How to get headhunted on LinkedIn
To be (headhunted) or not to be (headhunted)? Linkedin is to recruiters and in-house head-hunters what Instagram is to influencers and what Facebook is to suburban mums. It’s where we hang out and unearth some of the employee’s our clients are searching for.
If you’re looking for a new role, LinkedIn should be part of your search process. It isn’t a question of maybe; a well-constructed profile will attract recruiters (although standards will of course vary)
If you haven’t received any fruitful opportunities from the platform, it’s likely that you aren’t using it to its full potential. So, this is what you can do to change that.
To get headhunted you need to be visible and approachable.
LinkedIn is about blowing your own horn. Singing your own praises and offering your (professional) opinion for free – with an aim of showing authority in your field.
As specialist recruiters, Gabriele use several avenues to find the top tier creative talent that we’re known for. But on LinkedIn, we look for flair – even within Linkedin’s narrow profile settings; and we only contact potential candidates who we believe are a step above the norm.
Desirable profiles attract desirable roles.
Firstly, complete your profile
Yes, all of it. Our Client Services, Strategy and Marketing Consultant Nadina Grad calls LinkedIn “an online business card” and believes “your profile should be easy to read and representative of the type of employee that you are”. This means fleshing it out – filing out the skills section, adding certifications, and requesting endorsements from your peers and previous employers.
Make sure your profile tells a positive and cohesive tale about your career thus far
Ensuring everything is complete can take upwards of an hour, but it can make a crucial difference to whether the right recruiter contacts you about your dream role. Small added extras such as including a brief paragraph under every role that details your duties, goes a long way.
The Featured section of your profile should be stacked with links, articles and visuals which showcase your talents
If you are a creative, use the ‘Featured’ tool to showcase your work. It doesn’t have to be your entire portfolio (although this is recommended) but upload one or two projects that display your versatility and outline’s your creative process from start to finish.
Specify your skills
Being too generic with job titles is a common mistake we see. If you work for a large multinational agency with a myriad of departments, always be very specific about which one you’re in. This helps recruiters who search by role type to find you.
Branding is good.
Consumer Branding is better.
But Consumer Branding specialising in Health and Wellness is best
We also advise also including your dream job in your headline. This makes you visible not just to recruiters searching for the job you have, but also the job you want and believe you’re suitable for. For example, It’s ok to mention Senior Account Manager in your bio, even if you aren’t one just yet.
And lastly, avoid getting too personal
Unfortunately, this has to be said as a growing number of people are sharing memes and personal content usually reserved for WhatsApp or Facebook. Unless will benefit your career by sharing – keep it off LinkedIn.
Whilst you’re here, follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram and share this article with anyone you think it may help.