From Awful to All-Star: Advice to Dramatically Improve Your Food & Beverage LinkedIn Profile (part 1)

March 18, 2018 in Career and Job Search Tips

 

 

LinkedIn is a powerful platform you can use to build your professional network, showcase your expertise and connect with new job opportunities.

IF you use it correctly, that is. From cryptic headlines to dusty summaries, our food and beverage recruiters share the biggest blunders they see on candidates’ LinkedIn profiles and explain how to avoid them:

It’s full of cobwebs.

When is the last time you:

  • Refined your headline?
  • Published or shared an article?
  • Garnered a new recommendation?
  • Updated your professional photo?
  • Added experience or job skills you’ve gained?
  • Enhanced your profile with new work examples or rich media?

A complete and regularly updated profile will grab a recruiter’s attention. If it’s been more than a month since you’ve updated yours, now is the perfect time for a thorough spring cleaning. But don’t overdo it – making a bunch of updates all at once can signal to your employer that you’re on the job hunt. If your job search is confidential, make changes gradually to avoid raising a red flag.

The headline is awful.

Recruiters may use LinkedIn’s advanced search features to create a list of potential candidates who match their criteria. The profile details they receive in search results are pretty minimal, and often they use only your job title and headline to decide whether they click on your profile or pass you over.

If you want to improve your headline:

  • Make sure it matches likely search criteria by seeding your headline with keywords that reflect your area of specialization, job function, industry and experience.
  • Be creative, but not cryptic. There’s a fine line between compelling and confusing – make sure you don’t cross it. Find inspiration by reading others’ headlines or searching standout headline examples online. Then, use your best judgment to balance your SEO and attention-grabbing goals.
  • Systematically experiment by tweaking your headline and observing how those changes impact profile views and number of times you appear in searches.

It stands out like a sore thumb.

Food industry headhunters and hiring managers spend considerable time sifting through LinkedIn profiles. As you can imagine, those profiles start to blend together after a while. As you develop new ways to make your profile stand out from the crowd, make sure those changes are positive and professional – and don’t smack of desperation. If you’re on the fence about an update, ask a trusted friend or associate to review it and give you their honest feedback. You want your LinkedIn profile to stand out – but for the right reasons.

Related Posts:

Why Some Food & Beverage Professionals are 40X MORE LIKELY to Be Contacted on LinkedIn

What Stand-out Food & Beverage LinkedIn Profiles Have in Common

Pros and Cons of Including a LinkedIn Photo on Your Executive Food & Beverage Profile

Looking for your next professional or executive food & beverage position?