In my last blog post, I introduced you to the FAVAR™ Method of LinkedIn Profile Creation, outlined the main thrust of it and shared a few tips for using it effectively. As a refresher, the FAVAR Method is used to create LinkedIn profiles that will be easily found using Recruiter Corporate (a paid version of LinkedIn that recruiters often use to evaluate candidates). In this post, I will share more insights and tips about FAVAR and Recruiter Corporate. Apply this knowledge to be sought out by recruiters. The most surprising things I learned about Recruiter Corporate:
- Recruiters can’t see everyone’s profile! I figured that paying about $8,000 a year for this product would provide access to anyone’s profile. Not so. If you are not connected to the recruiter in some way, they may not be able to see your full profile. Recruiters are provided “unlocks” which allow them to see a full “out of network” profile. However, they only get a small number of these each month and use them sparingly. This is why it’s best to have as large a network as possible. With a larger network, you are more likely to be connected in some way to the recruiter.
- Recruiters can’t see all content within profiles (even when they are connected to the person). Many sections are not displayed in Recruiter Corporate (such as images, videos, projects, GPA, endorsements, honors and awards). Because of this limitation, recruiters often log into the basic version of LinkedIn to see full details about a potential candidate. It is important to note that even though the recruiter may not be able to see every section, the data in those fields still affects search results. For both of these reasons, it is still best to complete your profile as much as possible!
- In Recruiter Corporate, your network relationship to the recruiter appears to have no relevance on advanced search results. The outcomes are based on how close the profile matches the search criteria, not how closely you are connected to the person running the search.
- In the snapshot profile, your degree information does not appear in Recruiter Corporate, only the school name is displayed. Therefore, consider adding college information, even if you didn’t finish your degree.
New tricks I learned from the FAVAR Method:
- The zip code trick: If you do not live within your target area, add a zip code to your profile that is in between your town and the target location. For example, if I live in Annapolis but I am open to opportunities in Washington DC, I should enter a zip code of a town in between the two locations. This would help my profile to be included in a recruiter’s search of both areas.
- With some major metropolitan areas, you are able to select the geographic area that is displayed on your profile. If given an option, always display the major market (Washington, DC vs. Annapolis) to come up in more searches.
- Do you have a first name that can be spelled in different ways (Jon vs. John) or a last name that is often misspelled? Help recruiters find you by adding alternations of your name in the summary. Branding expert William Arruda’s LinkedIn profile (linkedin.com/in/williamarruda) provides an example of this. Near the bottom of his summary it says “AKA/Common misspellings: Bill Arruda, William Aruda.” This allows him to be found in keyword searches by name, even when someone might not have the correct spelling. You can also add the alternate spelling in the first name field, to cover your bases.
- The first 50-100 characters in your summary section are essential because they are displayed to the recruiter as a snippet under your profile snapshot. Give serious thought to those first few words. It’s a good idea to use job functions/titles that are likely to be used in a keyword search (such as Career Counselor or Career Coach) by a recruiter. Also, consider adding your name and contact information here because the recruiter does not see your name in the snapshot if they are not connected to you and only first degree connections can easily see your contact information.
Final words about the summary section:
The summary section is critical to your profile and it’s the only section that can affect all five steps of the FAVAR Method (Findability, Attractability, Viewability, Applicability and Reachability). Don’t skip this section! It can be useful in many ways and it’s one of the few that gives you flexibility to write anything you want (within the space limit of 2000 characters).
I hope you put this information to good use to make your profile more easily found for the right opportunities! For more information about the FAVAR Method and other useful LinkedIn resources, go to http://www.maxoutli.com/.
Note: This is a modified version of a similar article I wrote. It originally appeared in Volume 37 Number 3, May-June (2015) edition of the Career Planning & Adult Development Newsletter.
