9 Tips to Attract Recruiters to Your LinkedIn with Job Offers (2024)
Get job opportunities knocking on your door with these expert tips for Malaysian job seekers.
By Kimberly Chang on 2023-11-27 at 7:12 AM
Updated on 2024-10-10 at 7:22 AM
How to Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile to Attract Recruiters
Wouldn’t it be great if instead of applying for jobs, recruiters came to you with job offers instead? Well, it’s possible! With the right tweaks, you can transform your LinkedIn profile into a magnet for opportunities. You have to make it easy for them to find you.
Here are 9 surefire ways to attract and impress headhunters with your LinkedIn profile:
1. Upload a Professional Profile Photo
Photo by Did you know that your LinkedIn account ranks higher in search results when you have a profile picture? Take advantage of this with a professional photo that’s sure to make a winning impression. Not any selfie will do, though.
Take a photo in natural, relaxed lighting against a plain coloured background. Dress professionally – something you would wear to an interview. Another thing to remember is to make sure your face fills at least 60% of the photo to look approachable and confident—qualities that appeal to Malaysian employers.
2. Use Your Background Image to Tell Your Story
The first thing headhunters will notice after your profile picture is your background image. It's valuable real estate for showcasing your expertise, so don’t treat it like any wallpaper background.
Make use of this space by highlighting your value as a candidate. A good trick is to pick 3 keywords that explain what you do best. For example, “Marketer, Project Manager, Youth Career Speaker.” You can then use a photo that complements those keywords.
Humans are drawn to images so this is an excellent method to make your profile stand out. If you like, include your email address in the background photo as well so headhunters know where to reach you.
3. Craft an Eye-Catching Headline
If you don’t customise your Headline, LinkedIn will display your current job title and employer as the only information in your headline.
If your title is generic (for example, Manager, Director at ACME business), the reader will have no notion of what distinguishes you from other candidates. Instead, highlight your value and expertise with something like:
“Digital Marketer | Growing Brands through Data-Driven Strategies | Content Expert.”
Your goal is to draw attention to yourself and the value you can provide. It’s not the profile page of the company you’re working for; it’s your page, therefore focus on your personal brand.
In your Headline, provide a quick overview of your industry and/or functional abilities. Remember the three example keywords you prepared for your background photo? Put them here so that hiring managers can find you easily when they search for those terms.
SEO tip: Use industry-specific keywords in your headline to boost your visibility in recruiter searches.
4. Write a Compelling Summary that Sells Your Skills
It’s easy to skip the overview section and head straight to filling out your experience, but doing so could cost you showing up on an employer’s search results. Just like your Headline, the Summary section is searchable so it’s a great opportunity to insert relevant keywords to your industry, skills, and experience.
The summary’s location near the top of your page helps frame your background for the quick reader. A recap of your previous successes with searchable keywords is a great place to start.
You can write about your entire career journey and not just your current position, especially if you’ve held fascinating positions and made remarkable accomplishments.
Consider writing this in third person with a conversational tone that recounts how you arrived at your work experience. It’s helpful to imagine how someone would introduce you to an audience when writing this section.
For example:
“Sarah Lee is a seasoned digital marketer with 8+ years of experience. She has led marketing campaigns that drove a 150% increase in engagement for clients in the retail sector.”
Focus on your achievements and what sets you apart—this helps recruiters see the impact you’ve made.
Pro Tip: Not sure how to stand out? Take our Work Persona Quiz to uncover your strengths and learn how to highlight them in your summary.
5. Showcase All Your Professional Experiences
Unlike your resume, on LinkedIn, the more the better. Adding all the companies or organisations you’ve worked will help increase your chances of getting discovered by recruiters and people looking to network with you.
When it comes to the experience section, you don’t need to elaborate as much as you do on your resume. But like other sections on your LinkedIn profile, pay attention to what keywords you include here. Focus on the ones most relevant to your role and roles you want to explore in the future.
Besides that, make sure you’re providing enough information about your current job so that the reader understands what you do and what you’ve accomplished in your most recent role.
Why it matters: A complete profile increases your chances of being discovered by recruiters searching for candidates with specific skills. Use industry-relevant terms like “data analysis,” “project coordination,” or “customer relationship management” to improve searchability.
6. Request Recommendations to Boost Your Credibility
Supervisors and coworkers are excellent sources of genuine recommendations for job candidates. Reach out to managers, senior colleagues, or even clients who can vouch for your skills and experiences. With these interesting testaments of your value, you will be able to stand out from the competition.
Pro tip for Malaysian job seekers: Don’t hesitate to ask past professors or mentors for a recommendation, especially if they can highlight your work ethic or industry knowledge.
7. Make Reaching Out to You Easy
You want to be immediately accessible to headhunters when you’re looking for work. Unless you create a new account for that purpose, your primary email address will be posted publicly on LinkedIn. Just make sure it’s an account you check on a regular basis or one that forwards to your primary email address.
We recommend creating an email address exclusively for job searching so you can be sure you don’t miss out on any amazing opportunities. Ensure that your contact details are up to date. It’s a small detail that can make a big difference when recruiters are looking to connect.
Pro tip: Use a dedicated email address for job searches to keep messages organised and respond quickly to new opportunities.
8. Maintain an Active Profile to Stay Relevant
A dormant LinkedIn profile will give recruiters the impression that you are unavailable. You want them to linger on your profile after they’ve seen it, rather than moving on to the next candidate.
Maintain an active LinkedIn profile by posting and communicating with people on a regular basis, preferably those in your field of expertise and interest. Create a presence by posting your thoughts, sharing articles, commenting, and liking others’ posts. It is also an easy way to build connections in the industry!
Why it’s important: Being active on LinkedIn not only keeps your profile visible but also shows that you are up-to-date with industry trends—a quality recruiters highly value.
Looking to connect with peers who share the same passion? Join our Young Leaders Community to network with ambitious professionals, share insights, and gain the motivation you need to stay on top of your career goals.
9. Drop Your Resume with Recruiters at Hiredly X
Get immediately noticed by our experienced headhunters at Hiredly X by submitting your resume to x.hiredly.com.
Let our headhunters know that you’re interested in exploring new options, and they’ll contact you when they find a match!
Conclusion: Stand Out on LinkedIn and Let the Right Opportunities Find You
Your LinkedIn profile can be much more than an online resume—it’s a powerful tool for attracting the right job opportunities. By following these tips, you’ll make it easier for recruiters to find you and approach you with roles that match your skills.
Make your next move count. Head over to Hiredly to find the right match for your skills and ambitions. Your next great opportunity could be right around the corner.
By Kimberly Chang on 2023-11-27 at 7:12 AM