Why LinkedIn Matters

So it you're up to 100's of online application with few interview requests, what can you do? One thing that's made a huge difference for me is attracting recruiters to my inbox with my LinkedIn profile.

When recruiters search for candidates, they'll get dozens of pages of hits, so you want to be on those first few pages. One way to do that is if you happen to be a 1st or 2nd degree connection of theirs. The way to increase the odds of that is to follow and seek out people in your industry and make meaningful connections with them. You never know if a friend of your new friend knows a recruiter.

Secondly, what do recruiters see in their search? Your picture, your headline, where you work, your last two job titles, and your education are the main things. (See the attached pic) So it's important that you craft these for the best impression.

That means have a professional photo, make sure your job titles are descriptive of what you did (not just the official title) and please work on your headline! It's so important not to just have your current position and where you work as the default. Put in skills and what you can do for businesses with those skills. Try using HeadlineAnalyzer.io to evaluate yours and suggest improvements. Also, for my fellow students - take out "aspiring" data analyst. You are one if you've done the work.

Next, if you're active on LinkedIn, interacting with posts, posting your own projects and talking about your journey, that will also tickle the recruiter algorithm's fancy.

And finally, LinkedIn is a social media platform where good looks attract more eyes. Fill out all the sections of your profile as completely as possible, pick out a nice banner image, add pictures to your posts and featured section.

I know it might seem silly, but I've had more than a few recruiters comment that they were "drawn" to my profile, or it "caught their attention." It really matters. Good luck out there, everyone! I'm rooting for you!