LinkedIn CV: Creating your online profile

phone on the desk with light social media graphics come out of it

Did you know your LinkedIn profile could be used as an online version of your CV? Designed to connect with family and friends right around the world, social media channels such as LinkedIn has the capabilities to be utilised for so much more than just sharing funny memes and keeping up with your friends’ status updates.

Today your social media accounts are basically an extension of your CV and could be the key to unlocking your next big career move.

To ensure your LinkedIn CV is up to standard, here are our eight top tips for turning your social media profiles into effective professional CVs.

1. Never underestimate the power of a great social CV

With the increasing use of social media right around the world, it is little surprise that over a third of recruiters (37%) use social and professional media as their primary way to find talent. With this in mind, it is important to ensure your social media profiles reflect the level of professionalism you would in a traditional CV.

Do you often share insightful, industry-related content? Have you positioned yourself as an expert in your field? It’s not just about making sure your job title and contact details are correct across all your social profiles – it’s about showing yourself in the best possible light to impress potential employers.

Never underestimate the power of a great social resume

2. Consider LinkedIn as your new CV

When searching for candidates, 97% of recruiters use LinkedIn as a tool to source talent, so be sure to build a profile that stands out from the crowd and then keep it up to date. At a minimum, you should regularly update your summary and experience sections to showcase your most recent accomplishments, roles and duties. It’s also important to have a profile image on your account – a professional looking headshot or similar is best. For more tips on how to get your LinkedIn profile job search ready, we can help.

Consider LinkedIn as your new resume

3. Have personal and professional social profiles

Everyone loves to use Facebook to catch up with friends – but if you aren’t careful with your privacy settings, anyone could be seeing what you post. Your friends might love that photo of you partying in Las Vegas but it may not be as impressive to a potential employer. Of course, you are free to post what you like and use your profiles however you choose, just consider setting your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles to private.

Research from YouGov Omnibus has found that in the UK, one in five employers have rejected a candidate because of their online activity. With this in mind, consider using a platform such as LinkedIn for your professional contacts and industry-related updates. Use this as your public profile for potential employers to browse your career history to date, qualifications and specialist skills, and keep your personal posts for your private accounts.

Have personal and professional social profiles

4. Forget contact details and forget that job offer

A perfectly constructed social media profile will have very little impact on your career prospects if you don’t include your contact details. Regardless of how professional and impressive your profile is, if your phone number or email is nowhere to be seen, then you can forget about that job offer.

Forget contact details and forget that job offer

5. Start a blog to land a job

Social media presents a great platform to share content and relevant articles – it demonstrates you are well-read and informed about the current trends in your industry which is impressive to both recruiters and potential employers alike. To really stand out, however, why not create your own content? Sharing an article you’ve written yourself really showcases that you know what you’re talking about. It couldn’t be easier, and you don’t even have to build your own blog website. LinkedIn has a built-in blog function, and you can simply click on ‘write an article’ to create a post directly from your profile.

Don't want to start up an entire blog? LinkedIn pulse articles are a great way to curate your own library of content without the extra hassle.

Start a blog to land a job

6. Watch your spelling and grammar at all times

Correct spelling and grammar are vital, not only in a traditional CV or cover letter but also online. Ensuring your social media profiles are easy to read, grammatically correct and free from spelling errors is key to put forward a favourable impression. With 66% of recruiters reporting that they are put off by poor spelling and grammar on social media, be sure you always proofread any posts or content you share online, just as you would a job application.

Watch your spelling and grammar at all times

7. Consider new platforms

It’s likely that you have a Facebook, Twitter and/or LinkedIn account but it could pay to expand your reach through other social platforms too. Recruiters are always looking for new avenues to identify talented professionals and are now looking for candidates on social media sites such as Pinterest and YouTube. These platforms not only increase your opportunities to connect with recruiters but they also present an enormous opportunity for you to demonstrate your creativity.

Consider new platforms

8. Go social no matter your skill level

Social CVs aren’t just for professionals working in high-level corporate jobs. In fact, 87% of jobs recruited through social media channels are for non-management roles - so no matter your level of experience, you can benefit from building and managing well-thought professional social profiles. Social media profiles are a great place to demonstrate your knowledge and industry expertise, and they might very well be the key to your next role.

From these stats, it’s clear that LinkedIn CVs or social CVs can be just as valuable as traditional CVs. However, updating and maintaining your social profiles should be implemented as just one aspect of your overall job-hunting strategy. If you’re serious about finding a new role take the time to perfect your CV, tailor your cover letter to positions you apply for and reach out to recruiters who specialise in your field of expertise to maximise your chance of finding your ideal role.