You are wrong if you think your LinkedIn profile and Resume are meant to get you a job offer.
The real and only purpose is to get you an interview. The interview leads to the offer. The offer leads to the job. Period.
Keep this in mind when writing your profiles. It’s your personal marketing pitch.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲
Research shows that after scanning the visual elements (your photograph and background banner), we check the few lines below your name, jump to Experience, and then to About.
Background image: Go to Google Images and search “stock photo [your functional area or industry].” Use a photo of at least 1584 x 396 pixels.
Photograph: Go for a headshot with a neutral background, look into the camera, smile, and wear the clothes you would normally wear to work. Use removebg.com and Canva to play with the background.
Headline: Use a maximum of two lines. Combine your functional area with your industry and something unique you wish to highlight.
But before we go deeper into LinkedIn, let me clarify something that confuses many professionals.
The CV is a Career Balance Sheet. A long, detailed document that can run five to ten pages. It does not skip even decimals. It can stand the toughest of audits.
Your CV should never be shared with anyone. It stays on your personal computer forever. From it, you pick the relevant text when creating your Resume.
Résumé is originally a French word meaning summary or outline. You must use a two-page resume to introduce yourself to executive search firms, recruitment companies, or corporate talent acquisition professionals.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻?
Your Resume must be a summary of your CV. Max two pages and around 600-700 words only.
Now, imagine summarizing your two-page Resume into one page, 300-350 words. That is the amount of text you add to your LinkedIn profile.
The following quote has been attributed to everyone from Michelangelo to Mark Twain:
“I didn’t have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one.”
Changing a 5-page CV into a 2-page Resume will likely take you more time than it took to do the 5-page CV.
Your biggest challenge is deciding what you must keep and what you should leave out.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲
So, what upsets recruiters enough to disqualify a resume without a proper review?
𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴:
– Too much text with narrow margins and too little white space. Stick to two pages with plenty of white space.
– Work periods in the left margin attract too much attention and easily give away job hoppers. Move the period into the middle, immediately after the position.
– Drop the photo. Too risky. We say photos are only for models and bartenders.
𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴:
– Using buzz words and soft-skills like self-motivated, energetic, team player, and passionate, but presenting no proper skills and technical knowledge. Recruiters do not search for soft skills. Keep them for the interview.
– Just your name, but no address and contact details on the top of the first page.
– Showing current compensation. Either over the position budget or too low, indicating the person is not managerial material. Do not share compensation information.
𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴:
– Applying for a job without relevant job and industry experience. Was that not a given?
– Graduates now looking for a CEO job. Kidding me?
– Wrong education on what is clearly stated as a requirement. Don’t waste our time.
– Too young, too old.
– Never worked in Asia but wants a job in Thailand. LOL.
𝟮𝟬 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀
For the full version, go to my original blog (link below). Here are five:
- Don’t put an “objective” on your profile.
- Leave irrelevant work experience out. Jobs held for less than 12 months. Jobs you had 15-20+ years ago.
- Don’t show your hobbies. Talk about them at the interview.
- Don’t lie. But you don’t have to tell us everything. Leave something for the interview.
- Putting your age on your resume could be a hindrance. Age discrimination is out there and will get you.
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱
I’m a Certified Professional Resume Writer by the US-based Professional Association of Resume Writers (PARWCC).
I am not just a writer or designer. I headhunt people because I am a professional recruiter. I know from my own experience what attracts on LinkedIn and in a resume, and what does not.
The difference between a resume that gets ignored and one that gets you an interview often comes down to these details. Get them right, and you control the first impression.
Your profile is your pitch. Make it count.
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https://www.tomsorensen.in.th/shop/support/
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