In some cases, social media can be as much of a hindrance to your job prospects as a help. We’ve all heard those stories of job applicants’ hopes being dashed by their latest Facebook posts, but LinkedIn is your opportunity to put your professional face forward.
LinkedIn is your resume online. It is searchable by employers and recruiters, and with bilingual speakers in such high demand, using LinkedIn in the right way could help you find your next job. In this post, we’re going to take a look at 5 ways you can use LinkedIn to attract attention in all the right ways.
1. Make it easy for recruiters and employers to find you
Most recruiters and employers have the luxury of being able to wait for jobseekers to come to them, but with bilingual speakers in such high demand, recruiters commonly use tools like LinkedIn to headhunt prospective applicants.
To give your LinkedIn profile the best chance of catching a recruiter’s eye, you need to make sure it’s searchable. Your LinkedIn headline allows you to sum up who you are, and the kind of role you are looking for. Recruiters will use straightforward keyword searches, so by including terms such as ‘bilingual speaker’ and the job roles you’re interested in, you increase your chances of being found.
2. Follow the right companies
Following companies you’d be interested in working for gives you access to information you might not otherwise be able to find. You’ll receive updates when people leave or join the company and when new jobs are posted. LinkedIn company pages will also show you if any of your contacts know people who work for these organisations. That could provide a potential way in.
3. Hand pick the right skills
Be specific about the skills you have and make sure these correlate with opportunities you’re looking for in the future. Below the ‘Experience and Education’ section you’ll find ‘Skills & Expertise’. This is where you can tell potential employers exactly what you can do. Your connections can then ‘endorse’ these skills, adding credibility and trustworthiness to your profile. Previous employers can add references to your profile. This is exactly what recruiters and prospective employers will want to see.
4. Showcase your work wherever possible
LinkedIn allows you to upload websites, publications and presentations to your profile. So, if you have a piece of work you are particularly proud of that perfectly demonstrates your skills, make sure you upload it. For example, if your last role was as a bilingual marketer or content creator, upload some of the resources you were responsible for producing.
5. Keep your profile up to date
Recruiters and employers can be wary of gaps in your employment, so make sure you keep your profile fresh by adding your most recent experience as you go. There’s also a risk that an inactive profile will turn recruiters and employers off, so keep busy and that dream bilingual job might just come to you.
How can we help?
As bilingual recruitment specialists, we are always on the lookout for talented bilingual speakers on the South Coast of England. If that sounds like you, please get in touch to discuss your requirements or submit your CV today.