HOUSTON – Unemployed, and seeking a way to stand out on LinkedIn and present your best self when participating in virtual interviews? Keep reading for tips to help make landing your ideal job even easier.
LinkedIn, Now Stand Out!
- Make sure your profile photo pops
- Even though we’re in a pandemic, and it’s become comfortable to spend your days in sweats with messy hair, that’s not the look you want to present online. So, if you already have a professional headshot, use that for sure. But if you don’t it’s time to ditch the sweats for a professional top/blazer, style your hair, do your makeup and whip out your cell phone and snap a few professional style pictures. Don’t overthink it! Just make sure the shots you snap are appropriate for your industry.
- Summarize your experience, and be sure to add relevant skills
- Your summary is where you will sell yourself and what you bring to the table as a team member. Also, be sure to use keywords relevant to your industry. And when it comes to listing your skills, the more the better and the more likely it is that you will come up as a top match for positions offered in your industry.
- Let recruiters know you’re “open” to being contacted
- Instead of writing headlines to let employers know you’re seeking a new role, LinkedIn allows you to simply switch to the “ON” button and let recruiters know you’re open to being contacted for work.
Related: KPRC 2 anchor Dominique Sachse shares how to look and sound your best on Zoom calls
Once you’ve gotten past the recruitment stage, and are now ready for interviews, there are a few key steps you need to take to prepare and put your best self and face forward during the interview. Due to COVID19, some companies are choosing to conduct interviews virtually, which means you are now inviting them into your home for the interview. To be ready, we’ve outlined a few tips to help you ace your Zoom interview:
- Do your homework on the company
- No matter if the interview is in person or online, you want to make sure you’re prepared and have done your homework and research on the company, as well as the interviewer. Be ready to insert company background, facts, stats and other numbers when possible, to let the interviewer know you are prepared for the interview
- Check your internet connection before the interview
- There is nothing worse than a bad online connection, especially when a job is on the line. So, make sure your interview set up is in a part of the home that has the strongest internet connection, and test it before your interview. And speaking of set up, make sure your area is nice, clean and doesn’t have many distracting objects in the background. Keep it simple.
- Make sure to look at the camera, not the person’s image on the screen
- This is pretty self-explanatory but, needs to be said. Be sure to look directly into the web camera, instead of at the person’s image on the screen. This way, you will be sure to make direct eye contact with the interviewer.
- Practice, practice, practice
- Whether it’s body language or your interview answers, you want to be sure to practice! Make sure that you look comfortable, that you smile and that you convey your best self on screen. And when it comes to your interview answers, be sure to practice answers to basic interview questions such as:
- How would you enhance our team?
- What specific skills do you have that would make you a great pick for this position?
- Why do you want to join our company?
Deborrah Ashley, The LinkedIn Blackbelt, of Thrivoo is a marketing expert who helps individuals and experts stand out on LinkedIn. In the video below Ashley offers strategies to help you stand out online and optimize your job search in just 40 minutes!
Want more on-camera tips from a TV professional?
Check out this video from our very own Dominique Sachse, as she offers tips to help you present your best face and best self, online in this YouTube video.