How many interview opportunities for key roles are you missing out on simply because your LinkedIn profile is just way too THIN in content? Here’s a heads up, you are likely getting passed over way more often than you think.

From the recruiting partner’s perspective, working with top companies across North America in Retail, Strategic Sourcing, Logistics, Operations/Planning and Supply Chain, the process of getting candidates in front of clients is taking a bit of an interesting twist. Until recently, the process usually works like this: Clients come to Argentus because their need for talent is in an extremely narrow high demand area. Because of our very narrow focus, we are well known to get efficient results because we have a robust and deep network in the verticals we support.

Here’s how things have changed. And, active and passive job seekers need to be keenly aware of one of the new realities that is happening when you get presented for an open role. EVERYONE LOOKS AT YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE as part of your unique credentials package and this is never truer than when someone is looking at you for a potential role. Don’t doubt it – it’s true. Some clients are now routinely asking us to include hyperlinks to candidates’ profiles when we present their resume package. That way they can use it as part of a snapshot to access their overall skill and experience competency for the role they are being matched for. But here’s the problem (see several of my recent blog posts) many Linkedin profiles are extremely light on content especially at the more senior level.

LinkedIn profiles are equally as important as an introductory letter, an accomplishment page or a resume and it’s time that everyone starts treating them as such. Better to drop a LinkedIn profile altogether if one isn’t prepared to invest the time to build a robust and well built profile that tells the right story about you. A fresh and professional photo, an easy place to reach you, job titles, dates, complete and well written job summaries, accomplishments, compelling personal branding, relevant industry keywords that put the reader right in the picture and make them go YES, this is the person for us!!!

It’s a reality, hiring managers and decision makers are looking at LinkedIn profiles carefully often two, three and four times over the interview process and critiquing the quality of what they see and frankly it can’t help but colour their hiring patterns.

It’s something that those who haven’t addressed this must not waste time fixing. There is plenty of material available out there to help and some really fantasticly worked profiles to review to use as a template for you.

Over and out

Bronwen