkedIn platform. Comment, share, and re-post.

3. Use Keywords

Help the person viewing your profile to skim read. Likely a visitor will have a quick look through and see if they can pick-up on similarities. If it is a recruiter, they will look to see that you are compatible with the role. Help them find what they are looking for and include industry terminology. You can mention tools or platforms that you use.

4. Be Open

Accept connections and continue to build your network. Always keep your eye open to people you could be connecting to. This expands your network through 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degrees. Someone you know may know someone else, who can connect you with someone else in your industry. You will be more visible if you have more connections.

If you are active, you can attract 2nd- and 3rd-degree contacts who may want to connect with you. They can also 'follow' you if you are active with your activity.

5. Trade Endorsements

This is a great way to show your skill sets. Spend time to browse your existing connections and see who could be valuable to your job search. Endorsing others will make it more likely for them to endorse you back. Having someone endorse you who is highly respected in the industry can go a long way.

6. Use the Search Box

If you know the recruiters name to who you want to connect with, type it directly into the search box. If you do not know the name of a recruiter, look for someone who specialises in your field by typing the industry. Narrow down your location so that your search becomes more specific to where you live or are looking for a job in.

If you are connected to someone via a LinkedIn Group you are part of, you can send them an InMail with the below tips.

7. Customised Messages

When you first reach out to a recruiter, you do not want to sound generic. Work on personalising your message by mentioning how they can help you. They may specialise in your industry and you can mention that you are currently in a job search.  Talking about expanding on your professional network means you think they are valuable. For an easy way to follow-up, mention that you can share your resume with them once you connect. This naturally builds a call-to-action in the message to accept your connection.

8. Provide Contact Information

There may be limitations to how a recruiter can contact you. This all depends on your privacy settings on your LinkedIn profile. You may have chosen not to show your contact information upfront. In this instance, if you are the one reaching out, be sure to share your contact information. Choose the ones you will like to be reached out on or the ones that you are most responsive to.

Decide which information you are comfortable sharing and be careful about the selection. Ensure not to share your birth date and address. Be sure to also use your personal email, not your current work email.

The Takeaway

The more you put into your profile, the more likely it will be found and viewed. You control your own profile settings on LinkedIn. Depending on your privacy, there may be an extra barrier to connection. This could mean that the recruiter could message to connect and view more of your profile in detail. And then they may proceed to contact you if they think you are the right fit.

Sure, we can make it easier to connect with a recruiter on LinkedIn, but not at the expense of your own privacy. The 8 tips above will make sure your profile is more visible and much easier to connect with recruiters.