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When was the last time you updated your LinkedIn profile?
It’s pretty common only to update your LinkedIn profile when job searching or announcing a new position. Still, as we’ve seen over the last year, employment circumstances can change at any time, so it’s essential to always stay in a position of readiness.
An updated LinkedIn profile makes it easier for Recruiters and talent acquisition professionals to contact you about opportunities in your field. Instead of viewing your profile as something static, only being updated during times of transition, it’s imperative to think of it as a living document that reflects your current professional experience.
Even if you’re happily employed, chances are, you’d be interested in having a brief conversation about an opportunity that could add value to your career and long-term goals. So, unless you’re 100% sure that you will never leave your current job under any circumstances, it’s a wise practice to keep an active and up-to-date LinkedIn profile.
We recently sat down with a Recruiter at Martyn Bassett Associates to discuss how they use LinkedIn and what they look for in potential product candidates. Martyn Bassett Associates is a Toronto-based product-focused recruitment firm helping startups find the product talent they need to scale.
The main goal of a LinkedIn profile should be to get engagement. Consider LinkedIn as a top of funnel marketing tool that presents your product story and career narrative in such a curated and outcome-focused manner that any Recruiter reviewing your profile will be compelled to book a call with you. If a Recruiter’s search results generate 40 possible candidates, you want to be one of the 5 or 6 they will contact to learn more about.
Here’s how to stand out and generate inbound opportunities:
Accomplishments Over Responsibilities: Martyn Bassett Associates’ Head of Product Practice, Heidi Ram, said she looks for candidates who clearly narrate the scope and scale of their role, the use case of their product/business and the outcomes they have achieved.
Clarity: Communicate with clarity and for the widest audience. Industry jargon and acronyms are often not as valuable as you may think. Most employers recruiting PMs value communication skills as one of their top criteria. Demonstrate your outstanding communication skills by starting with your first marketing asset, your LinkedIn profile.
Current Headshot: Generally speaking, the following are best practices for LinkedIn headshots:
Title: The title field needs to clearly communicate your function in a tech company since it is the first data point a Recruiter sees, directly below your headshot. Cutesy or fashionable titles like Chief Fun Officer or Conqueror of the Impossible Dream are not helpful and you run the risk of getting passed over if a Recruiter or time-starved TA professional is evaluating candidates quickly.
Keywords: Using keywords is incredibly helpful, especially for technical product professionals. This includes the tech stacks you’re experienced with and the methodologies you regularly use to make it easier for Recruiters to find and share relevant roles with you. For example, clients will ask for candidates with PLG experience, so if you have it, include it!
Personality & Tone: In addition to work experience, employers have a distinct company culture, and they will look for signs of alignment. LinkedIn can give them a sense of personality, tone, and overall sense of your professional story. What do you post about? How do you describe yourself? There are no right or wrong answers, so don’t try to fake it, just be yourself and let your personality shine.
Keeping your LinkedIn profile fresh and up to date is a great habit to adopt. With the end of Q3 fast approaching, consider your accomplishments and update your profile to reflect them. Think about:
LinkedIn is often the first place Recruiters and TA leaders find candidates for their open jobs. Even if you’re not actively looking for a new role, it’s wise to make it easy for hiring managers to find you. Your dream role might just land in your inbox.
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When was the last time you updated your LinkedIn profile?
It’s pretty common only to update your LinkedIn profile when job searching or announcing a new position. Still, as we’ve seen over the last year, employment circumstances can change at any time, so it’s essential to always stay in a position of readiness.
An updated LinkedIn profile makes it easier for Recruiters and talent acquisition professionals to contact you about opportunities in your field. Instead of viewing your profile as something static, only being updated during times of transition, it’s imperative to think of it as a living document that reflects your current professional experience.
Even if you’re happily employed, chances are, you’d be interested in having a brief conversation about an opportunity that could add value to your career and long-term goals. So, unless you’re 100% sure that you will never leave your current job under any circumstances, it’s a wise practice to keep an active and up-to-date LinkedIn profile.
We recently sat down with a Recruiter at Martyn Bassett Associates to discuss how they use LinkedIn and what they look for in potential product candidates. Martyn Bassett Associates is a Toronto-based product-focused recruitment firm helping startups find the product talent they need to scale.
The main goal of a LinkedIn profile should be to get engagement. Consider LinkedIn as a top of funnel marketing tool that presents your product story and career narrative in such a curated and outcome-focused manner that any Recruiter reviewing your profile will be compelled to book a call with you. If a Recruiter’s search results generate 40 possible candidates, you want to be one of the 5 or 6 they will contact to learn more about.
Here’s how to stand out and generate inbound opportunities:
Accomplishments Over Responsibilities: Martyn Bassett Associates’ Head of Product Practice, Heidi Ram, said she looks for candidates who clearly narrate the scope and scale of their role, the use case of their product/business and the outcomes they have achieved.
Clarity: Communicate with clarity and for the widest audience. Industry jargon and acronyms are often not as valuable as you may think. Most employers recruiting PMs value communication skills as one of their top criteria. Demonstrate your outstanding communication skills by starting with your first marketing asset, your LinkedIn profile.
Current Headshot: Generally speaking, the following are best practices for LinkedIn headshots:
Title: The title field needs to clearly communicate your function in a tech company since it is the first data point a Recruiter sees, directly below your headshot. Cutesy or fashionable titles like Chief Fun Officer or Conqueror of the Impossible Dream are not helpful and you run the risk of getting passed over if a Recruiter or time-starved TA professional is evaluating candidates quickly.
Keywords: Using keywords is incredibly helpful, especially for technical product professionals. This includes the tech stacks you’re experienced with and the methodologies you regularly use to make it easier for Recruiters to find and share relevant roles with you. For example, clients will ask for candidates with PLG experience, so if you have it, include it!
Personality & Tone: In addition to work experience, employers have a distinct company culture, and they will look for signs of alignment. LinkedIn can give them a sense of personality, tone, and overall sense of your professional story. What do you post about? How do you describe yourself? There are no right or wrong answers, so don’t try to fake it, just be yourself and let your personality shine.
Keeping your LinkedIn profile fresh and up to date is a great habit to adopt. With the end of Q3 fast approaching, consider your accomplishments and update your profile to reflect them. Think about:
LinkedIn is often the first place Recruiters and TA leaders find candidates for their open jobs. Even if you’re not actively looking for a new role, it’s wise to make it easy for hiring managers to find you. Your dream role might just land in your inbox.
Toronto Product Management Association (TPMA) is a community focused on development, growth and networking of Product professionals in the Greater Toronto Area.
