This might come as a surprise, but before you get a message on LinkedIn, (and if you’re reading this I am sure you’ve gotten several) there is a lot of background work from the recruiter who sent that message. As a recruiter myself, I can tell you that message is not a shot in the dark: Sourcing, or finding the right person for a particular role, is a very meticulous process that brings us to telling you how impressed we are with your background.
To get to that point of what may seem like the first step, recruiters take time–sometimes hours and hours of it–trying to find just the right person. This means combing through LinkedIn Recruiter to find candidates with the right prerequisites for our very particular clients, and knowing what red flags to avoid.
When you break that down, it means we really invest a lot of our time in trying to identify individuals who would be a good fit for the job and company before we even talk to them! Each role has so many variables that I sometimes have trouble keeping straight the most important things to look for.
Enter the acronym…T.E.N.G.L.E. TENGLE is the way I make sure the people I reach out to on LinkedIn have all the necessary requirements for my client.
Do you want amazing job offers flooding your inbox? Of course.
As a recruiter who looks at hundreds of LinkedIn profiles a day, I can tell you with certainty that if you check off all the “boxes” below you’ll have recruiters clamoring to work with you.
TENURE
Employee tenure is a balancing act. Having a lot of experience at different jobs can be beneficial. However, jumping from job to job every six months can look “hoppy” and turn off most hiring managers. No one wants to spend time training someone who is probably going to jump ship in a few months.
On the other hand, staying in a job for two to three years can show loyalty. But staying there for over five years without increasing responsibilities could show stagnation or lack of ambition. When looking at someone’s work history, I typically like to see either a new role or a promotion at least every two years. If you’ve been in the same role for five or more years, do yourself a favor and ask for a promotion.
EDUCATION
While having an MBA or Masters degree is nice to have, our clients typically require job seekers to have a Bachelors degrees. Finishing your education on time and from a noteworthy university are also important factors, especially in entry-level roles.
If you’re fresh out of college and don’t have a lot of work experience, take the time on LinkedIn to fill out the description section of your education. Listing classes you took or projects you worked on can help get you on the radar of recruiters who may have otherwise scrolled right past your profile.
NUMBERS
Sales and marketing are all about metrics. Numbers are the best way to vividly illustrate successes. You say you drove sales–by how much? If you managed people–how many?
Just like on a resume, having solid numbers on your LinkedIn profile underneath each role can help validate or prove that you were awesome at your job. When I have to pitch your experience to a hiring manager, it’s a lot more powerful to say, “she exceeded her annual quota by 130%,” rather than, “she did really well in sales at her last job.”
GAPS
Time is of the essence. If there is time between jobs, it’s always good to understand why. Whether it’s job-transitioning, career-changing or a sabbatical, gaps are important to address when looking at the experience as a whole.
LOCATION
Just like in real estate: Location, location, location. It’s not a good look reaching out to someone in Salt Lake City about a job in midtown Manhattan.
EXPERIENCE
Saving the best for last. Experience is key, whether it’s extensive and on-spec, or if their skills are transferable. Experience is how we decipher who is the best fit for our clients.
When writing your job experience on LinkedIn, it’s okay to brag. This is basically your cover letter, so feel free to write about your responsibilities, number of people you manage and achievements. A job title might get me to click on your profile, but a good description of your work experience will convince me to offer you a great job opportunity.
Looking for more job market tips? We talk about the best sales resume format and how to maintain an impressive LinkedIn profile on our blog.
If you’re interested in Account Executive opportunities in NYC, then shoot me an email at [email protected].
