Articles - Career / Personal Development

Recruiters often search for qualified job candidates on LinkedIn. Learn how they conduct such searches and how you can make sure they find you when they go looking on LinkedIn.
How recruiters search on LinkedIn
Recruiters frequently type the job title that they want to hire and their city name into the Search People box and then sort by relevance to find top candidates in their target area.

For example, they may type “Corporate Communications St. Louis” to find experienced corporate communicators in my city. To see how that works, log into LinkedIn and type those words into the Search People box. You will see that I come up third in the results when you sort by relevance. How did I do that?

The short answer is that I included the words “Corporate Communications” several times throughout my LinkedIn profile. The long answer is that I used 10 different steps to quickly move my listing higher in the results. Scroll down to learn exactly how I did that and how you can too.

How to be found on LinkedIn

1) Type in your preferred job title(s) and city name into the Search People box and then sort by relevance. Note how high you come up in the results. If you don’t show up in the first few pages for your city, take the following steps to move your listing up in the results in no time!

2) Click your Profile tab and then Edit Profile. Click the “Edit” link next to your name. Make sure your headline (Professional “headline”) includes the job titles you want and are qualified to perform. If you are in an open job search, also state that you are job seeking. Example: Human Resources and Recruiting Director seeking new opportunity. NOTE: Use commas or the word “and” to separate job titles. Don’t use a plus sign (+) or slash (/) … those symbols could hurt your results!

3) Check to make sure your correct city is selected in the Location section. In the Industry section, try to select an industry that reflects the key word or words that a recruiter would use to find you. For example, my industry (Public relations and Communications) includes the word “Communications.”

4) Save changes and then scroll down on your Edit Profile page. Click the “Edit” link next to the Current section. Make sure your title includes key words that recruiters might use to search for someone like you. Add key words into the Description section. Such key words are the words often used in the job descriptions you want. For example, to strengthen a Corporate Communications leadership claim, add sentences to the Description box that include key words like “corporate communications,” “publications,” “messaging,” “marketing,” “branding”, and “public relations.”   Click update.

5) Scroll to the Summary section and click “Edit”. Add relevant key words to the “Professional Experience and Goals” and “Specialties” sections. Save changes.

6) Click the "Add sections" link next to the wording “NEW Are you published? Own a patent? Display it on your profile.” This link will lead you to a whole host of options that you can add to your Linked profile including:

• • Certifications
  • Courses
  • Honors & Awards
  • Languages
  • Organizations
  • Projects
  • Patents
  • Portfolio
  • Skills
  • Test Scores
  • Volunteer Experiences and Causes

Find this section right after your top box on your Edit Profile page.

Make the most of these sections! For example, in the Skills section, include multiple duties and key words and indicate whether you are an expert, advanced, intermediate, or beginner in each category. Also add the years of experience you have in each skills category, but max the number of years to 15 so as not to sound too “seasoned” or expensive.


Also include certifications, honors and awards, etc., that can help you a standout. The best part about adding these sections to your profile is that not only will they count toward your LinkedIn relevancy ranking, what you have added will also show up on your LinkedIn public profile, which recruiters can see if they type your name into the Google search box or other search engines.

To see what I mean, type “Kathy Bernard” into the Google search box and then click on my LinkedIn listing. Even if we are not connected … or even if you are not logged onto LinkedIn … you can see my skills and publications that are listed on my public profile.

Note skills and publications on my public profile as found on Google.com

7) Returning to your “Edit Profile” page, scroll to the “Experience” section and click “Edit”. Add key words, as well as relevant duties and accomplishments that prove your qualifications in as many past positions as possible.

8) Scroll to the “Education” section and click “Edit” next to each school. Add into the “Additional Notes” section wording like, “Courses completed in XXX and YYY” that include your key words. Save changes.

9) Search for your job description and city again in the Search People box and sort by relevance. Did you come up higher in the results? If you are still too low in the results, keep tweaking your profile.

10) Now try searching for certifications or proficiencies that make you a standout in your community. For example, type “PowerPoint Sacramento” or “Linux+ Toledo” into the “Search People” box. Do you come up high in the results for your standout abilities? If not, follow these steps again … adding such certifications and proficiencies throughout your profile … so that recruiters can easily find you whether they search by job description or your unique qualifications in your city. Remember to check your relevancy ranking regularly to make sure you haven't slipped down in the ratings. If you have slipped, take these steps again to pump up your LinkedIn presence.

Modify your LinkedIn profile to attract recruiters! Doing so can help you … Get a Job!

If you happen to visit my LinkedIn profile while going through these steps, invite me to connect and let me know if I can be of help to you. Find a ton of free job search help … from how to do resumes to how to negotiate salaries ... on the Topical Archive page of my getajobtips.com blog. Subscribe via email or RSS feed to receive similar free tips each week.

What tips have you tried to improve your relevancy ranking on LinkedIn or what have you learned from this article? 

Share your comments on the LinkedIn discussion board that might have brought you here or on the GetaJobTips.com blog (simply send a comment through the Contact Us tab. Thanks for reading! -- Kathy

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Biography of Kathy Bernard

St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Kathy Bernard is the communication lead of the Get a Job! Tips blog, a career coach, webinar/workshop speaker and award-winning corporate communications leader. She has always been tenaciously good at finding work and enthusiastically willing to share her tips with others. Kathy is also a Career Doctor on www.ilostmyjob.com, where she leads frequent, free webinars. She wants to help you ... Get a Job! Connect via LinkedIn -- http://www.linkedin.com/in/kathybernardcommunicator, send her a message using the Contact Us feature, or follow her on Twitter -- twitter.com/kathybernardmkt.

View her complete profile

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