Headline
Let's start with your profile title or Headline . This is a short information about you, what other people see under your name: in the feed, in messages, when you are added as a friend.
In a couple of lines and a few words, you should write the most important thing about yourself there. Not just Product Manager: you need to add keywords that will attract attention: AI/ML, PhD, Blockchain, Crypto, IoT, SaaS, B2B, Growth, Data, Fintech, React.js, etc. Don't miss the opportunity to advertise yourself for free.
Advertising
Location
In your location, indicate the country and even the city where you want to work. Very often, priority is given to local candidates, and resumes are automatically filtered out by location, so you won’t even have the opportunity to talk to a recruiter.
Explaining to the recruiter that you're not actually in San Francisco is a step further, but at least you'll have a chance to talk about it and try to negotiate a move.
Read on the topic: Working in a foreign startup: features and advice from founders and HR
General information
In the About section, you can now add your top 5 skills. They will play a role in filtering candidates. Recruiters set filters on LinkedIn, such as Software engineer, Big Data, AWS, and then select candidates. Since the number of skills is limited, you need to identify your greatest strengths, this will be your USP.
Skills
If you have more skills, the section of the same name "Skills" will help you . You can add up to 50 skills there, ask colleagues to confirm these skills (Endorse), or take a test on LinkedIn, if we are talking about technical skills. Do not forget to add communication skills and soft skills, such as Team work, Communication, Leadership, etc.
Soft skills are very important for working in international companies, and recruiters often screen candidates using these filters. Each vacancy has a set of key skills. In addition, they need to be added to each place of work, project, education and even volunteer work.
Active job search
If you are currently actively looking for a job, put a green Open to work badge on your profile picture . This will help recruiters and people without a special LinkedIn subscription see your intentions.
For example, a hiring manager might notice you, or friends might recommend you. If you set Open to work without a badge, only recruiters with a paid subscription will see your profile, thereby reducing your visibility. When setting up Open to work, add the maximum number of positions, locations, and types of work. I also recommend changing cities sometimes to increase visibility.
If there is no work now
If you are currently unemployed, LinkedIn will complain that your profile is not fully filled out, reducing your visibility. To avoid gaps, add a “Career Break” (“Add profile section” in your profile). You can choose the type “layoff”, “relocation”, “training” and even “maternity leave”.
Activity
To attract attention to your profile, it is very important to be active on LinkedIn: regularly write posts on your professional topic or at least share other people's, like and comment on the posts of people you are interested in, add them as friends. Start networking early so that the hiring manager gets the impression that he already knows you.
Read also:
How to Design Your LinkedIn Profile to Attract More Recruiters
How to turn off notifications and hide posts from your feed on LinkedIn, Twitter and other social networks
Recommendations
Don’t worry if you don’t have references . According to LinkedIn’s product manager and the recruiters I spoke with, recommendations on the social network don’t affect your selection. If a company needs references, they’ll ask you for them in person, usually late in the interview process.
Paid subscription
You don't need LinkedIn Premium for the recommendations above . You can do all of this for free. I didn't find much value in buying a paid subscription. Premium Career - the subscription allows you to write to a recruiter even if you are not friends, but only 5 messages per month, which is very little in the current reality.
In addition, there is access to job insights (helps you understand the profile of your competitors), but in the international market by default you need to understand that you are competing with the best of the best. LinkedIn Learning educational videos are also not unique.
In conclusion, I would like to recommend regularly visiting LinkedIn, communicating with people, your profile should be lively. And it is also worth following the updates, the social network is actively developing and constantly adding new functionality. Successful searches to all!