I can't remember the last time I saw a Cover Letter and I get hundreds of CVs through every day. 

If someone asks me if one would be beneficial for their application, I’d tell them not to waste their time.

There might be a handful of companies out there who would still request one but we are witnessing a huge paradigm shift in the world of Recruitment.

We live in a fast-paced, transactional world. People are busy and time-poor.

If the average hiring manager/recruiter spends 6-8 seconds looking at a CV - do you think they'd make time to read a cover letter?

This is where your LinkedIn profile comes into play.

I check out the LinkedIn profile of every candidate I speak to before calling them.

When I’m pitching a candidate to a client over the phone, do you know what I’m hearing more and more often?

‘Send me their LinkedIn’.

While your LinkedIn can't be personalised to each role or company in the same way a Cover Letter can, it is hyper-personalised to you and who you are.

It plays to your strengths and is also vastly more effective.

For a Cover Letter to work, you have to take the time to tailor each one to a specific role, send it out, wait for someone to review and then for them to email/call.

It’s a long-winded and speculative sales funnel which relies on a high-volume approach and factors outside of your influence.

Your LinkedIn however requires far less maintenance and is active 24/7, a passive advertisement of the best parts of you and your skillset.

At the click of a button Hiring Managers can have direct access to candidates without the awkward back and forth of missed phone calls and arranging times to speak.

The way you choose to present yourself and how you come across on LinkedIn, is 100x more important today than a Cover Letter.

Personal Branding is the new currency of the job-seeker.

It's vital you make sure you are putting forward the best version of yourself on LinkedIn to make headway in a competitive job landscape.

Here's our six-point checklist for you to quickly audit your profile.

1)     Headshot and Background Photo.

Does it fit the vibe of LinkedIn? A professional headshot is one of the most underrated things you can get done to benefit your job search.

It really is the first impression you will give to a potential employer and a professional headshot vs a grainy image taken in a bar could be an influencing factor in your application.

Same goes for the Background Photo. Is it professional branding that matches the tone of your profile?

*Side note for profile picture - make sure it’s visible to everyone, not just people you’re connected with as is the default LinkedIn setting. This will make your profile more friendly to anyone who might be checking you out and more likely to Connect.

2)     Beneath the Picture.

This feature is, in my opinion, one of the biggest and most unsung ways to set your profile apart: The Headline feature.

It’s a quick space for you to tailor and give a one-liner on what you bring to the table and encourage people to stay on your profile. 

Mine is ‘I place Creatives’. Short and to the point for anyone who views my profile.

If someone in my target audience reads that they will be compelled to read on and potentially connect/follow me.

3)     Personal Statement.

This is a place for a quick summary and way for you to introduce yourself to the world. It should let everyone know, who you are and what you do.

It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be strong.

My biggest tip here? No Chat GPT. As great a tool as it is, there is a time and a place for it.

For Personal Branding to work, it needs to be authentic.

4)     Work Experience.

Make sure this is updated and links to the companies you have worked for.

Often employers will want to check out the people you’ve been working with and see how that company/industry aligns with theirs.

Making this as seamless a process as possible which can be performed within one tab on LinkedIn will again make them more likely to interact.

The more time they spend on your profile, you can also see who has viewed it via the notifications tab – this gives you the opportunity to follow up directly with the person responsible for hiring if they match a company you have applied to.

5)     Activity.

Every week you are given one hundred connections that you can send out to anyone you choose.

At the palm of your hands, you have direct access to key-players within your industries who use LinkedIn on a daily basis.

Devoting time to posting content with unique insights into your industry will grow your standing within the community and make your profile stand out.

6)     Recommendations.

This is the easiest social proof you can get of who you are and what you do.

Request reviews from ex-colleagues/managers of your skills and tenure and have them permanently visible on your profile.

They are visible at the bottom of your profile once completed and you can choose which ones to add.

If it can work towards creating a positive impression of yourself in the eyes of someone else before that have spoken to you then it is hugely beneficial.

Share The Inner Circle to get rewards.

I am looking for an experienced Account Manager who has a background in Sports or Events who is willing to relocate to Saudi Arabia for the position (full relocation costs are covered). 

My client is looking for someone with experience of working in multinational organisations and experience handling high-level Stakeholders. 

The project is protected by NDA but my client has an extremely exciting track record within their space and this role comes with no exception.

Start date is likely to be January – February given current timings and the company will support travel to and from their head offices in the UAE once a month.

Please reach out to me on LinkedIn and I will be happy to chat if your profile matches the requirements.