Your LinkedIn summary should give readers a snapshot of who you are and what you’ve accomplished. You can use your LinkedIn headline to announce a more specific goal.
First, write your summary. This will help you organize your thoughts and create a headline that captures the reader’s attention.
Although the job market has changed over the last few years, recruiters still regard passive job seekers as the most desirable candidates. Passive job seekers are those who already have a job, are not looking for another job, but are open to new opportunities. Since that’s the case, should you make it obvious you are looking for a job or use a title that describes your profession?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this. For example, if you’re a contractor who is looking for projects, it could be helpful to change your headline to include the fact that you’re searching for new opportunities in your area of expertise.
Before you introduce your unemployment status on LinkedIn consider what your introduction communicates to your network of contacts.
The key is to make your headline compelling. For example the title Project Manager is not particularly compelling, but when you expand it to Project Manager implementing creative and effective solutions, it gets a boost.
This strategy sounds more interesting than stating you are between jobs, because it sends the message you are active in your field rather than waiting for opportunities. In today’s job market, you want to be seen as active in your field, even if it’s going back for additional training or education while you’re between jobs.
The goal is to use your LinkedIn headline in a way that’s most productive.
What are your thoughts? Would you use your employment status as your headline?
