You need to act now to stay ahead of the curve.

Your LinkedIn profile is now equally as important to your job search as a CV. 

This is mirrored in the way people now apply for jobs. 

Less and less are people going through external websites and more relying on the LinkedIn platform to facilitate their job search. 

As a Recruitment Agency, we can vouch for this shift in dynamic. Roles advertised through our website will get tens of applications per week. 

The same roles advertised through Linkedin get thousands. 

What people might not be aware of is that when you are applying for a position through LinkedIn, it’s not your CV that is the first thing that appears to Hiring Managers but your LinkedIn profile. 

For time-poor Hiring Managers, the decision on your candidacy is being made increasingly based on a glance at your LinkedIn profile over your CV. 

This might be new information and it could also go some way to explaining why so many profiles are left updated and filled with the absolute bare minimum in the way of content. 

If you want to stay ahead in what is already an extremely competitive job-market you need to be at the forefront of these changes. 

Here’s four reasons why you need to be going all-in on LinkedIn. 

It’s an Interactive CV. 

What does a CV have that a LinkedIn profile - if done properly - doesn’t? 

If anything it is an upgraded version of your CV. 

Anyone viewing your profile can click across your previous employers to get an understanding of size and industry.

It’s also much easier to stand out and project personality on LinkedIn than it is through a CV. 

A professional headshot, a clear About section and CTA on the platform all create a version of a CV that is instantly actionable to whoever is viewing your profile. 

Candidates who are prioritising Personal Branding are seeing results far more frequently than those that aren’t.

Gain Control of your Job Search. 

Traditionally and probably still the most frequent method of job searching is quite reactionary. 

Usually something comes to a head and people go all-in overnight on finding a new role. 

They try to go from 0-100 and it rarely works. 

The reality for most people is not an overnight fix. Instead it should be a sustained and strategic approach utilising the best features that LinkedIn offers. 

Every week you have 100 Connects that you can send to whoever you like on the platform. 

Building a network of people in your industry, even during periods where you’re most content at work, can pay dividends when the time comes to look for a new role.

Done consistently over the course of a year you could find yourself with an extra few thousand leading figures in your space that you can call upon when the time comes.

On top of this one of the most underutilised features of your LinkedIn is the ‘X viewed your profile, click here to see all views’. 

If you are applying to roles, you can check this tab to see who from the company views your profile - chances are they’re the hiring manager and you can follow up with them directly.

It sells 24/7. 

Simply put, you can turn your LinkedIn into a passive selling machine which puts forward the best version of yourself and works for you 24/7.

It is permanently visible and accessible to everyone on the platform. 

A CV sells to the limited number of people you put it in front of. 

Your Linkedin opens up the opportunity for you to be found by Recruiters and Hiring Managers.

It’s the future. 

The CV has remained relatively consistent since its introduction to the modern world. 

A quick Google Search found a PDF of a booklet issued by the American Government in the 1950s, ‘How to write a resume’. 

The suggested format is Name, Contact Details, Work History, Education. 

Pretty consistent then over the last seventy years.

Now compare that to how much LinkedIn has changed and evolved. 

Officially launched in 2003, last year LinkedIn crossed one billion users and has over 58 million companies listed on its site. 

It has more recently integrated AI into the platform and being owned by Microsoft, we can assume it’s going to stay at the cutting edge of whatever the latest advances come to be.

Your CV is still important to an application - don’t get me wrong. 

But, instead of being the sole focus, it’s now a lead generator which nine times out of ten will direct people to your LinkedIn where the decision is made. 

SEO Specialist - Abu Dhabi. 

We are searching for SEO Specialists based in Abu Dhabi to work for our client who are based in the PR and Communications Sector.

Candidates do not have to come from this background but need to have a strong experience in SEO and experience writing both English and Arabic. 

The role is based full time, in Abu Dhabi and portfolio’s need to be attached on submission. 

Please reach out to Charlie Bowsher on LinkedIn for further details.