11. Update your LinkedIn profile

With more than 20 million companies listed on the site and 20 million open jobs, it's no surprise that87% of recruiters regularly use LinkedIn. LinkedIn is one of the best platforms to use when applying for a new job.  

Even when you get your CV into the hands of a recruiter or hiring manager via other channels, chances are they will look you up on LinkedIn as well. Just like your CV, it should be up-to-date and reflect your experience, but it gives you additional opportunities to show your future employers why they should hire you, such as adding media and linking to articles or news you were involved in.  Does your LinkedIn profile reflect your work? 

Here are our top tips to having a great LinkedIn profile: 

1. Have a profile picture - Statistics show that LinkedIn members with a photo receive up to 21 times more profile views and 9 times more connection requests.  

2. Make your profile clear, concise and understandable. LinkedIn profiles are now an extension of your CV and are often the first thing that employers look at, with  over 70% of employers checking social media profiles. 

3. List your entire work history and volunteering. LinkedIn is slightly different in the sense that you don’t need to tailor it as you would a CV 

4. Create a customised URL that’s easier to share with companies 

5. Be strategic about your endorsed skills.

6. Ask for recommendations from previous colleagues and employers .

Advice from EPM Scientific: For life science professionals it’s also important that candidates are able to demonstrate stability throughout their careers (not job hoppers), however having experience working for different organisations is useful as it shows a broader knowledge base – make sure you showcase this in your LinkedIn profile and CV.

Contact us and one of our specialist consultants would be happy to help you update your LinkedIn profile – remember this is your online identity and a chance to showcase your portfolio of work.

Read our article on how to use LinkedIn to engage with potential employers  for more advice.