Do you ever wonder if your online profile is getting views? You can have the most amazing resume out there, but if you’re failing to consider the four tips below, your great skills aren’t likely to get their due. The cleared talent pool is shrinking, which means more demand for professionals with an active federal security clearance. But you won’t be able to take advantage of those opportunities if your profile is getting passed over because of a few easy-to-fix mistakes. The four tips below take minutes – and are worth every one when it comes to managing your career and getting your profile seen by employers with opportunities you want to know about.
1. Have a profile photo (at least).
Have you ever visited a web site and had the feeling you’d taken a time warp to 1999 – and it wasn’t Amazon on April Fool’s Day? Well, that’s what employers think when they visit your profile and don’t see a profile photo. We get it – many cleared professionals are security conscious. But there are a number of ways you can be creative with your online profile photo. Use an avatar, go for an artistic profile shot (where you won’t deal with those pesky facial recognition issues). But also don’t kid yourself. If you’ve ever posted a photo online, your lovely mug is already out there. Having a recognizable profile photo is certainly a boon to your job search efforts.
If the site offers the option for a cover photo or uploading other images, do that, as well. This is a chance to let your personality shine, so make it count.
2. Complete means complete.
I frequently hear from job seekers who believe they’re doing everything right when it comes to their job search. I’ll ask if their profiles are complete, and they say yes, but a quick scan reveals several things haven’t been completed, from clearance details to selecting key personality traits and workplace preferences. A employer’s time is limited – they’re choosing from a select number of candidates, and if they have a choice between a profile that is 100 percent complete, and one that is 85 percent complete, the full picture gets the call every time.
3. Join groups.
Employers have stated that job seekers who are in groups stand out as job seekers who are active and interested. If you want to show that your job search is serious, you need to join relevant groups. Worried you’ll waste your times in groups that aren’t relevant? ClearanceJobs makes it easy – you can only join the groups you’re qualified for. So if you’re an Army Vet who’s willing to relocate and a Cisco professional, join all of those groups. In addition to targeted job listings, you’ll also have an inside track on which employers you should connect with – which is another great way to increase views to your profile.
4. Post status messages.
Status messages are on your profile for a reason – they’re like a welcome mat to your candidate profile. And a employer won’t feel very welcome if he visits your profile one day and sees the same status message when he checks back two weeks later. If you’re an active job seeker, you should log into your profile frequently, and update your status message each time. Even if you’re a passive job seeker, it’s a good idea to update your status message regularly. It shows employers you’re still there, and reminds them why you’re a candidate they want to keep in touch with if they find an opportunity you can’t refuse.
