Create an online job profile that will stand out from the crowd?

If you have spent any time job seeking of late you will notice that the majority of job search and applications are handled online. While this can be convenient it does leave the problem of making yourself stand out from all the other hopeful.

Creating an online job profile is a great way to quickly provide a snapshot to a potential recruiter of your skills, talents, and abilities. However, having a profile that is incomplete may mean that you get passed over.

So what do you need to do?

• 1. Register an account with the job search site that you plan to use.
• 2. Make sure that your online job profile is professional and attention-grabbing
• 3. Update your profile regularly

Keeping your profile as up to date as possible can mean displaying higher when hiring managers are searching for new candidates. Profiles with activity will be given preference over those that are never updated.

Make sure that if there is a place to add a photo provide a professional, business-oriented, and recent headshot. It is worth keeping in mind that your online job profile is similar to a CV, it is the instrument that you will use to present and promote your skills to a potential employer, so treat it with seriousness.

Stay away from lengthy descriptions

While using an online profile as your electronic CV can give you an advantage, it can also hurt your chances if not constructed carefully.

There will be sections where you can complete information about your work history, but you don’t want to create blocks of text that are hard to read. Think short snappy sentences and bullet-pointed lists to break up the uniformity.

The same applies to your education information. Consider which examinations and courses really apply to the job you are seeking and keep it relevant. You may be an expert dog trainer for example, but it doesn’t matter much if you are applying for a job as an electrical engineer.

The goal is to grab the reader’s attention and pack in as much information in a short space that speaks directly to the position that you are trying to obtain.

What’s the benefit?

The upside of having your job profile online is that you can be found very easily. Hiring managers are bombarded with CV’s and application letters on a daily basis. Being able to scan online profiles makes their job quicker and easier.

Another positive is that if they are searching for specific skills or job experience, your online job profile will be right in front of recruiters if it contains the keywords they are looking for. You can really take advantage of this knowledge by putting yourself in the hiring managers shoes.

Think about what words they may use when looking for candidates, or terms that are directly associated with the job, and tailor your online profile accordingly. It will give you a much higher incidence of having your job profile found online.

Developing your online profile is an important part in the registration process because it allows you to be found for certain skills or particular types of jobs that may be of interest. There are many things that you can do once you register to make sure that your profile and application stands out from all the others:

Ensure that your profile is complete with all of the sections filled in as accurately and fully as possible.

• Clearly outline your skills, knowledge and expertise in your profile and CV.

Highlight achievements and make them relevant to the types of jobs that you are hoping to apply for.

• On your CV make sure that you cover the last 10 years of your employment history in detail. Any other employment beyond this time can be summarised with a job title and dates.
• Create a succinct personal summary at the beginning of your CV to outline your main strengths, knowledge and skills that you can bring to the role.

Use keywords to optimise your profile

• Research the types of skills, knowledge and competencies that are required for the vacancies that are of interest to you and then incorporate these throughout your CV and profile, where they match the skills that you have.
• If you are looking for a career change, rather than emphasise your experience which is often sector specific, build your profile and application around relevant transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, problem solving and so on.
• Furthermore, if you spend the time to fill out your profile properly and position yourself as a knowledgeable and skilled professional there is also the chance that you could be headhunted. In the recruitment space there are head-hunters who spend their time searching for the highest calibre candidates. They will use a variety of sources such as online jobs board to browse suitable candidates.
• Registration is just the first step in the process to becoming a member of our jobs board. Once you have access to our platform you will be able to fully complete your profile, browse and apply for vacancies, communicate with employers and make your next successful career move.
• Get started with the registration process today and begin your job search.