Linkedin changes will help job seekers

Linkedin is a great tool for job seekers and it is getting even better.  Last year I wrote a post about using Linkedin to get a job and I offered some basic tools to set up your account to get noticed.  Fast forward a year later and Linkedin is just getting bigger and better.  In fact, they made a series of major changes recently that will have a positive impact on job seekers as well as recruiters.  The coolest change actually went live yesterday.

Linked in now allows their users to switch around sections in their profile and highlight certain areas while minimizing others.  Most people utilize Linkedin as an extension of their resume and as a way to be visible to those that are hiring.  With these new changes the control is know in the hands of the user.  As a recruiter, I can tell you first hand that the top quater of resume gets the most attention and needs to grab my attention to get me to read on.  Linkedin users can now lead with the most relevant information or the information that will potentially make them more attractive to recruiters and companies.  I can think of dozens of examples where this would be useful.  Let’s take a recent MBA graduate, they can move this to the top of their profile instead of having it buried at the bottom.  Or a web designer or graphic artist, they can know have their portfolio front and center.

I encourage you to sign on to your Linkedin account and make some simple changes that can make a major impact on your job search.